<i>Titus Redux</i>, and: <i>Hamlet, Prince of Darkness</i>, and: <i>Pulp Shakespeare</i> (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Titus Redux, and: Hamlet, Prince of Darkness, and: Pulp Shakespeare Kevin J. Wetmore Jr. Titus ReduxPresented by the New American Theatre and Not Man Apart-Physical Theatre Ensemble at Los Angeles Theatre Center, Los Angeles, California, as part of the Radar L.A. Festival. June 16-19, 2011. Conceived, choreographed and directed by John Farmanesh-Bocca. Set by Jeffrey Eisenmann. Costumes by Allison Leach. Effects by Jason Collins. Lighting by Jessica Kohn. Sound by John Farmanesh-Bocca and Adam Phalen. With Jack Stehlin (Titus Andronicus), Belinda Strong (Tamora), Jennifer Landon (Lavinia), Dash Peppin (Demetrius), Vincent Cardinale (Chiron), Nicholas Hormann (Marcus Andronicus), John F. Bocca (Aaron), and Deus Xavier (Soldier). Hamlet, Prince of DarknessPresented by Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre Group at Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre, North Hollywood, California. May 20-June 24, 2011. Directed by Denise Devin. Costumes by Jeri Batzdorff. With Robert Walters (Hamlet), Amy Bartlett (Horatio, Rosencrantz), Jim Cox (Claudius), Frank Leone (Polonius), Melissa Okey (Gertrude), Clare Wess Yauss (Ophelia), Patrick O'Neill (Laertes), Rebecca Silberman (Bernardo, Guidenstern, Fortinbras), Evan Boelsen (Ghost, Player King, Grave Robber), and Irene Conde (Marcellus, Voltemand, Player Queen, Satan, Osric). Pulp ShakespearePresented by Her Majesty's Secret Players at the Theatre Asylum, Los Angeles, California. June 11-28, October 14-November 13, 2011, and ongoing. Directed by Jordan Monsell. Costumes by Kelly Bailey. Lighting by Aaron Lyons. Sounds by Brian Weiss. Fights by Aaron Lyons. With Dan White (Julius Winfield), Aaron Lyons (Vincent de la Vega), Nathaniel Freeman (Lord Marcellus Washburn), Sierra Fisk (Lady Mia Washburn), Christian Levatino (Sir "Butch" Coolidge), Brian Weiss (PumpkinPie), Liza deWeerd (Meadsweet), Justine Woodford (Fabianne), et al.. [End Page 207] As with any major metropolitan area, Los Angeles sees a good deal of summer Shakespeare. In 2011 alone, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Hamlet, Love's Labors Lost, Much Ado About Nothing, and King Learwere among the two dozen straightforward presentations. Los Angeles also features many adaptations, often infused with the local culture (in our case, Hollywood), and the film and television influence could be seen clearly in several Shakespeare offshoots: besides the three reviewed here, there was As You Like It: The Musical!and the Troubadour Theatre Company's remounting of Fleetwood Macbeth, a blend of the Shakespearean tragedy and the eponymous band. The latter was an inspired bit of silliness that saw Macbeth sing "World Turning" during the banquet scene, "You Can Go Your Own Way" as a duet with Macduff during the final duel, and a remorseful yet wistful "Landslide" to close the show. The Royal Shakespeare Company this was not. Clearly alluding to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Titus Reduxpresented General Andronicus, returned from active duty in the empire's service and now "retired like an old tank." This adaptation reduced the scope of Shakespeare's play down to a single family's experience of posttraumatic stress syndrome. Throughout much of the play it was ambiguous whether the events were actually taking place or whether they were the imaginings of a soldier who has seen too much combat and whose government and family no longer values him. Titus's brother Marcus was presented as a conservative senator still in government service (a commercial for his re-election, ending with "I'm Marcus Andronicus, and I approve this message" ran several times during the show). As the family sat down to dinner, Titus cleared the plates and encouraged his sons Demetrius and Chiron to engage in bare-knuckle boxing on the dinner table. Tamora was presented as a Washington/military housewife, seething with anger at the death of her and Titus's eldest son in combat and at her husband's prolonged absence at war. Lavinia, their daughter doted on her father, and resented her mother during his long absence and the family collapsed into violence against one another. Aaron the Moor became a Muslim-American neighbor who may or may not be a terrorist and who may or may not be having an affair with Tamora. Titus repeatedly flashed back to moments of combat and, after leading his family in an extended dance number with American flags and patriotic...