"TITUS ANDRONICUS," through Sept. 1, dates and times vary, Utah Shakespeare Festival, 351 W. Center, Cedar City (435-586-7878 or www.bard.org)
CEDAR CITY — The pomp and pageantry of ancient Rome come to life as Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus" opens. But quickly, the action turns violent and hideous. Titus returns triumphant with the Queen of the Goths, Tamora, and her three sons in tow. As tradition requires, her eldest must be sacrificed. Tamora begs for his life, but Titus refuses. That becomes the first mistake. The second follows as Titus refuses to accept the throne but offers his daughter, Lavinia, in marriage to the man he supports, Saturninus. But Saturninus' younger brother, Bassianus, claims she is his betrothed. In an incredible turn of events, Saturninus rejects Lavinia and chooses Tamora as his bride.
Enter revenge. Her sons murder Bassianus and kidnap Lavinia, and more bad things follow. If you are saying to yourself, "That's enough, can't see that," pause for just a moment.
This play is beautifully rich in poetic images that the Bard's fans are sure to embrace.
And under the direction of one of the country's top directors, Henry Woronicz, the horror takes on a stylized look and allows audiences to concentrate on the characters and not the blood. And these performances are very much worth seeing.
Dan Kremer brings both powerful and pathetic moments to Titus, who becomes insane with the loss of his loved ones, but does he really? Jacqueline Antaramian as Tamora is both sensuous and evil. Countering her is the performance of Melisa Pereyra as Lavinia, who must through facial expressions and gestures create the awful existence she is left with. Other standout performances come from A. Bryan Humphrey as Marcus Andronicus, brother to Titus. And Jeb Burris and Steve Wojas, as Tamora's murderous sons, bring chills at every entrance.
Since "Titus" is rarely performed — only one other production during the Utah Shakespeare Festival's 51 seasons — this is a rare opportunity. The festival's artistic directors have initiated a plan to produce all of Shakespeare's plays, the entire canon.
I did not like all of the choices the production team made for this "Titus." I found the giant masks Tamora's sons wear at a certain point in the play too distracting.
But I left the theater pleased that I had seen a dynamic production. War, revenge and loss encompass our lives, and Shakespeare's timeless vision once again makes a statement in our day.
Email: cmikita@desnews.com