Winona theater company calls off controversial 'Taming of the Shrew'

The show will not go on for "The Taming of the Shrew" in Winona.

Great River Shakespeare Festival has canceled its production of William Shakespeare's comedy/drama that also is known as the inspiration for the Cole Porter musical "Kiss Me, Kate."

"Shrew," about the turbulent relationship between a pair of brawling lovers, was scheduled to run through July 31.

The production was adapted and directed by Lisa Wolpe, who took a gender-switched, multiracial approach to the piece, which is not often staged because of its violence and gender politics (some productions have addressed this by, for instance, casting women in all of the roles). Wolpe's plan was to reframe the dynamics of the play, casting a Black man as the character usually called Kate (renamed Kat) and a woman as Petruchio (renamed Petruchia).

At the Shakespeare festival, it didn't come together as anticipated.

"The pressures of time, as well as the charged nature of the play's content, contributed to an atmosphere in the rehearsal room that was difficult, even impossible," according to a statement from the festival's administrators.

The statement added that the show was canceled "to protect the health and well being of everyone in our company." Artists are being paid for their work and have other roles in this season's shows, which include "Twelfth Night" and "The African Company Presents Richard III."

Patrons who had tickets to "Shrew" will be contacted about refunds.