Showtime: Fox Chase actor David Bardeen plays several roles in Taming of the Shrew, on stage at the Lantern Theater through May 3.
The Lantern Theater is well known for its annual Shakespeare productions, and this season, it’s Taming of the Shrew, the classic battle of the sexes.
The “shrew” is Kate, who is so assertive that prospective suitors in Padua prefer her more submissive sister Bianca.
But their father insists that Kate must be “married off” before Bianca can marry. The “taming” occurs when a suitor for Kate, Petruchio, turns up, presumably, to “tame” her. In this era of equal rights for women, some consider this play outdated — and even misogynistic — with its title of “taming a shrew.” But Fox Chase actor David Bardeen sees it differently.
“Kate is shrewish because she’s never been given a chance,” he says. “When Petruchio comes into her life, this is the first man who’s her equal. They kind of know they’re made for each other. And to me, the ‘taming’ is ironic, because she’s never really tamed.”
Like others in the nine-member cast, Bardeen plays several roles. Throughout Act I and part of Act II, he’s Gremio, a suitor for Bianca. Gremio is the oldest character Bardeen has ever played. He has to make changes in his voice and also has to stand and walk — with a cane — as if he’s stooped over.
But Gremio is just one of the characters he plays. In all, Bardeen takes on four different roles. Even though most are quite brief, each one involves different costumes and props.
“And it’s a vocal challenge to create a different voice for each character,” says Bardeen.
Each character also involves different stage actions. In one instance, as Gremio, Bardeen hits someone over the head with a cane. In another role, as Vincentio, he uses a six-foot walking stick. There’s also a scene in Act II when Bardeen, playing a tailor, has a fight with a yardstick and a piece of paper. Many of these scenes are played for comic effect.
“This is a strong comedic cast,” he says. “We were able to try anything in rehearsals, and we did.”
The cast rehearsed for three and a half weeks, guided by director Charles McMahon. It was McMahon who decided on an unusual way to portray the battle of the sexes between the two leading characters.
“Petruchio and Kate are the quintessential battling couple and certainly the most unusual love story in the classical canon,” says director McMahon. “Brilliant and combative, they are at once attracted and exasperated by one another.”
And to show this “dance” between them, McMahon adds tango, with its elements of approaching and then drawing back. Dancing a tango onstage is definitely a first for Bardeen. But the actors are not expected to be polished dancers.
”It’s a comic moment, and it’s pretty funny,” says Bardeen.
But whether it’s dancing a tango or fighting with a yardstick, this seasoned actor can handle the challenges. Besides performing in the Lantern’s Henry V, he had featured roles in the Lantern’s New Jerusalem and Long Day’s Journey Into Night. And he earned a Barrymore Award for Best Supporting Actor in the InterAct Theatre production, It’s All True.
After earning his master’s degree from the Yale School of Drama, Bardeen, a Main Line native, lived in Los Angeles and had TV and film roles as well as roles on the stage.
Since moving back to Philadelphia, he’s performed on a number of area stages. including the Walnut Street Theatre Studio 3, the Arden and the Wilma. Now, the actor is delighted to return to the Lantern stage.
“The Lantern is one of those theaters where actors can explore and experiment with their own interpretations,” he says.
After acting in Henry V two years ago, he finds Taming of the Shrew a different — and equally satisfying — experience.
“At the very least, it’s a play that will provoke discussion,” he says about its portrayal of the battle of the sexes. “And the audience will have a great time, even if they feel uneasy at first about the theme. It’s a great night in the theater, with a lot of laughs. And I love making people laugh” ••
Taming of the Shrew continues at the Lantern Theater, 10th and Ludlow streets, through May 3. Tickets are available online at lanterntheater.org or at the box office at 215–829–0395.
