Washington Post
- Recommended
"...Synetic’s “Shrew” most closely follows Shakespeare’s plot in the famous taming scenes, whereby Ryan Sellers’s commanding, physically supple Petruchio tries to quell Katherine’s raging soul through an exhausting process of deprivation. After the amusingly handled, quicksilver marriage of Katherine and Petruchio comes a smartly choreographed banquet scene in which everyone dines heartily, except for Katherine. With fruit and cupcakes suspended temptingly on wires just out of reach before her, the scene comes across in this instance as more mischievous than cruel. As a result, Petruchio seems, on this occasion, less off-puttingly tyrannical."
Washington Examiner
- Highly Recommended
"...Intelligently adapted and directed by Paata Tsikurishvili, this slick, fast-paced and funny "Taming of the Shrew" must be considered as important to the Silent Shakespeare canon as the tragedies."
MetroWeekly
- Recommended
"...But in this play, the Bard left something of a question. Marrying her sight unseen in exchange for a tidy sum offered by her long-suffering father, Petruchio's post-nuptial behavior can be read in more than one way. Does he grow to love Kate as he "tames" her to society's requirements? Or is it the darker process of bending this exciting woman to his will that gets him interested? Of course, capturing human nature as aptly as he does, perhaps Shakespeare intended a bit of both."
WeLoveDC
- Highly Recommended
"... Not only are the direction and choreography completely in harmony, the production design is so vibrantly alive it’s almost another character in of itself. Anastasia R. Simes’ set and costume design is brightly erotic, unfolding more color than ever seen in a Synetic production before, until finally revealing a collection of paintings that simply take the audience’s breath away. Colin K. Bills’ lighting design, in tandem with multimedia projections by Clint Herring and Riki K, and the musical score of Konstantine Lortkipanidze, all reinforce a brash and bold tabloid world."
Talkin Broadway
- Highly Recommended
"...Once again, the peerless Synetic Theater demonstrates that "silent Shakespeare" is not an oxymoron. Synetic's adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, now at the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Lansburgh Theatre in Washington, manages to blend psychological insights with the physicality of the original text, ranging from elaborate slapstick to extravagant dance moves."
Washington City Paper
- Highly Recommended
"... Both Irina Tsikurishvili and Sellers are freakishly good. She choreographed the entire show; he contorts his body any way she asks, and manages to add pop-and-locking to the list of dance styles Synetic actors can ape. But the movement means nothing if the emotion’s not there. And both convince you it is, gradually shifting from abhorrence to red-hot lust. The climactic change of heart takes places in an art studio, and paint must be thrown before Petruchio realizes he’s hasn’t so much tamed the shrew as carefully smoothed out a few rough edges. In traditional stagings of this play—you know, the ones where actors say all the words—even the best productions come to a grinding halt at the end, when Kate delivers her cringe-inducing “I am ashamed that women are so simple” speech. There’s grinding in the finale of the Synetic version too, but it’s the grinding of pelvises at a dance party, DJed by Synetic’s in-house composer, Konstantine Lortkipanidze."
Washingtonian
- Recommended
"...Shrew, with its slapstick potential and colorful characters, seems an appropriate choice for the Synetic treatment, and this production takes full creative advantage of those built-in possibilities--especially the colorful part. The staging incorporates a kind of carnival funhouse aesthetic and sound along with its Hollywood theme, a choice that's lively and fun through most of the show but weighs down some later scenes with trippy art-centric tangents. The action remains engaging throughout its intermission-free run, though when the characters move from Padua to Petruchio's crowded digs, the thematic shift feels a little jarring."
MD Theatre Guide
- Highly Recommended
"...The production values that Paata Tsukurishvilli brings to this piece are consistently first rate. The scenic design (Anastasia R. Simes) is simple, consisting of several white panels which can be used in multiple ways, but never take away from the action. They are used to their utmost advantage throughout the show, from displaying newspaper clippings citing Kate’s most recent forays into the public eye, to serving as canvases for Petruchio’s beautiful paintings that are unveiled near the end of the show. The paintings (courtesy of Anastasia R. Simes’ clearly multi-faceted artistic talent) are exquisite, vibrant, and detailed. Like Clint Herring and Riki K’s interesting projection design, Colin K. Bills’ lighting design brings an added element of artistry to the production. While not as complex as what’s found in other Synetic productions, the minimal touch is appropriate for this piece, which relies less on atmosphere and more on the plot."
DCTheatreScene
- Recommended
When Synetic cooks up Shakespeare, know that under Paata Tsikurishvili’s fired-up direction, the team will tackle something bold and often delicious. However, is it any wonder that in Synetic’s repeated attempts to re-concoct the bard, placing the ingredients of each play in a new mold, there might prove one production that, like a soufflé, doesn’t quite rise or stay risen at its presentation?
