Titus Andronicus brings prejudice and the politics of revenge to the forefront in Shakespeare’s bloodiest script. Foreign wars have left the country divided, an impulsive leader stokes resentment, and now the country teeters on the brink of civil war over petty grievances and personal vendettas. Can Rome’s leaders save the empire from itself? It’s literally filled with blood, yet it should be seen, as this early play has Shakespeare toying with characters and motifs exploited in later works: Aaron the Moor is a first draft of villains like Iago and Richard III and Titus himself is echoed in the old-man-making-bad-choices-that-drive-him-mad elements of King Lear. With the possible exception of Hamlet, Titus Andronicus offers the bleakest of Elizabethan commentaries. Fortunately, Redtwist Theater is presenting an original adaptation by Artistic Director of Development Dusty Brown, Caroline Kidwell and Jordan Gleaves. Directed by Brown, the production stars Anne Sheridan Smith as the titular character. It opens this weekend, and I highly recommend it.
Titus Andronicus is easily Shakespeare’s most controversial play. Why? Well, it’s a bit like Sweeney Todd without Sondheim, loaded with over-the-top horror that makes an abattoir seem tame. An honorable Roman general refuses the imperial throne only to have his family ravaged by the emperor appointed in his stead. His sons are killed, his daughter raped and mutilated; he bakes his enemies’ children into pies. In an attempt to restore order to a chaotic universe, he commits infanticide. It’s a confusing play, but one lesson that it seems to impart is this: sometimes idealistic value systems do not work when put into practice. Titus Andronicus goes to great — almost hyperbolic — lengths to make this clear, though it is often overlooked trying to make ethical sense out of a morality tale. Titus Andronicus shares this quality with Euripides’ Medea: both of these plays unsettle us in ways that we might not be willing to face. Neither are necessarily realistic, nor are they meant to be. However, both play on social taboos to make the point that traditional values adhered to religiosity do not always provide us with the correct answers. In fact, these values can often lead to tragedy. Timely, you wonder? Find out.
Along with Anne Sheridan Smith as Titus Andronicus, the cast includes James Lewis (Aaron); Caroline Kidwell (Lavinia Andronicus); Sabine Wan (Marcus); Philip C. Matthews (Lucius Andronicus); Laura Strum (Tamora); Quinn Leary (Demetrius); Elijah Newman (Chiron); Joshua Servantez (Saturninus) and Madelyn Loehr (Bassianus/ensemble).
Titus Andronicus
Azusa Productions, in association with Redtwist Theatre
Redtwist Theatre 1044 W. Bryn Mawr
120 minutes with Intermission
previews February 20-22 at 7:30
plays February 23-March 30, 2025 (understudy performances March 13 and 23)
for tickets, visit Redtwist
