If the Shrew Fits Wear It parodies Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew done in mime and set to an excellent selection of music. Alas, nary a word of Shakespeare, that master of playful English, is heard. However, every emotion, every action is properly staged, with never a question as to what's going on. Though every element seems well choreographed, it's obvious the players are adding their own flourishes from time-to-time. It's an ensemble piece, but each player enjoys individual moments; some memorably, some sweet, some tender, some athletic, and a few amusingly and totally off-the-wall.
Beth Mallette is credited with both costumes and masks. Both are marvelous. The costumes define each character's station in life, while the masks help define more about them. David Weeks' set (he also did the lights) shows a simple town square, complete with a working water fountain. The forced perspective set offers four entrances besides the wings. The basic pastels give the costumes and the players center stage at all time. Manny Lopez's wall-to-wall music gave the whole piece a comic opera flavor, albeit, without words. The music selections are excellent and definitely mood-setting.
If the Shrew Fits Wear It (Shouldn't that be "If the Shrew Fits, Wear It"?) is absolutely charming, though too much of a good thing. While I thoroughly enjoyed the show and the massive vitality of the players, the 70-minute running could have been cut to just a shade under 60 minutes without losing the story.
