Act 1: A road in Padua/In front of Hortensio’s House
Lucentio comes to Padua with his servant, Tranio, and falls in love at first sight with Bianca, youngest daughter of Baptista Minola. Lucentio overhears Baptista tell two other suitors to Bianca, Gremio and Hortensio, that she cannot marry until her older sister, Kate, is married but he will allow both to be tutored at home. Gremio and Hortensio try to find a husband for the shrewish Kate so they are able to pursue Bianca. Lucentio exchanges clothes with Tranio so Lucentio, now called Cambio, can pose as one of Bianca’s tutors. Petruchio comes to Padua with his servant Grumio in order to find a rich wife. His friend Hortensio tells him about the shrewish Kate but Petruchio can only see her money. Gremio gets Cambio the job as Bianca’s poetry tutor.
Act 2: In front of Baptista’s House
Kate accuses Bianca of loving Hortensio or Gremio but Bianca denies it. Kate hits Bianca in front of her father who labels Kate a “devil.” Petruchio introduces the music tutor, Licio, who is really his friend, Hortensio, in disguise. Then, having established Kate’s dowry is great, Petruchio asks for and receives Baptista’s permission to woo Kate. Petruchio and Kate have a pitched verbal and physical battle that results in Petruchio saying Kate has agreed to marry him even though she professes the opposite when asked. Petruchio sloughs off her public denials because he says Kate is loving and kind when they are alone together. Baptista agrees to the marriage the following Sunday and Petruchio leaves for Venice to prepare for the wedding. Gremio and Tranio (as Lucentio) vie for Bianca’s love to Baptista by overstating the considerable sizes of their dowries. Baptista promises to allow Bianca to wed Tranio (as Lucentio) the Sunday after Kate is married if his father, Vincentio, brings the dowry. If not, Gremio will be married to Bianca.
Act 3: In Baptista’s Garden/In front of Baptista’s House
Lucentio (as Cambio) and Hortensio (as Licio) try to tutor and woo Bianca in her father’s garden. On their wedding day, Kate, Baptista and Tranio (as Lucentio) wonder why Petruchio has not yet arrived. Biondello tells Baptista that Petruchio is coming but gives no details except a description of how Petruchio’s horse is poorly prepared to ride and Petruchio is badly dressed for his wedding. Tranio and Lucentio plot to find someone to impersonate Lucentio’s real father, Vincentio, in order to buy time for Lucentio (as Cambio) to win Bianca’s love and secretly marry her. Gremio reports that Kate and Petruchio were married in a raucous ceremony at the church. Petruchio insists they can’t stay for the wedding reception and whisks Kate unwillingly away. Baptista insists that Tranio (as Lucentio) and Bianca stand in for the bride and groom for the wedding reception.
Intermission: 15 minutes
