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Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival continues its studio stage season with the bloody revenge drama Titus Andronicus. It plays Tuesdays through Sundays in the 240-seat intimate Studio Stage tent in Vanier Park from July 9 through September 19, 2008. Kim Collier, Artistic Producer of Electric Company Theatre, makes her Bard directorial debut with this production. In this passionate tragedy, Titus returns victorious from battle with Tamora, Queen of the Goths, her Moorish lover Aaron, and her three children as prisoners. When Titus kills Tamora's eldest in a ritual sacrifice, the seeds of hatred take root. A chain of brutal plots and counterplots follow - Titus's remaining sons are framed then murdered, his daughter is raped and mutilated, and he cuts off his own hand after a false promise to release his imprisoned sons. Eventually Titus reaps his own vengeance in a clever, but horrific, twist of fortunes. Titus Andronicus features Russell Roberts as Titus and Jennifer Lines as Tamora. Omari Newton plays Aaron, Tamora’s lover, who helps the Goth queen devise her evil plots. Julie McIsaac is Titus’s daughter Lavinia who is attacked by Tamora’s sons Demetrius and Chiron played by Charles Christien Gallant and Kyle Rideout. Simon Bradbury is Saturninus, declared ruler by Titus, and Colleen Wheeler plays Bassiana, his sister and Lavinia’s lover. Titus’s sons include Bob Frazer as Lucius, Haig Sutherland as Quintus, Darren Dolynski as Martius, and Hamza Adam as Mutius. Other members of the court include Allan Morgan as Titus’s brother, Marcus Andronicus, and John Murphy as Emillius. Naomi Wright plays Tamora’s first-born, Alarbus, whose sacrifice sets the stage for revenge. Julien Galipeau is the youngest cast member, playing Young Lucius, grandson to Titus. Recognizing that the cycle of revenge still plays out in current global events, Titus has been given a contemporary setting. Pam Johnson’s set blends modern locales with hints of ages past while Christine Reimer’s costumes define the opposing armies as well as the class structures in the play. Peter Allen has created a sound score full of ritual to match the immensity of the story. John Webber’s lighting spotlights the pain and cruelty within the drama while Nicholas Harrison’s fight direction sets up the conflicts. Stage Manager Joanne P. B. Smith is assisted by Assistant Stage Manager, Samara Van Nostrand, and Apprentice Stage Manager, Raelynne Gagnon.
Performance details for Titus Andronicus are as follows:
Plays in repertory with The Tempest which begins June 26. Tickets are $33 (evenings); $21 to $27.50 (previews/matinees). Order on-site, by phone at 604-739-0559, or on-line at www.bardonthebeach .org. Season Sponsor is Starbucks; Production Sponsor for Titus Andronicus is Weyerhaeuser.
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