Photograph: Jonathan Mastrojohn
While quarantine has taken a toll on theatre in New York City, one clever theater company found a way to perform a classic Shakespearean drama: Titus Andronicus. Throughout October, the Rogue Ensemble Theater Company performed the tragedy Titus Andronicus in their own socially distanced Shakespeare in the Park. This brutal play, directed by Joey Nasta, tells the story of a Roman general, Titus, who returns from war with the Queen of Goths, Tamora, and her sons as captives. After Titus sacrifices one of the three sons, the distraught Tamora vows revenge. What follows is a bloody story involving plotting, deceit, and slaughters. In the end, Titus is left standing as the new emperor of Rome.
So how do you pull off a play that requires so much hand on hand violence in a time when people must be 6 feet apart? The Rogue Ensemble Theater Company appears to have easily overcome that obstacle. Instead of having an attacker even lay a finger on their victim, this performance existed in a world where if vengeance and anger were strong enough, one could possess their opponent to choke themselves. The actors seemed to take this idea on so naturally that these actions seemed as if they were part of the original script. For one gory detail of the play, the performers even used masks to their advantage. When the character Lavinia’s tongue is cut out, she switches to wearing a red mask to indicate this. During such an intense play, to be able to stay in the moment while following safety rules seems like an immense challenge, but nonetheless the actors were able to commit and draw their audience in.
We are living in a time where the arts are extremely important, both for educational means and as an escape from life in quarantine. “It’s been really difficult with schoolwork, jobs, and a lot of stresses,” says one audience member, Kiana, when asked why it is important that we continue with the arts during the pandemic, “So it’s important to have a way to enjoy performances, and to hear people tell stories that you wouldn’t be able to hear outside of the arts.” As a group that formed during the pandemic, this theater company understands that importance and has followed their urge to create art. Artists like them remind everyone that there is always room to find means to be creative. Even as we remain at home, the arts will continue to prevail and bring passion to people even if they feel at their lowest.
To find out more about the Rogue Ensemble Theater Company, you can visit their website: https://www.rogueensemble.com