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Meet the Cast of Shrew: Whitton Frank as Grumio

Please introduce yourself! Where do you hail from? Who are you playing in Shrew?

Whitton Frank, originally from Nor Cal, but Los Angeles has completely seduced me for the last 8 years. I play Grumio.

Give us a quick summary of the play from your character's point of view!

I am here to support, wing woman, and protect my main gal Petruchio. I love an adventure, a bit of tomfoolery, and I never back down from a fight. Sometimes it can be tough having your best friend as a boss, but in the end I am happy to help Petruchio win the day, at whatever the cost.

Tell us a bit about your history with Shakespeare.

This is my second show with the Porters, and I am so excited to be back. Everyone in the company truly loves the work and is willing to give up a lot of time to make these productions as fabulous as possible.

Shakespeare has always had a special place in my heart. I love how it combines so many fine arts into one. Acting, poetry, and music are all a crucial part of these plays. They are at once, very of their time and completely timeless. I can think of few other pieces of art that have had so much influence on our culture. I have been privileged to perform in many of these plays and I look forward to working on many more.

This production of Shrew is gender-reversed. How do you feel about it?

I think many plays and this one in particular can benefit from non traditional casting. With a play that derives so much of its humor from the gender norms of its time, swapping the characters genders really highlights what was considered acceptable or expected behavior, especially if you are a man. I am intrigued to see how audiences respond to the amount of violence and sexism in this play when it is instigated by women in the positions/roles of power.

What's your favorite quote (or two) from the play?

Cock’s passion, silence!