I will be directing part of Act five scene two. This is the part where most of the main characters are all together and Petruchio shows all the other men that he has tamed Kate. All the men have a bet on whose wife is the most obedient. I have chosen to set my piece in the present time because I want the modern day audience to sympathise with both Katherina and Petruchio. I am going to set this in a stately home because the men will be playing cards and the women will be talking in a nearby room. The servants will be also playing cards because Biondello and Gremio are also good friends of their masters. The house will belong to Lucentio. I have chose to use a stately home because it is the closest thing to the type of housing and the class the people in the original play were set in. I thought that although the stately home is the closest thing to the original, the modern day audience would still be able to relate to the characters and settings a lot easier.
The men will be dressed in casual suits with a loosened tie, to create the effect of the upper class relaxing with a few friends. Kate will be wearing a long flowing dress to show that she is like an ordinary upper class lady instead of the more radical clothing she would have worn before the taming process. Biannca and the widow will also be wearing the same style of dress. The servants (Biondello and Gremio) would be wearing the traditional butler uniform. I want them to realise that Petruchio has tamed Kate, but I want them to question whether or not Kate has lost her robust personality in the process. I want them to think that although Kate has been disciplined and is obeying Petruchio’s every word, that she still is her own person, but she now puts her view across in very different ways.
I am going to direct my play in a way that will bring out the fact that Kate is still her own person, but a lot more sociable. Baptista and all the other men think that Petruchio could not have tamed Kate because she was uncontrollable. So I would get Baptista to say this line ” Now in good…. shrew of all” In a patronising way. I would get him to say it in this way because Baptista doesn’t think that Petruchio has succeeded. “Well, I say no…. we will propose” Petruchio would say this in a confident manner, which the other gentlemen will act upon because they think that Kate has no chance of winning therefore they all place a wager for their own wife.
“Twenty crowns? I’ll venture…. Upon my wife” Again Petruchio would say this in a conclusive way to make lure the audience and his friends into thinking he must be foolish to bet such a large amount of money upon a bet he is in no doubt going to lose. “That will I. Go Biondello, bid your mistress come to me” Lucentio would say this in a boastful manner because he thinks his sweet fair Biannca will come to him at once. The audience are in total agreement with Lucentio, they also think Biannca will come. When Biondello exits he will go through a large oak door and you would hear him running down the hall.
“Son, I’ll be your half Biannca comes” The actor would need to say this in a way that convinces the audience he is willing to give his money away because he is that assured that Lucentio will win the bet. “I’ll have no halves; I’ll bear it all myself.” Lucentio would say this in an arrogant way because he is that confident that he will win he wants all the rewards for himself. “Sir, my mistress…. She cannot come.” Biondello would be out of breath after he had been running; he would then say this sentence in a very surprised way. Before he said this Lucentio would have a very smug grin on his face, but afterwards his face would drop. “How? “She’s busy…. Is that an answer?
