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.