"This is the way to kill a wife with kindness," says the character Petruchio in William Shakespeare's famous play "Taming of the Shrew." The show follows two sisters, Katherine and Bianca Minola who are both at the age to be married. Bianca is everything her older sister is not, sweet, kind, and mild. Bianca already has suitors lined up waiting to court her, but unfortunately for those suitors Bianca's ill-tempered and headstrong sister Katherine must first marry before a man may propose to Bianca. No one seems up to the job of "taming the shrew" that is Katherine, except one rather brave man, Petruchio, who comes up with a plan to figuratively "kill his wife with kindness." By professing deep, passionate nearly smothering love for her, he sets out to turn her from hot-headed shrew to a proper lady. The play was originally written in the 1590s, and though it was written long ago, it is still widely performed today, as it was performed recently at Clayton High School.

The "shrew," Katherine Minola, was played by Amanda Wagner. Her pleasing and fierce portrayal of the rebellious daughter was as terrifying as it was wonderful. With fire in her eyes and on her tongue she made her character come to life on stage. Fergus Inder played the dashing and cunning Petruchio. His excellent stage presence created the perfect mood for the play. Carly Beard performed well as the loving and regal Baptista who, in Clayton's adaption, was the mother (as opposed to father) of the two girls. Sarah Lerwick was a great counterpart to Wagner, who acted well as the mild-mannered Bianca.

Talent flowed from not only the core cast but from the many supporting actors and actresses as well. Shaina Crall and Lewis Grant drew many laughs from the audience as the two loveably foolish servants Biondello and Grumio. James Kerr brought to life the cantankerous and shrewd old suitor Gremio with his excellent mannerisms and colorful character voice.

The technical aspects of the play made the show nearly magical. The lighting and sound cues were flawless. The play was performed in the small black box theatre of Clayton High School and with the actors standing a mere 10 feet away it was easy to become fully immersed in the performance. Though no set was to be had, the performers created the atmosphere themselves through their thoroughly enchanting recital. The costumes and makeup were stunning and suited each character perfectly.

Clayton's adaption of this classic play was quite well done. For the most part the actors were full of energy and seemed committed. The natural chemistry of the cast was apparent as everyone seemed very comfortable working with their role and fellow actors. As long as the actors took care to enunciate and speak slowly, the tricky Shakespearian verses could be easily understood, for the actors never missed a beat or dropped a line.

From the opening scene to the curtain call, this play was very entertaining. The students of Clayton High School handled the tough play marvelously. If anyone is suited for the task of taming a difficult performance like Shakespeare it would be Clayton. From opening scene to the curtain call, the play was a captivating performance that would have made Shakespeare proud.