The Taming of the Shrew

If you remember Baz Luhrmann’s colorful production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet back in the 90’s, you will recall that instead of setting it in Italy, the story was set in a city that looked strangely like Los Angeles—aside from the people speaking in Shakespearean tongue. The Hunger Artist Theatre Company have taken a page from that book and set their production of Shakespeare’s romantic-comedy The Taming of the Shrew, in an Italian restaurant. The story is about a foul-mouthed and foul-tempered woman, who is eventually softened by love. Make of it what you will, but chances are this particular rom-com is going to be a lot funnier than anything you’ll see in movie theaters this summer (and Katherine Heigl is nowhere in sight). Just remember that while it may be a familiar setting, don’t be surprised when you find that the first words out of the character’s mouths are, “I’ll pheeze you, in faith.”
Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Starts: July 31. Continues through Aug. 16, 2009