Two days, two plays, two people.
I spent two days this past week with a gaggle of 8th graders. A field trip to Canada: bus, hotel, raging hormones, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Ostensibly, we were there to see live theater. And, more or less, we all did.
At Stratford’s Festival of Canada , we saw The King and I and The Taming of the Shrew (framed as a spaghetti-western in this production). This combination was striking given the facts that The King and I is a much-loved musical and that The Taming of the Shrew is a much despised depiction of gender relations.
In The King and I, we encounter the relationship of Anna and The King. These two are separated by a cultural divide but drawn to each other by a stronger force. They are spirited and stubborn, and neither really wants to change. They prefer, instead, that the other conform to his or her culturally-correct ways. Along the way, they learn to see the other in a new light, to focus on what makes the other so special, and to enjoy their relationship.
In The Taming of the Shrew, we find Kate and Petruchio. These two are separated by the Renaissance’s ideals for men and women. Again, the characters are strong willed and unwilling to change. In this production, both are changed: Kate is obviously “tamed,” but Petruchio himself appears ready to accept a partner in his life, rather than roam the earth alone in search of financial success.
In the end, there are two people to enjoy in a relationship, to accept, to find goodness in, to love: our soul mate and our self. Hopefully, this gaggle of 8th graders will learn that some day.