The Gender Politics of "Kiss Me, Kate"

Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited

Folger Shakespeare Library

Arts

4.7 • 837 Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2019

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A new production of Kiss Me, Kate is on Broadway now. It features Cole Porter’s memorable music and Kelli O’Hara and Will Chase as Lilli Vanessi and Fred Graham, a bickering divorced couple thrown together when they’re booked to star in a production of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. But 1948’s Kiss Me, Kate also duplicates the sexism of the Shakespeare play at its center. You aren’t alone if you’re wondering, “Does Kiss Me, Kate work in 2019?” We asked Will Chase and Amanda Green. Chase (TV’s Nashville and Broadway’s Something Rotten) stars in the production as Fred Graham, Kiss Me, Kate’s Petruchio figure. Amanda Green is the Tony-nominated lyricist and composer who wrote additional material for the production, a key decision-maker when it came to updating the musical’s book and lyrics. Chase and Green talk to Barbara Bogaev about wrestling with Kiss Me, Kate treatment of women and finding the love at the heart of its script.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Okay, let's get the most obvious part out of the way first.
0:03.6	Rush up your Shakespeare, start quoting him now.
0:10.1	Rush up your Shakespeare and the women you will wow.
0:15.8	Kiss Me Kate is back on Broadway and you have to these days, just how do you make that work?
0:22.6	Better mention the merchant of Venice.
0:25.6	When her sweet pound of flesh you would menace.
0:28.6	If her virtue at first she defends well.
0:31.6	Just remind her that all's well that ends well.
0:34.6	And if still she won't give you a bonus.
0:38.3	You know what Venus got from a bonus.
0:44.7	From the Folger Shakespeare Library, this is Shakespeare Unlimited.
0:52.2	I'm Michael Whitmore, the Folgers director.
0:55.0	There haven't been a lot of successful American musicals based on Shakespeare.
1:00.0	Kiss Me Kate is arguably the best known.
1:03.0	It premiered on Broadway in 1948.
1:06.0	The story of a battling, divorced couple working to stage a musical production of the
1:11.5	Taming of the Shrew featured a book by Bella and Samuel Spiwack and, more importantly, memorable
1:18.8	songs by Cole Porter.
1:20.4	It's too darn hot.
1:22.4	It's too darn hot.
1:26.4	I'd like to stop for my baby tonight. But let's be honest, it's too darn hot, I'd like to stop for my baby tonight.
1:30.7	But let's be honest, in an era when Shakespeare theaters are antsy about staging the taming of the shrew,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Folger Shakespeare Library, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Folger Shakespeare Library and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.