Reputed to be the first of Shakespeare’s playwriting efforts, Titus Andronicus is a convoluted and bloody hash of school-boy Roman history tales. One of the most significant features of this play is the rendering of the villain as a Moor, interpreted these days as a man of African descent. In Shakespeare’s time, people of color were exotic creatures standing out in a sea of white faces, and so it became short-hand to depict evil in this way. None were more singularly evil than Aaron in Titus, as he went about scheming to hold one group of pretenders to Titus’ rule against another. Along the way, the women suffer mutiliation and death: the queen Lavinia has her tongue and hands cut off, while Queen Tamora bears Aaron’s child and ultimately dies after sampling a dish that has her sons baked into a pie. Fun, huh?
But now, playwright Zachary Bones in this new play has taken up Aaron’s cause, in an effort to explain him and possibly redeem him. We find Aaron (played by Bruce Lemon Jr.) buried alive, as was decreed by Shakespeare, awaiting death by starvation. But this Aaron is going to work all his wiles in order to go free. In a riff that echoes some of today’s issues, two centurions (Brian Monahan and William Gray,) who are sent to guard Aaron, behave just as any one of our National Guard would do. Clearly, they are cut out for much more courageous duty. The bored repartee and silly games they devise to tease Aaron provide the humor of the situation. Their humanity is significant throughout the long vigil, as they become more sympathetic to Aaron’s plight. At clarifying moments, a young page (Camila Rozo) arrives to move the story along. At other times, the women Aaron has wronged (also Camila Rozo) come to take their revenge. At last the young Andronicus we’ll call Jr., (also Camila), demands Aaron’s attention, and therefore, we, too, move along.
The triumvirate of producers having created the production provides a great scenic backdrop for this largely static story. After all, with the main character buried in the ground, it’s difficult to go anywhere else! Both acts feature a frontispiece (by Kathleen Leary) that flutters to the ground, revealing the buried Aaron, whose mound is centerpiece, as created by set designer Colin Lawrence. Costumes, especially those of the centurions, are right out of Central Casting (procured by Alexis Carey, who also designed Camila Rozo’s many personas). Director Carly DW Bones keeps things moving in this detailed play that moves between Shakespeare’s tale and current events. I would have preferred that the many characters Ms. Rozo plays were divided among a few other actors, just for variety’s sake, but on the other hand, it’s fun to watch the quirks she provides for each.
In the end, we have to ask ourselves, “Is Aaron redeemed”? I’ll leave that for you to decide after you’ve seen the play!
The Aaron Play is a co-production of Independent Shakespeare Company with Coin and Ghost, and funded by Big Little Theatre Company. The play continues at Independent Shakespeare’s Studio, 3191 Casitas Ave, Suite 130, Los Angeles, CA 90039, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., through Nov. 16th, 2015. Thursdays are pay what you can; Weekends begin at $35. For tickets call (818) 710-6306 or go to www.IndieShakes.org.
