Titus Andronicus, in Shakespeare’s day, was one of his more popular works, detailing the bloody story of General Titus Andronicus, who returns from war with Queen Tamora of the Goths as his prisoner. After Titus sacrifices Tamora’s eldest son as recompense for the deaths of his own sons, she vows to seek revenge no matter the cost – and gains the advantage when Saturninus, newly crowned emperor of Rome, takes Tamora’s hand in marriage and makes her his empress. From there, it becomes an unstoppable cycle of revenge and retribution that can only end in loss.
My feelings about Titus are very mixed – though some elements worked, others dragged the production down, leaving me unsatisfied. The cast was solid. Though not the best performances I’ve ever seen (many actors noticeably stumbled over lines, some of whom took a moment to recover), there were a few standouts in the ensemble. Angelica Duncan especially shines as Lavinia; though she is unable to speak for the majority of the production, Duncan’s facial expressions and incredibly specific physical work do all the talking for her. You’d be hard-pressed to fight the urge to reach out and comfort her every time she so much as frowns. Jim Gall’s Marcus Andronicus is equally compelling – unsurprising, given that Gall has yet to disappoint in any of his work – and Sylvester Kamara’s Iago-like Aaron commands absolute attention. Ian Bond and Christopher Morson form a dynamic, sinisterly comical duo as Demetrius and Chiron, respectively.
Andrew Smith’s light design complements the production subtly and neatly, filling in the stage with reds and orange to set the tone. Jocelyn Fowler’s costumes work well individually (especially in regards to Saturninus and Tamora), though as a whole they are somewhat disjointed, as a handful of pieces feel vaguely anachronistic. Saturninus’ vaguely 1970s suits, which look like they were lifted off of an old used-car salesman (it works, bizarrely) feel out of place next to Demetrius and Chiron’s late 90s punk-rock getups. Nathan Wade’s sound design is more hit-or-miss; at times, it vibes well with the show, but it seems inappropriately timed at others (especially when party music is inserted after a particularly brutal scene). Carol Wolfe Clay’s set takes its inspiration from ancient Rome, but instead of feeling out of place next to the modern(ish) costumes, it meshes surprisingly well.
Unfortunately, this is about as far as Titus goes – it’s full of pieces and performances that work well individually, but when it all comes together, something just feels off. I’m disappointed especially in the way comedy was treated within the piece. Though a few moments of humor lightened the mood, most of the time it felt inappropriate or badly timed. It seemed as though no one had decided whether or not it was a dark comedy or a no-nonsense tragedy, and the result was something that felt akin to a bad 70s slasher film rather than a production that was inspired by the tradition of late 1900s horror films. The blood spurting out of every cut and hole came across as ridiculous and gaudy, working as just another gag in this parody of tragedy. Due to the fact that Titus Andronicus spent much of its two and a half hours oscillating between serious tragedy and absurd parody, it seemed more like nobody was quite sure which one they wanted than it did a deliberate homage to any genre. This isn’t to say that Titus is awful. It’s not by any stretch of the imagination. It is, however, just okay – something you should see if you’re interested and have the time, but not the kind of production you’ll want to call the babysitter and rush out to.
Due to mature themes, Titus Andronicus is not recommended for children or anyone who doesn’t like gore or blood on stage.
Titus Andronicus runs at the Seattle Center House Theatre, 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109, now through February 7th, with 7:30pm performances Wednesday – Saturday and 2pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays.
Tickets $27 – 50 at http://www.seattleshakespeare.org/shows/titus-andronicus-2016/