'Lightning in a bottle': Bard Crawl brings 'Taming of the Shrew' to bars across New Mexico

One rehearsal, no directors, multiple performances.

Watch William Shakespeare go from the theater stage to local breweries for the seventh iteration of “Bard Crawl: Taming of the Shrew,” where local actors bring plays to bars across the Albuquerque Metro area.

Actors rehearse only once before practicing on their own. Actors are also in charge of choosing their own costumes, bringing props to each venue and figuring out where they will position themselves onstage.

“It’s a really big exercise of trust,” said Evening Star Barron, who plays Grumio in the show. “The outcome is like lightning in a bottle, and audiences tend to go a little crazy for it.”

With the unconventional format, the result is a unique take on a classic play where actors have to make decisions on the fly.

“I think part of the magic is that we involve the audience,” Barron said. “We’re trying to bring it as close as possible to the way Shakespeare was performed, which is among a rowdy crowd with drinks in hand.”

This year, the group will do their version of “Taming of the Shrew,” a Shakespearean comedy that focuses on a courtship between two characters — Petruchio and Katherina — one of whom is not interested in the relationship.

Throughout the play, Petruchio is trying to tame Katherina in order to force her to become the type of wife he wants. Barron described the play as one of Shakespeare’s more controversial works and said the group will subvert the story.

“A lot of people don’t like this play, or they put their own labels on what they think this plan is, and I’m excited to see how we can tell a story with a slightly different perspective,” Barron said. “If you haven’t seen us, give us a chance to change your life, and if not your life, maybe just your day.”

'Lightning in a bottle': Bard Crawl brings 'Taming of the Shrew' to bars across New Mexico