THE TAMING of the SHREW
Written by William Shakespeare; Directed by Karsten Otto
La Mama | 74 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003
July 9th to August 2nd, 2026
Photos by Reaching Glory
Shakespeare has been fiddled with a lot over time. Many a mere mortal has taken it upon themselves to rewrite the Bard’s text. It’s ironic when there are scholars who have worked diligently to give us First Folio editions to remove editors’ “corrections”. One should not necessarily alter where alteration finds. But given that there are no right holders to the works of Shakespeare, there is no one but the audience to judge you. Cutting for time is not uncommon. Shakespeare’s audience wasn’t paying for parking and sitters. But the question remains, what do we lose when we cut Shakespeare’s plays?
Small Boat Productions and kotto Productions present Shakespeare, Entirely: TAMING OF THE SHREW as directed by Karsten Otto. The full-length staging will run this summer at La MaMa’s newly renovated Club Space. And by entirety, they mean even the “induction” which I’d never seen staged before. Taming of the Shrew is actually a play within a play, but is rarely presented as such. The story of Kate and Petruchio is not changed by knowing they are players performing a play. And, while you may imagine that the Tinker from the induction may be changed by watching this particular play, yet that text, if it ever existed, has been lost to time. So, this early scene is an easy cut, but Otto has given himself the task of leaving the play intact and performing it in under three hours.
The play is served by keeping the action moving - something the less experienced actor struggles with. Delivering Shakespeare depends on being able to articulate the text, and garbled text will cause your audience to tune out. What brings this production to life is the riveting chemistry between Petruccio (Juan Arturo) and Kate (Kate Eastman). It’s the fire burning in their eyes that intensifies their famous battles. From the moment they meet, you are eagerly anticipating their next exchange. McLean Peterson’s sly Bianca is a joy to watch, particularly as she plays with Milena Makase’s Hortensio and Romeo Torres’ Lucentio. Langston Darby’s commanding presence is streamlined into his gentle if strict Baptista. And Mario C. Brown cooly shows us why Tranio is the brains of the operation. Olivia Vaughn Hern’s costumes are dazzling, and beautifully befit the play within the play motif. Overall, there is an exuberance about the production that makes it truly special.
There is Shakespare being done all over the city this summer – nowhere more enjoyably than La Mama. Whatever your opinion of Kate and Petruchio’s relationship, the fiery performances of Arturo and Eastman will remind you why this play has been constantly performed for 400 years.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Nicole Jesson.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on July 21, 2026. All rights reserved.