Rambles Reviews: Men in Titus

Crossposted to Riba Rambles () and bard_in_boston:

Robert Walsh as Titus Andronicus © Carolle Photography

In The Shakespeare wars, Ron Rosenbaum argues that one of the things that sets Shakespeare apart from other literature is its "bottomless" nature. One can see the same play over and over again, and continue to find new meaning.

Last November, the Wellesley College Shakespeare Society staged Titus Andronicus in a mythic American West, stripping away the veneer of civilization to show how both sides were capable of equal savagery.

Although shades of grey dominate the set and surroundings, Actors' Shakespeare Project seems to view the play more in terms of the difficulties experienced by veterans trying to reintegrate into society. The aspects of the story that Wellesley emphasized are also there, but more as an undertone than the central focus.

ASP's Titus Andronicus is directed by David R. Gammons, who previously worked on the company's highly-acclaimed King Lear. And similarities are evident. Like Lear, the nontraditional venue has been rededicated to the play for the run. In this case, the space is 38 JFK Street -- former home of Revolution Books, between the Garage mall and the 7-11. You must descend a flight of stairs to reach the stage (contact the box office if you need a wheelchair accessible entrance), but once there, you're in ASP's environment.

The walls and ceilings have been painted an industrial gray, with tigers stencilled at various vantage points. The walls appear cracked, some ominous reddish stains (rust? blood?) providing the only color. Seating surrounds the stage -- a platform nearly bare except for a ring of rocks -- and ropes dangle from odd corners.

Ambient noise, and occasional announcements with the tinny resonance most often associated with bus terminals, further set the mood before the lights dim and the cast finally enters. Speaking of which, the lighting effects are superb. The dawning sun rises through a window so effectively, you forget you're underground.

The other major directorial innovation in this production is staging it with an all-male cast.

John Kuntz as Tamora, the Goth queen, surrounded by her sons: © Carolle Photography

As is well-known, women didn't act in Shakespeare's England. Female roles were played by adolescent boys. Titus makes a good choice for such crosscasting, as there are only two major women's roles (plus a nurse who has ten lines in one scene). But both "women" are captivating whenever they're on stage.

John Kuntz demonstrates presence as Tamora, who rises from war trophy to Empress.

But the true test of crosscasting is Lavinia, who is a victim of violent rape midway through the play. Could a man make those scenes effective, rather than ridiculous? My concerns were heightened because I'd never seen Paul Melendy act before (as far as I'm aware).

If anything, Lavinia's breakdown seemed all the more terrible being portrayed by a man.

At first, I wondered whether the actors might have been overdoing their characters' vulnerability -- making a greater effort to act "feminine" than an actress might.

Aside from the film Stage Beauty:

Ned Kynaston: I have worked half my life to do what I do. Fourteen boys crammed in a cellar... Do you know when I was in training for this profession, I was not permitted to wear a woman's dress for three long years, I was not permitted to wear a wig for four - not until I had proved that I had eliminated every masculine gesture, every masculine intonation from my very being. What teacher did you learn from? What cellar was your home?
Maria: I had no teacher, nor such a classroom. But then, I had less need of training.

But then I recalled something Joss Whedon revealed about his technique. To make a threat even more menacing, show the tough guy terrified of it. He was speaking in terms of Jayne Cobb's reaction to Reavers in Firefly/Serenity, but it's something he's used in Buffy and Angel as well.

So, yes, the rape scene is harrowing -- moreso because the victim has corded muscles and hirsute legs. Furthermore, men's chests are less sexualized in our society, giving the production more freedom to rip Lavinia's dress from her shoulders, further exposing her vulnerability.

Robert Walsh plays the title character, and he's so well-suited to the role that I predicted his casting when the company first announced the production.
He previously played Brutus in ASP's Julius Caesar, and there were definite resonances between the roles, raising questions of honor and nobility. I also saw echoes of Lear as Titus descends into madness.

Other standouts included Joel Colodner as Marcus Andronicus and Dmetrius Conley-Williams as Aaron. The latter delivered Ian's favorite line in all of Shakespeare (IV,2,1765) with perfect relish.

Although Titus is known as one of Shakespeare's bloodiest plays, the director has commented that he became "more fascinated ... with a different bodily fluid -- tears."

And that emphasis is definitely noticeable, particularly in the first half. The Andronici suffer more trials than Job, and as the play progresses, their orderly world unravels (reflected in the set design).

The violence in Titus eventually gets so over-the-top that lesser companies can lose control of the audience. In this and other Elizabethan dramas, I sometimes lose my suspension of disbelief and wind up laughing at the most inappropriate scenes.

But ASP managed to rein that in. In one of the scenes which can sometimes become silly, (III,1,1319) Robert Walsh's sheer raw emotion kept the focus on the dramatic.

After the first half of the play ratchets up the tension, intermission is followed by a scene that's intentionally funny, providing safer outlets for all that emotion. Titus Andronicus is both tragedy and farce, and ASP managed to balance those elements without letting it either overpower the other.

And the deaths in the final act (shouldn't be too much of a surprise -- this is a Shakespearean tragedy) reminded me of the powerful assassination scene in their Julius Caesar, which I described as "disturbingly effective." [The program credits Adam McLean as "Violence Design" rather than listing a more traditional fight choreographer, and he did an admirable job.]

I could go on, but I'll spare you my praise for the most effective handling of the "loathsome pit" and our analysis on the use of rocks and ropes, and other directorial details that particularly impressed.

Suffice it to say, this production deserves a rousing hand of applause.

Plus: ASP is hosting a Special Event, Monday April 16 (Patriots' Day) @ 7:30 pm:

Entertaining Violence: Responses to Titus Andronicus and How Violence, Revenge, and Grief Resonate in our World Today

Moderated by psychoanalyst Phillip Freeman; panelists include:

• Leah Hager Cohen, author of Without Apology: Girls, Women and the Desire to Fight
• David R. Gammons, Director of Titus Andronicus
• Marjorie Garber, Professor of English, Harvard University and author of Shakespeare After All
• Sandra M. McCroom, Executive Director, Roxbury Youthworks, Inc.
• Tina Packer, Artistic Director and Founder, Shakespeare and Company
• Samantha Power, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide
• plus actors from ASP's production of Titus Andronicus

More details @ http://actorsshakespeareproject.org

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