Edited by Randi Bjornstad

Here’s the plot of THE TAMING, in a nutshell:

“Nothing to see here — A liberal blogger, a conservative senator’s aide and a Miss America contestant are locked in a hotel room together. They’re going to figure everything out and fix America in this hilarious political satire.”

The play, opening at Actors Cabaret of Eugene on March 14 and running through March 29, was written by Lauren Gunderson, and the ACE version is directed by Maggie Hadley.

It seems extremely timely, given the state of American politics and the extremely polarized viewpoints of millions of voters, with an all-female cast and addressing, among other things according to ACE’s announcement of the play says, “historical truths about the Founding Fathers.”

Gunderson first got the idea for the play from William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, probably written between 1590 and 1592, which examined the intricacies of male and female roles during the late-16th century, focusing on women who refused to bend to the expectations that they would — indeed, should — be docile, subservient, and obedient.

But even more broadly, it is based on a widespread social and political upheaval in England at that time in terms — in particular general social norms and gender roles — that seems to foreshadow some of the political and cultural combustion of present-day USA.

In fact, Gunderson has been quoted about her writing of this play this way: ““I’m a firm believer in comic activism, the kind that attempts to skewer the unfair and thoughtless. When we laugh at idiots, we erode their power.”

Further, she said, “Comedy encourages (demands) that we be vocal in the face of the absurd. Our laughter is our outrage, our change-making, our hope for better.”

Besides being a noted playwright, Gunderson also writes short stories, poetry, and columns as well as lecturing on the intersection of art and science. She is said to be “among the most produced playwrights in the United States in recent years.” She comes originally from Atlanta and now lives in San Francisco with her husband, virologist Nathan Wolfe, and their two children.

Actors Cabaret of Eugene’s cast of THE TAMING consists of Liv Tavernier as Katherine, Melanie Moser as Patricia, and Martha Benson as Bianca.

THE TAMING at Actors Cabaret of Eugene

When: Evenings at 7:30 p.m. on March 14-15, 21-22, and 28-29 (dinner available starting at 6 p.m.) and matinees at 2 p.m. on March 16 and 23 (brunch available starting at noon)

Where: Actors Cabaret of Eugene, 996 Willamette St.

Tickets: $59-$64 show and dinner; $57-59 show and brunch; show only $21/$29/$32/$59, seating and menu specifics available in advance by calling 541-683-4368 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday or online at actorscabaret.org