All-female production of Titus Andronicus ?is just great theater

by Miryam Gordon - SGN A&E Writer

TITUS ANDRONICUS
UPSTART CROW COLLECTIVE
Through October 7

Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus is, quite literally, a bloody mess of a play. It's hard to imagine that the ladies of the court would have enjoyed it in his day, but perhaps it was his equivalent of the Roman spectacle of throwing Christians into stadiums with lions. Very testicular.

It is literally politics as blood sport - something our pundits tell us we can do without, although no one, even today, has yet figured out how. So, why would a women's theater group choose to do such a bloody, passionate play - one with only three female roles?

The group, upstart crow collective, is mounting Titus Andronicus through the auspices of Seattle University, where director Rosa Joshi and lead actor Ki Gottberg work in the theater department. This all-female production includes a number of Seattle's best actors.

Amy Thone plays Titus, a warrior who brings back a prize - Tamora, the queen of the Goths (Gottberg) - and her sons. Titus kills one of Tamora's sons in captivity, thus earning her enmity. He also faces the unenviable task of choosing one of two brothers to be the next Roman emperor - Saturninus (Kelly Kitchens) or Bassianus (Rhonda Soikowski).

Once Saturninus is made emperor, he tries to marry Titus' daughter, Lavinia (Brenda Joyner), who spurns him for the younger Bassianus - thus leaving an opening for Tamora to become empress and wreak revenge on Titus. Tamora allows her randy sons (Peggy Gannon and Sarah Harlett) to ravish and destroy Lavinia while Tamora cheats on Saturninus with the diabolical Moor, Aaron (Nike Imoru). She also sets up two other sons of Titus to be killed for killing Bassianus and banishes another son (Tracy Hyland) for protecting Lavinia. After that, all hell breaks loose. (After that? Yup.)

A young man told me after opening night that five minutes into the production, he had completely stopped noticing the actors were all women. Indeed, it's bloody good theater. Joshi - with support of a minimalist but graveyard-like set by Carol Wolfe Clay, modern costuming by Kim Newton (suits for the Romans, colorful "native" garb for the Goths), a cheekily eerie "revenge light" and other moody lighting by Geoff Korf, and great sound from Dominic CodyKramers - keeps the play pounding along.

The emotive acting was riveting, with visuals you might have difficulty forgetting for quite a while. Get over to the Lee Center for the Arts on the Seattle University campus to see this show. For more information, go to www.upstartcrowcollective.blogspot.com.

Discuss your opinions with sgncritic@gmail.com or go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters.

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