In this controversial book, Sarah Werner argues that the text of a Shakespeare play is only one of the many factors that give a performance its meaning. By focusing on The Royal Shakespeare Company , and in particular: the influential training methods of Cicely Berry and Patsy Rodenburg the history of the RSC Women's Group Gale Edwards' production of The Taming of the Shrew Shakespeare and Feminist Performance demonstrates how actor training, company management and gender politics fundamentally affect both how a production is created and the interpretations it can suggest. By examining the ideological implications of performance practices, this book will help anyone interested in Shakespeare's plays to explore what it means to study them in performance.