New York Shakespeare Exchange to Present TITUS ANDRONICUS

New York Shakespeare Exchange, creators of the acclaimed The Sonnet Project and ShakesBEER, NYC's original Shakespearean pub crawl, are thrilled to announce that their next mainstage production is Shakespeare's bloody brilliant early play TITUS ANDRONICUS, adapted and directed by NYSX Artistic Director Ross Williams. TITUS ANDRONICUS begins performances on Thursday, January 22 for a limited engagement through Sunday, February 8. Press Opening is Monday, January 26 at 8:30 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Saturday at 8:30 PM; Sunday at 4 PM (Please note, there is an added performance on Monday, January 26 at 8:30 PM; there are no performances on Saturday, January 24 or Tuesday, January 27 at 8:30 PM). Performances take place in the Main Stage Theater at HERE (145 6th Avenue; enter on Dominick, 1 Block South of Spring). The regular ticket price is $18. For tickets, call OvationTix on 212-352-3101 or visit www.here.org. For more information, visit www.shakespeareexchange.org. (This production is a part of SubletSeries@HERE, HERE's curated rental program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical support.)

In a culture where violence is the immediate solution, how to survive becomes the biggest problem.

After ten years of savage war, Rome stands ready for a period of peace. Instead, the combat-ravaged heroes return to find their Emperor dead and the citizens demanding an end to the oppression of Imperial rule. Only the free election of the noble Titus Andronicus will satisfy their demands. But change does not come easily in a world where brutality is always the first response. Who can survive the carnival of madness when Titus defies the people's choice and declines the crown?

Viewed through a uniquely contemporary American lens, Shakespeare's brutal tragedy is brought to terrifying life. Running at a brisk 2 hours and 15 minutes, NYSX's TITUS ANDRONICUS punches audiences in the gut, leaving them breathless.

Brendan Averett (Julie Taymor's A Midsummer Night's Dream for Theatre for a New Audience) stars as Titus Andronicus, with Gretchen Egolf (Jackie on Broadway) as Tamora, Vince Gatton (Drama Desk nominee for Candy and Dorothy) as Emperor Saturninus, and Warren Jackson (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Victory Gardens Theater, Court Theater) as Aaron the Moor. The ensemble cast includes Adam Kezele (The Policy at The Secret Theatre), Kate Lydic, Terence MacSweeny, Joseph Mitchell Parks (The Acting Company national tour of Romeo & Juliet), Nathaniel P. Claridad (Here Lies Love), Ethan Itzkow, Kerry Kastin, Cody Leroy Wilson, and Sean Hinckle.

The design team includes Jason Lajka (scenic design), Drew Florida (lighting design), Elivia Bovenzi (costume design), Cassie Dorland (props/violence design), and Jack Cummins (sound design). The fight choreographer is Alicia Rodis.

Ross Williams (director) founded New York Shakespeare Exchange in 2009 as vehicle for engaging new audiences with classical theater. As the company's Producing Artistic Director, Ross has created numerous shows including a critically-acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare's The Life and Death of King John, as well as Island and The One Man (Two Man (not quite)) Hamlet both by Kevin Brewer. In 2012 Ross introduced the world to the now internationally-renowned The Sonnet Project, www.SonnetProjectNYC.com. This massive multi-media experiment brings each of Shakespeare's 154 sonnets to life as a short film, each starring a different actor and each filmed in a different historic NYC location, and provides free access to the films to people in all corners of the world. The Sonnet Project is now being used as a teaching tool in places from Indianapolis, Indiana to Hyderbad, India. Most recently, the project has partnered with Shakespeare's Globe as the only North American Project to be featured on the Globe Player video-on-demand platform. Prior to diving into the world of directing and producing, Ross appeared on stage throughout North America. Most notably, he originated the role of Gimli the battle-axe wielding dwarf in the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings musical extravaganza in Toronto. He holds an MFA from the Cleveland Play House Professional Actor Training Program, and a BFA from Southern Methodist University.