Battles of Wits (three witches shakespeare)
- stagedoorlouisville
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
ShakesQueer: I Wooed Thee With My Sword
Written by William Shakespeare
Direction and Fight Direction by various local theater artists
Review by Kate Barry
Entire contents are copyright © 2026 Kate Barry. All rights reserved.
Primal urges, we all have them. Fighting might be the most primordial, sprung from basic human reaction. And William Shakespeare seemed to write all about human urges, basic and complex. three witches shakespeare explores fights and combat in their newest installment of ShakesQueer: I Wooed Thee With My Sword currently at performed at Play.
Taking scenes from Taming of the Shrew, Two Gentlemen of Verona and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the space at Play becomes a sparring ring for Kate, Petruchio, Valentine and Proteus and the fairies of Athens. Great focus and attention is placed on interpretation of dialogue from these comedies as shrews are won over, honor is hunted and royals argue ethereally. With Dara Jade Tiller, Justin Jackson and Annie Mayer as fight directors for the individual scenes, these moments in Shakespeare’s plays take on new lives as one acts with an exploration of kink play, tension and energy shifting. Each scene is a fully realized concept with informed costume and make up choices establishing style and originality for which three witches is known.
Taming of the Shrew (director Brooke Morrison) starts the showcase with a scene that channels the likes of Grease. Vic Leon is nearly grunting and beating his chest as he enters with plans to conquer his reluctant companion. Caisey Cole glides on the stage with cool confidence in pink as Kate. Together, Leon and Cole create a scene that flows with camp, innuendo and well timed physical humor. As tension builds and ties are nearly bound, Cole and Leon do well to bring sexual tension to a head with a satisfying embrace.
Sword play takes center stage in the scene from Two Gentlemen of Verona (director Ian Fitzgerald). With wooden swords and period garb, Zach Stone and Griffin Cobb’s Valentine and Proteus tarry and thrust as the scene turns to unrequited desires. Stone’s Valentine shows a dominance over Cobb’s Proteus as he speaks of “coy looks with heart sore sighs” implying a deeper connection as he straddles the gent from Verona. Yet the scene ends with a bittersweet ambiguity as Cobb’s Proteus is left on stage, choosing to love Julia while Valentine seeks honor.
ShakesQueer ends with a stylized scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream (director Katie Pena-Van Zile) that radiates with riot girl sensibility. Syd Walters’ Peaseblossom and Jane Embry Watts’ Puck are playful and flirtatious as Watts’ trickster toys with the shimmery fairy. The playful banter between Watts and Walters provides a nice juxtaposition for Sasha Cifuentes’ Titania battle of brains with Katherine Martin’s Oberon. Casting spells and conjuring energy, Cifuentes and Martin present a power struggle that runs deeper than obtaining a changeling. Indeed, these royal fairies debate what it means to love in harmony and peace.
three witches’ ShakesQueer is a concise execution of theatre. The fight choreography provides fresh takes on Shakespeare texts. These variations of the Bard play well for a modern audience while the exploration of conflicts between these characters remain fascinating as ever.
ShakesQueer: I Wooed Thee With My Sword
three witches shakespeare
May 8-9 2026
Play Louisville
1101 E. Washington St
Louisville Ky 40206
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