XU's plans for Taming of the Shrew in March

From the same department that produced Hairspray in the fall, the new Theater Department is producing William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew as their spring semester show. For those of you who are not familiar with the show, it is the premise for the 1999 movie Ten Things I Hate About You. For those of you who are familiar, get ready for a new take on the classical comedy. The director of Taming, Stephen Skiles, gave some insight on the direction for the show. The show is set to take place in the main stage theater, but not just in the theater. Everything will be on the main stage, including the audience. At the moment, there isn't an actual set design. Only a basic lay- out exists, all in white. Skiles said that he had a few very good, well
fleshed-out ideas, but he decided to go with just the basics. His idea is to make it a collaborative effort in every aspect imaginable. The costumes, time period, specific settings, set design and lighting are all part of a collaboration with everyone involved with the show. The only real decision that has been reached is that it will be a completely different take on the classical piece, in more ways than just one. Skiles definitely wants it to be a more contempo- rary take on the show. A l s o , some of the char- a c t e r s are being played by the opposite gender, chang- ing the relationships between a few of the characters. This show will definitely be a new twist on a much loved classic and one that you really can't af- ford to miss. Tickets will be available soon, and the show is set to run on March 21-24 in the GSC Main Stage Theater.