VUT Show: The Taming of the Shrew
This past Friday one of my best friends and I went to see the latest Vanderbilt University Theater (VUT) show. Since one of my littles in Phi Lamb was assistant stage manager and I knew several of the actors in the show, I decided I would check it out in order to support them. The show was The Taming of the Shrew, which is a play by William Shakespeare. As usual, the show exceeded my expectations.
I should first preface my thoughts about the show by saying that all VUT shows are free for students. All you have to do is go to Neely Auditorium and reserve a ticket in advance. On the night of the show, you show your Commodore Card and pick up your ticket 15 minutes before the show starts. It’s as simple as that! Seeing quality acting and amazing shows for free? It doesn’t get much better than that.
While I have enjoyed every VUT show I have seen in the past, I was a little hesitant about this one. I am of the unpopular opinion that Shakespeare isn’t that great. I cringed when we had to read Romeo and Juliet during my freshman year of high school and I avoided reading as much of Hamlet as I possibly could during my senior year. However, after seeing the show on Friday I have come to realize that Shakespeare comedies are HILARIOUS. Maybe it was just this show in particular, but I was doubled over in laughter at multiple points throughout the show.
In addition to being hilarious, the actors were phenomenal. I swear, every time I watch VUT shows I forget that the actors are my fellow Vanderbilt students. All of them could pass for professional actors. It never ceases to amaze me how talented Vanderbilt students are. Finally, the costumes for the show were great. They went in a sort of goth/punk direction with the costumes. At first I found the costumes to be a little strange, but as the show progressed I found that the costumes worked surprisingly well!
Overall, The Taming of the Shrew was a wonderful show with fantastic actors, amazing costumes, and many funny one-liners that kept me laughing and entertained. This show was a great reminder for me of how talented Vandy students truly are and how lucky we are that we have the option of seeing great performances on our campus so frequently.
