Description
“I see a woman may be made a fool / If she had not a spirit to resist.” So says fiery Katherina, refusing to be tamed by her suitor, Petruchio, who tries to subdue her to his will. Women are supposed to obey, aren’t they? Katherina and Petruchio duel in the best rom-com tradition throughout the play. Some find Petruchio’s tactics violent and unfunny, while others believe it’s all Shakespeare’s satirical send-up of men’s swaggering and women’s seeming compliance. Come and decide for yourself. We may dip into some modern adaptations, including the Cole Porter musical, Kiss Me Kate, and the movie, Ten Things I Hate About You. The first session is informational—no homework that night—and then we will read and discuss one act per session until finished.
Cammy Thomas has published three books of poems with Four Way Books. The most recent is Tremors (2021). Her two previous poetry collections are Inscriptions, and Cathedral of Wish, which won the Norma Farber first Book Award from the Poetry Society of America. Cammy earned a PhD in English from the University of California, Berkeley, with a dissertation on the poetry of Alfred, Lord Tennyson. She has taught literature and creative writing for many years, and lives in Bolton, MA.
