Titus Andronicus
Playwright: William Shakespeare
At: Defiant Theatre at the Viaduct,
3111 N. Western
Phone: (312) 409-0585; $15-$20
Runs through: Feb. 22
by Jonathan Abarbanel
For its third foray into Shakespeare, Defiant Theatre gives his early potboiler, Titus Andronicus, a modern-dress production to parallel the Roman Empire and contemporary American geo-politics. A disputed election places Saturninus, son of a previous emperor, on the throne. He wears a golf cap that says 'Commander.' The Roman legions wear assault garb and carry automatic weapons. Rome's enemies, the Goths, are portrayed as brown-skinned middle easterners. The Roman flag is an adaptation of the Stars and Stripes. A Latin triumphal inscription proclaims the Senate and People of Rome, and also 'fascismus,' 'communismus' and 'terrorismus.'
The concept allows some vigorous visuals, but doesn't hold up because Saturninus—although shallow, smarmy and bellicose as portrayed by Matthew Carter—is not the Mother of All Evil. The true purps dupe him as much as anyone. Second, Titus Andronicus is not about power politics in the manner of Julius Caesar. It's a personal tale of families with blood grudges, and a villain, Aaron, who rejoices in evil for its own sake, manipulating people into bloody ends. It's more Jacobean revenge tragedy than Shakespeare.
The bloody ends may have been the real lure for Defiant, a troupe that relishes violent action, virtue undone and a whacking (as in limbs) good story, all of which abound in Titus Andronicus. The body count reaches 12 speaking roles, plus a liberal sprinkling of wordless extras. It's great, bloody fun and anything but dull. Even so, it's long at three hours. Defiant has not cut the text to speed the story to its lurid high points, nor created all the gory shocks it might. For example, severed heads are customary in the final scene, but are absent here.
Indeed, it's difficult to tell to what extent director Christopher Johnson intends the piece as laughter-inducing satire, rather than serious Shakespeare. The start of Act II is darkly and intentionally funny, for example, while other moments induce unintended laughter. Defiant probably doesn't care which way you take it.
The abilities of the actors with Shakespeare's language—and far from his most poetic—vary. Larry Yando in the title role is the top of the game, a Bardian master. He plays the proud, noble and loyal Titus straight, although he could make it funny with the lift of an eyebrow or a tip of the head. Brian Hamman as Bassianus also speaks the speech well, and Cherise Silvestri as Titus' daughter, Lavinia. Tere Parkes is effective as villainess Tamora, Goth Queen whom Saturninus marries. In Act II, pretending she's Revenge, Tamora appears looking just like Howard Stern. Indeed, the two principal women, Tamora and Lavinia, look bizarre throughout, dressed by designer Michelle Lynette Bush like street corner hookers in hot pants, halter tops and spikes.
