SO… we’ve closed a few Shakespeare shows recently after some great runs. Now I’m down to one last show for the year and it is VERY loosely based on Shakespeare (mostly the names but a few lines here and there) but funny enough, I think it has more in common with another play I gushed about recently….The Taming explores what happens when a smarter than you’d believe beauty queen kidnaps an extreme liberal blogger and an extreme conservative senatorial aid and tells them she’d like their help to rewrite the constitution… there’s also a trippy visit back in time where the founding fathers are shows as the bros they probably were.

If you come see the show, you’ll get it. Also, this is your warning that we swear in this show… quite a bit…

I love many things about this play. I love the wit, I love the strong female characters, I love how smart it is, and I seriously spend every rehearsal trying not to pee from laughing (also from staying hydrated so I can effectively direct… but laughter is definitely a big factor in this problem!) But what I’ve come to love most is the beautiful sense of hope with which Lauren Gunderson imbues the story. In a time where politics is either a bit of a circus, it is easy to get depressed or bitter or cynical. This play gives me a little bit of hope for our crazy nation. And I think it’s meant to give us all a little bit of hope. It should be enjoyable whether you are democrat, republican, or independent- it pokes fun at all those, but shows some lovely positive passionate things about them as well.

Plus, my actors bring it. They are blowing me away with their hard work, big choices, and ability to hold it together onstage while I am still laughing after hearing the same jokes a dozen times… I keep warning them i am not a fair test audience!

I hope if you are in the Phoenix Metro area (especially the east valley) that you will be able to check it out! You can get tickets HERE… And if some of this post ends up in my director’s note… just consider this a sneak peek