The Taming of The Shrew
Taming of The Shrew
By William Shakespeare
Adapted by Alex Nobert and Laura Mahaniah
Directed by Alex Nobert
November 9-11, 2023 | 2:00pm & 7:30pm
FXK, Reynolds Club
Tickets $6 advance | $8 door (Cash Only)
tickets.uchicago.edu
Synopsis: Upsilon Delta Mu puts on their annual production of Shakespeare’s energetic, boisterous comedy. A farcical battle of wits between two headstrong figures, the play follows the transformation of Katherina, an assertive woman deemed aggressive and violent by those around her. Watch as the world of 16th century Italian marital dynamics blends with the modern fraternity and the tropes found 400 years ago strike a nerve today.
Cast
Katherine — Sanjna Narayan
Sanjna Narayan (Katherine) is a fourth-year student majoring in Public Policy with a specialization in Economics and minoring in Theater. Favorite past credits include The SQUIP (Be More Chill), Hermia (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Audrey II (Little Shop of Horrors), Edwin Drood (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), and Witch I (MacBeth). She is so thrilled to be back in the world of Shakespeare, and cannot thank her family, friends, crew, and castmates enough for all of their constant support and encouragement! While she doesn't frequent frats, Sanjna's "party persona" is definitely the one to fall asleep first.
Petruchio — Jonathan Rufino
Jonathan Rufino (Petruchio) is a fourth-year Physics major. Previous credits, all with the Dean's Men, include Macbeth (Macduff, Winter 2019), Twelfth Night (Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Spring 2019), Much Ado About Monologues (King John, Autumn 2020), Love's Labour's Lost (Ferdinand, Autumn 2021), King Lear (King Lear, Spring 2022), Romeo and Juliet (Capulet, Autumn 2022), Macbeth (Ross, Winter 2023), and Twelfth Night (Orsino, Spring 2023). Given his history of playing awful people, he's excited to present you with potentially the worst one yet, and will, as always, remind you that in real life he is naught but a silly little guy. Enjoy the show!
Bianca Abigail — Sophie Knifton
Sophie Knifton (Bianca) is a fourth year in the College majoring in Psychology & Gender and Sexuality Studies. Her previous Dean’s Men credits include Macbeth (Third Witch) and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Jaquenetta/Maria). Her fratsona is Baileigh, and yes, she will spell it out for the Starbucks barista. Enjoy the show!
Lucentio — Charlotte Manier
Charlotte (Lucentio) has goofed and gaffed in many roles over the last year: a 45-year-old woman (Nurse in Romeo & Juliet), a fungus hive-mind alien (Witch 1 in Macbeth in Space), and a dictator (Co-director of Twelfth Night). Her smaller roles include biology major and law, letters, and society major. Now she faces her hardest role yet: a man. Who knew her first drag performance would be as a frat boy? Not her! Now, SHUT THEFUCKUP, feast with the best, and WELCOME TO MY HOUSE!!!!
Grumio — Joseph DePaula
Joseph DePaula (Grumio) is a 2nd-year Medieval Studies major here at the university. On top of his recent acting credits—"Dead Fun Society" (UT, Mark Hellebrand), "The Physicists" (CoT, Sievers/McArthur/Murillo/Guhl/Blocher/Police Doctor), and "Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood" (UT, Little John)—he is also Events Manager for Cup of Theater and the Production Manager/Co-Outreach Coordinator for Attori Senza Paura (the Commedia dell'Arte troupe on campus). His Commedia mask is Il Dottore. Joseph was last seen walking into the center of the C-Bench in front of Cobb Hall and vanishing completely out-of-sight.
Baptista — Giancarlo Beritela
Giancarlo Beritela (Baptista) is a second-year Economics and Romance Languages major, and a proud Dean's Man. He has previously worked Romeo and Juliet (Benvolio) and student-written improv show Dead Fun Society (Chase von Meyer). His "fratsona" if you will, Brayden, is a well-intentioned young man, leading his life as risk manager of Upsilon Delta Mu. He likes the mustard without the beef, "for that goes hard," so he says.
Hortensio — Nora Schultz
Nora Schultz (Hortensio) is a fourth-year studying English and Gender & Sexuality Studies as well as the Secretary of the Dean's Men. She's beginning to question whether she might bring a certain "pathetic loser man" vibe to the Dean's Men, since her last turn upon the stage was in Autumn 2021's Love's Labour's Lost, where she appeared as the hopelessly lovestruck Dumaine. Nora also served on the direction team for last winter's Macbeth in Space, and is thrilled to be sharing the director's chair once more next quarter with Honor in a very Victorian-does-medieval production of Richard III while frantically hammering out a thesis on masculinity in Shakespeare's history plays between scenes. Her fratsona is George, the vice president of Upsilon Delta Mu, who has spent the last several years triangulating homoerotic desire with the rest of the boys, Eve Sedgwick's "Between Men" style.
Gremio/Widow — Lauren Sklarz
Lauren Sklarz (Gremio) is a second-year undergraduate at the university majoring in Creative Writing and Economics. This is her third consecutive show cross-dressing. She is so proud of the entire cast and crew of Taming Night and hopes you enjoy the show!
Tranio — Honor Torrance
Honor Torrance (Tranio) is a fourth-year studying English and Cinema & Media Studies, and the current Dean's Men Arts Chair. She's starting to wonder if maybe she brings a certain "conniving servant" kind of vibe to the Dean's Men, having most recently appeared plotting and scheming and causing problems on purpose as Maria in last spring's production of Twelfth Night. It's rumored that next quarter will be "the winter of [Honor's] discontent", as she'll be co-directing Richard III with Nora while simultaneously cranking out a thesis on Victorian bodily anxieties. Nobody knows anything about Honor's fratsona--he's suspicious and elusive, may or may not be behind the mysterious disappearance of multiple irreplaceable frat house heirlooms, and every time he's addressed out loud by name the speaker is conveniently drowned out by a very loud passing vehicle.
