No woman should ever to be forced to marry someone she does not want to. No woman should have to hold herself back for the sake of a man who is holding them down. No woman should be treated poorly just because she is not a man. So, what happens when a strong group of women come together to tell one of Shakespeare’s tales: The Taming of the Shrew?

SHREWD: The Taming of the Shrew Project showcases a cast of strong women who show that no matter who you are,

no woman should be treated as any less of a human being. Directed by Jenna Westfall and produced by Alaina Manchester, SHREWD is thrilling, dramatic, somewhat humorous and very touching. Never missing a line of Shakespearean, these powerful women move you with each act. I had the opportunity to watch this performance, and it was quite interesting to see a full ensemble of women take the roles of men and belittle each other in the way that men did back in the day when it was acceptable to do so.

This tale takes a twist on the old Shakespearean work at the end when the lead (Katharina) is ‘tamed’ to be a submissive wife after being a headstrong woman throughout the play. She is asked to recite the rules of being a good wife when her sister steps in and tells her that she does not have to do this. Bianca, the sister, then turns to the audience and says to all the women, that they don’t have to do this either. This is the most powerful part of the show where all of the women of the cast come forward and explain how women can be as strong and confident as they please, even if it means showing disgust every once in a while.

I highly recommend seeing the show if you are able to.  Today (Wednesday, July 17) is the last day to do so and it goes from 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. It is located at the Arboretum in Frontier Park and admission is free for everyone.  If you like plays with a strong cast and a powerful plotline, SHREWD is for you.