Baptista of Padua has two daughters. The younger, Bianca, is sweet and docile. Hortensio and Gremio both want to marry her. The elder, Katarina (or Kate), is strong-willed and has a fierce temper. She scares all potential suitors away.

Baptista tells Hortensio and Gremio that Kate must marry before Bianca. He is overheard by two newcomers to Padua, Lucentio and his servant, Tranio. Lucentio has fallen in love with Bianca. When he hears Baptista ask Bianca’s suitors to help him find tutors for his daughters, Lucentio thinks of a plan to woo Bianca on the sly. He will masquerade as a language teacher to Bianca, while Tranio impersonates him and pretends to court Bianca.

Hortensio and Gremio have plans, too. When Hortensio’s friend Petruchio arrives looking for a wealthy wife, Hortensio encourages him to woo Kate. Petruchio isn’t deterred by Kate’s shrewishness. Hortensio will disguise himself as a music teacher so that he can get close to Bianca. Meanwhile, Gremio hopes to ingratiate himself with Baptista by presenting a language tutor for Bianca—none other than Lucentio in disguise.

All four suitors converge on Baptista’s house. Gremio presents Lucentio as a tutor for Bianca. Petruchio presents himself as a suitor for Kate, and Hortensio as a music teacher. Tranio shows up and introduces himself as Lucentio. The “tutors” meet with Kate and Bianca, while Petruchio and Baptista negotiate a marriage agreement.

Hortensio’s first music lesson doesn’t go as planned: Kate has broken a lute over his head. Petruchio is even more intrigued with her. Instead of running away from his bride-to-be, he compliments her. He insists upon her good nature and plans to go through with the wedding, no matter what. The wedding date is set over Kate’s strenuous protests.

Baptista decides that the wealthiest among Bianca’s suitors shall have her. Tranio, disguised as Lucentio, outbids the others by describing “his father’s” wealth. Baptista is pleased but insists that the father, Vincentio, come to Padua to substantiate the claim in person. Now Tranio must find a willing stand-in for Vincentio.

On his wedding day, Petruchio shows up late, dressed in a crazy outfit, and hustles Kate off immediately after the ceremony. The “taming” has begun. He doesn’t let Kate eat, drink or sleep. He denies her wishes and contradicts her. They are invited to Bianca’s wedding. Kate wants a new dress, but she refuses to do it Petruchio’s way, and he destroys the beautiful new gown. She is forced to wear her old dress.

On their way back to Padua for the wedding feast, Petruchio insists that Kate call the sun the moon. To his surprise, she does. He takes it a step further, insisting that she call the old man they meet on the road a fair maid, and she does. It turns out that the man is Vincentio, Lucentio’s real father, and he journeys with them to Padua.

Back in Padua, Hortensio, overhearing a conversation between Bianca and the real Lucentio, realizes that Bianca doesn’t love him. Hortensio abandons his pursuit and decides to marry a lusty widow.

Tranio meets a Pedant, who is willing to impersonate Vincentio. Together, they convince Baptista of Lucentio’s claim to wealth, and Baptista agrees to a marriage between Lucentio and Bianca. While they are signing the marriage contract, the real Lucentio and Bianca elope.

Petruchio, Katarina and Vincentio arrive at Lucentio’s house. Tranio and the Pedant brazen it out, so successfully that Vincentio is nearly arrested as an impostor, but he is saved when the newlyweds, Lucentio and Bianca, arrive.

In the final scene, everybody is at Baptista’s feast, celebrating the weddings of Lucentio and Bianca, Hortensio and the Widow and Petruchio and Kate. When the ladies withdraw, the men lay bets as to whose wife is the most obedient. Lucentio summons Bianca, but she sends word that she is too busy to come. Hortensio summons the Widow, who, suspecting a joke, refuses to come.

Then Petruchio summons Kate, who not only obeys him but, when asked, fetches the other two and upbraids them for not obeying. Petruchio and Kate go happily off to bed, leaving the others to wonder at the unexpected turn of events.

For Families: Funny and physical with an easy-to-follow plot, it is suitable for all audiences, but best enjoyed by young people ages 10 and up with some exposure to the plot and Shakespeare’s language. Half-hour Prefaces are offered every night The Taming of the Shrew performs June 20-Sept. 2 from 6:30–7:00 PM. Order Preface tickets along with your play tickets.