This ‘Shrew’ Needs Taming, as Players Tend to Roam

Outdoor Shakespeare has become a summer staple, as though being indoors is an affront to the Bard. But wherever it’s played, there’s still the job of making it work.

The Huntington Beach Playhouse, which has been doing Shakespeare in the Park for several years, is producing “The Taming of the Shrew” at the Huntington Beach Central Park Amphitheatre, behind the Central Library, where the company has established itself as reputable. Still, this production, directed by Phil de Barros, does not help its image.

De Barros has allowed most of his actors to veer violently away from the text, with outrageous overplaying and simplistic lack of comprehension of what makes comedy.

Kate abuses all those around her, even new husband Petruchio--until he tames her. It’s the taming of a shrike that bothers today’s audiences, and De Barros doesn’t mess with modernizing the Bard’s intent.

What De Barros has missed is that comedy is serious business. Putting whipped cream on whipped cream, mugging and posturing, doesn’t add humor to what is already funny.

Kari Leigh Floyd is excellent, slightly raunchy, brash and self-centered as Kate. Floyd also has a valid and volatile comic sense. She finds no match in her flabby Petruchio, Clint Richards, who often orates unrealistically and frequently waves his arms to indicate he is master. In this staging, Kate is his master throughout.

Robert Seitleman, as the servant of Lucentio, a suitor of Kate’s sister Bianca, also leans toward orating, yet when he poses as his master, it smacks more of the character’s pretentiousness and works to Seitleman’s advantage.

Some haven’t fallen into the trap. Corey Romero’s Lucentio and Charles Massaro’s Hortensio are true to the text.

Though not too inventive, Eric Halasz as Grumio, bumbling servant to Petruchio, exercises comic shtick to good effect. Wendi de Barros is very good as Bianca, Eric Nelson as Kate’s slightly bumbling father, Baptista, and, in a small role as one of Petruchio’s servants, Don Freeman in noticeable.

There’s also the problem of lengthy scene changes, setting up tables for the final party scene, for instance, and the careful placement of wine goblets, when the actors could have carried on their own. These delays indicate the slow tempos in a play that begs for brightness and speed.

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* “The Taming of the Shrew,” Central Park Amphitheatre, 7111 Talbert Ave. Saturday-Sunday, 2 p.m. Ends Aug. 10. $7. (714) 375-0696. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.

Kari Leigh Floyd: Katherine

Clint Richards: Petruchio

Wendi de Barros: Bianca

Robert Seitleman: Tranio

Eric Halasz: Grumio

Corey Romero: Lucentio

Eric Nelson: Baptista

Don Freeman: Curtis

A Huntington Beach Playhouse Shakespeare in the Park production of Shakespeare’s comedy. Produced by Bettie Muellenberg. Directed by Phil de Barros. Musical direction: Scott Claycomb. Costume design: Dawn Conant. Scenic design: Harold Gooder. Stage manager: Susan Fosse.