Plays & Players Presents TITUS ANDRONICUS, Through 10/2

Plays & Players, Center City Philadelphia's longest continually operating theater at 1714 Delancey Place, continues its run of William Shakespeare's earliest tragedy Titus Andronicus from September 18-October 2, 2010.
 
Titus Andronicus is directed by Philadelphia-based director/actor Liam Castellan, a longtime ensemble member with Curio Theatre Company. Castellan performed in Plays & Players' Peanuts and Crackerjack New Play Festival earlier this year.
 
As described by Mark Cofta at the Philadelphia City Paper, "Liam Castellan's low-budget, streamlined production successfully reveals character . . . with marvelous moments of depravity."
 
According to theater critic S. Clark Hulse, Titus Andronicus has "14 killings, 9 of them on stage, 6 severed members, 1 rape (or 2 or 3, depending on how you count), 1 live burial, 1 case of insanity, and 1 of cannibalism - an average of 5.2 atrocities per act, or one for every 97 lines."  The play's shock value is infamous - making it the perfect follow up to Plays & Players' recent hits: the world premiere of Zombie! The Musical in the 2009 Philly Fringe and the 2009 East Coast Premiere of William Shakespeare's Land of the Dead.
 
At the start of the play, Roman general Titus Andronicus retires after a decade of war against the Goths, but finds the political instability and intrigue at home to be even more dangerous. 
 
Plays & Players (P&P) is at once 99 years old and 1 year old, recently changing from a community theater to a professional quality theater. P&P provides diverse work that ranges from high-voltage, edgy premieres to new takes on classics, and encourages local artists to perform and rehearse in its historic Plays & Players Theatre. Including Titus Andronicus, there is a four show season, a new play festival, a playwright residency program and a continuation of the Super Heroes Who Are Super! and Hear Again Radio Project series. A 100th Anniversary celebration is in the works for November, 2011. Plays & Players offers year-round memberships that include both social and entertainment possibilities. To learn more please visit www.playsandplayers.org.

Photo Credit: Drew Hood