Meet the Cast of Shrew: Dawn Alden as Baptista
photo by Chris Popio
Please introduce yourself! Where do you hail from? Who are you playing in Shrew?
I'm Dawn Alden, and I'm playing Baptista in Shrew. I hail from New England, by way of Chicago.
Give us a quick summary of the play from your character's point of view!
I have these two daughters that should have been married and out of the house a LONG time ago, but my older daughter Kate has made it her mission to turn away any and all prospective suitors just out of a sense of spite, while my younger daughter Bianca has to beat them off with a stick. I decided to speed up the whole wedding train by vowing not to make a match for my popular daughter, until I am sure my Kate is going to have a husband of her own. Brilliant, right? And it worked! Not long after I laid down that law, along comes the son of an old friend of mine, and he not only wants my older daughter, he wins her! And then he explains everything: this "shrew" thing was just an act that Kate was putting on until the right man came along! It makes so much sense! So, even though the whole wedding was some kind of weird performance art piece, I was very happy to see Kate happily married and out of the damn house.Then there was some kerfuffle about Lucentio and his servant pretending to be each other, but his father's money came through just fine, and then Bianca was married and out of the house as well. No more sisterly squabbles day and night, no more suitors knocking on the door and sending messengers at all hours. FINALLY, I got my peace and quiet. I'll be in the orchard if you need me.
photo by Chris Popio
Tell us a bit about your history with Shakespeare.
I've been a fan of Shakespeare since high school, when I got to see a professional production of Othello on a school field trip. My best friend and I made a pact over the summer to read the entirety of the Shakespeare canon and then discuss it with each other. So I've been a Shakespeare Nerd since way back. Years later, when applying to grad schools, I made sure to choose one that had strong classical training and a summer Shakespeare company associated with it (Three Rivers Shakespeare in Pittsburgh, PA). Passed over for the lead roles in Three River's productions in favor of out-of-town actors, the other grad students and I founded our own "Young Company" and were so successful that we were eventually enfolded into the larger company and supported by them. When I moved to Chicago, with my stage combat training paving the way, I joined a theatre company that did all-female Shakespeare, and there was a time in my career when I had played more male that female roles from the Shakespearean canon.
Taming of the Shrew can be a controversial play. How do you feel about it?
This is my third production of Taming of the Shrew. In both my previous productions, I played Petruchio, and I have to admit, I have a LOT of issues with the play. There is no doubt it is beautifully written, of course, but try as I might, there is no way to compensate for the fact that Petruchio takes away Kate's agency. Regardless of whether or not she exacerbates the situation, regardless of whether he does what he does to teach her a lesson she needs to learn, the bottom line remains that she has no agency, and that she is forced to adapt or die. And yes, I understand that times were different, blah blah blah, but it is now the year 2019, and if you are going to produce this play, you need to have an opinion about Petruchio's abuse, and that opinion needs to be dealt with in the production. The angle we are taking with this Porters’ production is one I haven't seen before, so I am curious to see if it will convey what we are hoping it will about the issue.
photo by Chris Popio
What's your favorite quote (or two) from the play?
Well, come my Kate, we will unto your fathers,
Even in these honest meane habiliments:
Our purses shall be proud, our garments poore:
For 'tis the minde that makes the bodie rich.
And as the Sunne breakes through the darkest clouds,
So honor peereth in the meanest habit.
What is the Jay more precious then the Larke?
Because his feathers are more beautifull.
Or is the Adder better then the Eele,
Because his painted skin contents the eye.
Oh no good Kate: neither art thou the worse
For this poore furniture, and meane array.
Finally, where can people find out more about you and what you're up to?
Websites:
dawnalden.com, Vicariousfilms.com, FB: Dawn Sam Alden, Twitter: dawnsam13
The Taming of the Shrew opens April 20. Tickets HERE!