Vincentio/Curtis — Ruth Witter
Ruth Witter (Vincentio/Curtis) is a first year prospective Linguistics major. They've never been in a theater production or a frat house before, so this show has been a host of new experiences for them.
Merchant/Tailor/Servant — Dallas Wolf
"Dallas Wolf (Merchant/Tailor/Servant) is a third year Economics major. This is his first show with University Theater! Dallas enjoys long walks on the beach, a toasty mocha to start the day, and incessantly talking about space.
Production Team
Director — Alex Nobert
Alex Nobert (Director) is a fourth-year Environmental Science and History major. She has been a part of many production in UT, and is grateful to finally direct the Dean's Men production she has been ranting about since even before she was a Dean's Man. She hopes everyone absolutely enjoys this show, significantly those who relate especially to Katherina. She also wants it to be very known how earth shatteringly grateful she is to all the cast and crew who brought this idea to life. It's not a competition (obviously), but she does believe she is the veriest shrew of them all.
Dramaturg — Laura Mahaniah
Laura Tutondele Mahaniah (dramaturg) is a fourth-year undergraduate studying Theater and Performance Studies and Linguistics. She has worked on a variety of Dean’s Men, University Theater, TAPS, Cup of Theater, Dance Council, and Hyde Park Community Player productions. Some of her favorite credits include The Physicists on Silks (Director/production manager), Marian or the True Tale of Robin Hood (Will Scarlett/Fight Captain), the 2022-23 TAPS Dance Showcase (dancer), and The Wolves (#13). Previous to this production of The Taming of the Shrew, Laura Tutondele worked with Ellen MacKay on the Beshrew Me!, a project that seeks to digitize The Taming of the Shrew in all its details and complications through the OCHRE database, with a focus on the non-semantic elements. You can find her @lauratutondele on instagram.
Production Manager — Coco Liu
Stage Manager — Eleni Lefakis
Eleni Lefakis (Stage Manager) is a third-year TAPS major who recently dropped her Data Science double-major (hallelujah, she is free!). Her other UT MainStage credits are The Heirs (Stage Manager), The Trail to Oregon! (Assistant Director/Dramaturg), Romeo & Juliet (Co-Production Manager), Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood (Assistant Director/Dramaturg), MacBeth in Space (Dramaturg), The Laramie Project (SM Collective™), and Twelfth Night (Pre-Production Manager). She is also currently UT Committee’s Outreach Chair. Her upcoming UT projects are Falsettos (Dramaturg), and Strings Attached (Co Director/Choreographer). She is so happy to have experienced her first Dean’s Men rehearsal room and thankful to have staged managed for Alex, who acted in her last show as an SM and has always been an accident/incident report waiting to happen. Here’s to the brothers!
Lighting — Emily Zen
Emily Zen (Lighting Designer) is a third year computer science major. She previously worked on Dead Fun Society (Props Designer), Marian (Lighting Designer), and King Lear (Assistant Lighting Designer).
Sound — Frances Poth
Frances is the sound designer for Taming of the Shrew. She is a fourth year economics major and is minoring in Cinema and Media Studies. Her previous credits include Assistant Sound for Macbeth and Assistant Props in King Lear.
Scenic — Ryanne Leonard
Ryanne Leonard (Scenic Designer) is a second year Political Science and Astrophysics major. She previously worked on Romeo and Juliet (Assistant Production Manager).
Props — Jess Aaron
Jess Aaron (Props Designer) is a joint graduate and 4th year student, getting her MA in the Humanities and BA in Philosophy and History. She is the President of The Dean's Men and has previously worked on Twelfth Night, Macbeth in Space, Romeo & Juliet, King Lear, and Much Ado About Monologues. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Costumes/Hair & Makeup — Mamayan Jabateh
Asst. Director — Natalie Floreancig
Asst. Dramaturg — Lena Birkholz
Asst. Dramaturg — Eleni Lefakis (See bio above)
Asst. Production Manager — Carina Zhang
Asst. Production Manager — Lucy Whitehead
Asst. Stage Manager — Jasmine Li
Jasmine Li (Assistant Stage Manager) is a first-year, and she is very excited for her first show with UT and Dean's Men!
Asst. Stage Manager — Aitana Rosas Linhard
Aitana (Assistant Stage Manager) is a first year and is currently exploring many different majors. This is her first time working with UT and Dean’s Men.
Asst. Stage Manager — Danielle Yablonovskiy
Danielle Yablonovskiy (Asst. Stage Manager) is a fourth year Economics and Psychology major, with a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Her previous experience with UT includes Trail to Oregon, Be More Chill, Perfect Match Workshop, and Ah Wing Workshop (Stage Manager), Welcome Back to my Channel (Asst. Stage Manager), Scientific Method (Asst. Production Manager), and a whole slew of committee liaison roles. She is currently the Production Manager on Muscle Memory, which goes up next week and is the chair of University Theater. She is so grateful for Eleni, who was her first Asst. Stage Manager two years ago, and for Coco, with whom she will Co-Stage Manager Strings Attached next quarter! On top of being the reason Danielle is still the Chair of UT, they are also two amazing friends. Congratulations to the entire company of The Taming of The Shrew, she is endlessly impressed and in awe of all of you.
Asst. Lighting — Camila Delgado
Camila Delgado (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a first year Astrophysics major.
Asst. Scenic — Yifan Zou
Committee Liaison — Nathalie Lam
Tech Staff Liaison — Chrystina Windham