Battle of the Sexes — Theme Cutting

About this theme cutting

Originally developed by the Colorado Caravan for 40-minute school assemblies and small-town performances — a very successful introduction to Shakespeare for many students and adults. Expanded under a Title III grant for Dissemination of Successful Programs with additional Shakespeare scenes; reshaped into a through-line built from three scenes from The Taming of the Shrew by later Developmental Theatre productions, giving the script a beginning, middle, and end of a developing positive relationship. The lineage matters — see Legacy Timeline for the 1970s repertoire evidence.

Scenes in this collection

From the Title III grant scene list (Colorado Caravan originals):

1. Kate and Petruchio confrontation — The Taming of the Shrew, Act II, Scene i
2. A Public Road — The Taming of the Shrew, Act IV, Scene v
3. The Wager and Kate’s Governance Speech — The Taming of the Shrew, Act V, Scene ii
4. Quartet of lovers — A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii (lines 123–361)
5. Portia-Brutus scene — Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene i
6. Othello-Desdemona — Othello, Act V, Scene ii (the murder scene, lines 1–117)

Added in later versions (expanded scene list):

7. Titania / Oberon — A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act II, Scene i
8. Mistresses Ford and Page — The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act II, Scene i

Generally the scenes must be shaved internally; at the very least, extraneous characters must be eliminated. Depending on audience and performance timing, scenes were dropped to shorten the program. The list can be shortened or expanded to meet current needs.

Script

Facilitator Notes

Content pending client edit resolution.