Titus Andronicus at Shakespeare in the Woods

"Titus Andronicus" is a play about revenge. When Roman General Titus Andronicus victoriously returns from war with the Goths, he buries his dead sons and sacrifices the eldest son of the Goth Queen, Tamora. She vows to get even for the murder of her son and what follows is the chain reaction of violence begot from violence. Its a play that explores the sensationalism of pain. This retelling of Shakespeares tragedy is the same story with a dozen murders set within the context of a contemporary picnic: one world becomes another and we see violence through the familiar. The value of the Other, a human life, is in constant flux. "Titus Andronicus" explores the dangers of placing ones own ambitions, or a collective ambition, over community. "Titus Andronicus" is a warning.