Pitiable...arresting...bad-ass...shrew?

Charlayne Woodard's portrayal of the infamous Kate in Shakespeare Theatre's The Taming of the Shrew defies one-word description. She's an integral part of what's so appealing about Rebecca Bayla Taichman's take on the show, a production which almost manages to overcome the sexist undercurrents of the work itself.

For those who missed English class that day (or have never seen Kiss Me Kate, or Ten Things I Hate About You, or that "Moonlighting" episode...), all the men in town want to marry the fair Bianca, but her father won't budge until the older sister, Kate, is married off. Problem is, she's a terror. A scheming gentleman, Petruchio, decides he's going to "tame" her to become his wife, and we're ready to sit back and see just how well that goes.

Shakespeare Theater always manages to find the funny in the Bard's work, and Shrew is no exception. Even the set design is whimsical here -- the overly glitzy Padua has become an ode to the superficial, thanks to such touches as a large, stylized billboard featuring a scantily-dressed female. Two of Bianca's suitors (including the great J. Fred Shiffman as the bumbling Gremio) have to face off, game-show style, to prove who will provide the better deal for their beloved. And as Petruchio, Christopher Innvar doesn't just saunter in disheveled to his wedding with Kate -- he's in full-on bridal wear, making a complete mockery of the proceedings.

It's for this and more that Woodard really commands our sympathies in this production. She doesn't overplay Kate's boorish tendencies, and comes off as a woman almost ahead of her time, trapped by the conventions of her society. And Padua here is clearly being held up for scrutiny, though in a jovial way -- pretty much every time Bianca (Lisa Birnbaum, who makes a funny drunk) shows up onstage, it feels like a Paris Hilton sighting. Woodard even makes Kate's closing, conciliatory monologue something women in the audience can swallow -- mostly, because it comes off largely as an inside joke between her and her husband, a vibe that's consistent throughout the piece.

Woodard is well-matched by Innvar, who makes a great entrance on a sputtering Italian motorcycle. Innvar is charming enough so that the audience doesn't immediately rail against him, but he doesn't shy away from Petruchio's nastier moments. The pair's firecracker interactions make clear from the beginning that Kate here is not being merely abused.

No detail is overlooked in this Shrew, right down to Miranda Hoffman's impeccably chosen costumes, from Bianca's va-voom attire to Kate's practical apparel. The modern feel of the show doesn't seem forced; it just contributes to the interpretation's general sensibility.

The Taming of the Shrew runs through Nov. 18 at the Lansburgh Theatre. Tickets are available online.