playbill vip

                     PRESENTS

        TITUS

by William Shakespeare 

adapted by David Kenworthy 

directed by Brielle Farrell

<---audience webpage QR link with accessibility options and more

       Welcome to our post-civil war adaptation of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus! Titus is perhaps Shakespeare’s bloodiest and most tragic play, and is known as possibly the worst play published under Shakespeare’s name. Scholars postulate that Titus was co-written with Shakespeare or perhaps even written by another playwright entirely. So why choose Titus to adapt and direct? I was drawn to the lack of substance and thought behind the characters of Titus. With skeletal character development paired with outrageous decisions, I was free to invent my own meaning and history to explain how the characters end up at the end of play. I was able to humanize the “puppets” in the script with real people with real mannerisms, flavored by historical inspiration. Theatre has long been a vehicle to capture very human moments. I hope you will find a few “real” human moments in our production.

       In my interpretation, the Titus family are Southerners who chose to fight with the North because of Marcus’s political roots in Washington. The Titus and Johnston households are very familiar with each other because of common social-political events among the wealthy and influential. The rivalry between the two households is long-standing, made bitter by the children slain between the two neighbors during the Civil War. Tamara, perhaps jealous of Laura’s youth and carefree nature, wants to silence her voice and smother her joy. Laura threatens her waning youth (her main source of influence and power) as Tamara navigates a man’s world through her feminine charms.

       While very few of us have been angry enough to end another’s life, we can relate to the big questions brought up in Titus as we follow the struggles of the Titus family. Andrew Titus struggles to find his purpose and place in retirement after a lifetime of being a soldier. Laura Titus faces a new reality as the life she imagined and planned for slips out of her hands. Marcus Titus faces disappointment and jealousy when his brother is handed the role that Marcus sought all along. Peter struggles to find a place outside of his father’s shadow and perhaps can’t help but live his life as a younger version of his father. Even young Luke tries to live his life bravely alongside all the adults who are deeply struggling with their own personal demons.

       Throughout our production process, I have been very fortunate to work alongside David Kenworthy who adapted Titus. The Civil War setting is genius, very appropriate to the characters and situations, and also so much fun to play with. David was very patient with me as I pushed and pecked at the script which was originally very faithful to the original play. I deeply appreciated his patience as I ran rampant through his original imaginings. I am confident that as a team – adaptor, director, costumer, producer, stage hands, actors, and family members, we have created a bit of fun and a lot of feeling.

       Titus welcomes and encourages audience participation. As you follow along and a character is giving a public speech, feel free to respond and engage as though you are at a political rally or war council. As always, please be respectful to the actors and your neighbors while participating. We will have signs and cues to help you participate. Please enjoy! Thank you for coming and participating in the historical setting of a historical play that is a little bit historic (at least in GJ).

       Brielle, Director