Titus Andronicus review by Julia W. Rath

[rating=1]Bizarre, gross, and disappointing, Haven’s production of “Titus Andronicus” doesn’t know what it wants to be. The mishmash of characters, acting styles, costumes, and the rest make for a very uneven and unsatisfying performance.

It is debatable whether director/artistic director Ian Damont Martin should have revived a rarely performed and relatively obscure Shakespearian play. The original script is gory and vile, full of bloodlust, anger, and graphic violence, which may not appeal to a certain segment of the modern audience (myself included). Then there is a segment of the audience that enjoys watching horror, beheadings, bloodlettings, and amputations, much like those who preferred this sort of entertainment back in Shakespeare’s day.

Colin Jones as Titus successfully carries much of the show as does Michaela Petro as Tamora. Since Shakespeare is well known for casting men as women in his plays, it is refreshing to see Gabrielle Lott-Rogers as Marcus in a turnabout role. Tarina Bradshow, as Lavinia, expresses all the disabilities of her character very well. As for the rest of the players, I refer the reader to the summary in Wikipedia to explain such a complicated story—which contains so many characters and where plot twists and turns are generally hard to follow.

Of course, one has to expect some comic relief in such a horrific show. But in this production, too many comedic interludes have been inserted into the tale where they are unwarranted and unacceptable. In particular, Christopher Wayland’s acting in the role of Saturninus is way over the top. The show spirals downward, as the beginning of the second act is much too slaphappy and poorly acted as a whole. The one character that stands out as being genuinely funny is the clown, played by Andre McGraw, who is cleverly presented as a homeless man carrying rags and pushing all his possessions around in a cart. (True to form, he is executed just for the thrill of it.)

The best parts are the intricately staged fight scenes. Delivering over three-hours’-worth of constant violence is quite the task. Credit must go to R&D Choreography, namely Victor Bayona and Rick Gilbert for their violence design. Micah Figueroa, the intimacy designer, does an effective job in handling so many characters who have been ill-treated and abused. Yet the quality of the swordplay and the skillful depiction of cruelty and slaughter cannot save a foundering production.

The costume design initially seems rather innovative with its eclectic mix of 20th-century clothing and Egyptian- and Roman-inspired garments. The prisoners’ garb and that of the Roman guards are nicely done. But the costume for the lead character Titus is a disaster! For the most part, he wears what looks like a black suit and a clerical collar, basically what a Christian minister would wear today. This is way off target for the role, as we’re not dealing with a church or religion. Lavinia’s dress, while pretty, does not suit the part, because it is red: She needs to wear almost any other color (except for black) to play up her virginal qualities prior to her savage rape. Another notable clothing disaster is that of the midwife’s dress, which could have been pulled off the rack at K-mart. Other costumes seem slapped together.

Then there is the scenic design. The set, comprised of light-colored wood, a tile floor, and a few gray plaster-of-Paris posts, resembles the basement in my aunt and uncle’s old house. Stark and dank, it doesn’t speak of Rome—or much of anything else. A wooden board on one of the sets broke off and fell during the opening night performance. (Nobody was hurt; the board simply had to be glued back on between acts one and two.) There was also a problem with one of the latches designed to lock a moving set in place.

The show is faithful in its adherence to the script—nothing has been cut out—even though many story elements fail to resonate with a modern audience (such as the ghostlike scene featuring the three spirits: Revenge, Rape, and Murder). Above all, the abundance of comic elements introduced by this production minimizes the dreadfulness of the horror that we witness. Yes, we are promised a “thrilling, bloody marathon”, and we get some of this titillation. But with the weird interlacing of comedy and horror, the audience doesn’t know how to react. Monty Python this is not, although I’m sure that there are some who would like it to be.

The question is why would anyone want to revive a play that’s so revolting, where the dead never rest and where bloody vengeance fails to take its toll? What have we gained by watching such disturbing sequences, often overlaid with silliness and slapstick? When I first entered the theatre, my understanding was that a largely African-American cast would bring something new and different to the performance: an added twist or nuance to the plot or an unusual take on history. But once the show began, the choice of this particular script baffled me more than ever. There is nothing virtuous in retelling this gruesome tale. The script is too old, too long, too ineffectual, and—if you can get past the barbarism—too boring.

I am impressed with how much work has been put into making this production. But as Buddy Ryan once said, “Hard work is not good enough to get the job done.” The story doesn’t come together well. The show misses its mark; because the characters are hollow, and we don’t care about them. Little or no thought has been given to the futility of senseless violence in terms of a character’s regret or their need for expiation. With the point of the show being the point of the knife, we leave the theatre feeling numb and not much else.

Haven’s production of “Titus Andronicus” by William Shakespeare is directed by Artistic Director, and is playing through March 14, 2020, at The Den Theatre’s Heath Main Stage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago.

Tickets: $35.

Performances:

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

Please note: there will be an added performance on Saturday, March 14 at 3:00 p.m.

There will not be a performance on Saturday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Industry Night: Monday, March 2 at 8:00 p.m.

Open-Captioned Performance: Sunday, March 8 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets are available at havenchi.org.

For more information, contact info@havenchi.org.   To see what others are saying, visit , go to www.theatreinchicago.com Review Round-Up and click at “Titus Andronicus”.