This past week, The Clemson Players put their twist on “The Taming of the Shrew,” one of William Shakespeare’s most popular and most adapted comedies. “The Taming,” written by Lauren Gunderson, sets the classic story in the contemporary United States.

Gunderson takes the audience through the journey of an unordinary beauty queen and her unlikely accomplices on the road to revolutionizing America. Paisley Hodges plays the very funny, classic southern beauty queen; Sierra Jensen plays the secretary to a Conservative senator and Isabella Balfour plays a Liberal social media vlogger.

The trio bicker back and forth, using popular modern-day, stereotypical insults that had the crowd laughing the entire time. 

Surprising twists and turns captivated the audience for the entire 90-minute production. The characters addressed numerous political and social issues in a lighthearted manner, making the show relatable for the whole audience regardless of political affiliation. 

The show was a sell-out, and the theater was packed with people of all ages, genders and occupations. The set design was simple but effective, allowing the audience to focus on the performance at hand while the fast-working stage crew moved the show along nicely. 

The play ends with the three characters coming together despite their differences to create a more unified America as president, chief of staff and press secretary. 

“The Taming” was utterly entertaining — not a face in the theater wasn’t wearing a smile. The originality and humorous tone made this one of the best performances I have ever seen from The Clemson Players.