Camila Roso and Bruce Lemon, Jr. (Photo by Grettel Cortes)
Reviewed by G. Bruce Smith
Independent Shakespeare Co. and Coin & Ghost
Through Nov. 16
RECOMMENDED
Titus Andronicus is by far Shakespeare’s bloodiest play. It includes murder, rape, cannibalism and more — all sparked by a desire for revenge that leads to a gruesome cycle of violence.
One of the play’s main characters is Aaron the Moor, the secret lover of Tamora, Queen of the Goths and later Empress of the Roman Empire. It’s Tamora who wants revenge on Titus for capturing her during a war and killing one of her sons.
But it is Aaron who carries out the revenge. His dark manipulation and lies lead to the death of six people, as well as the rape and mutilation of Lavinia, Titus’s daughter, before she, too, is murdered. When Aaron is eventually captured, he is unrepentant, regretting only that he did not do more evil in his life. Aaron is then sentenced to be buried chest-deep as punishment and left to die of thirst and starvation, and he is taken away.
It is at this point that The Aaron Play, a world premiere written by Zachary Bones and presented by the Independent Shakespeare Co. and Coin & Ghost, begins. Aaron (Bruce Lemon Jr.) is center stage, buried up to his chest. Two Roman guards are assigned to make sure he does, in fact, die of starvation and not by any other method.
Guard One (Brian Monahan) is the elder of the two guards. He is a cynic with firm opinions on the state of the Roman Empire, gladiator and dog fights, the war with the Gauls (started because of the “military industrial complex”) and more. Guard Two (William Gray) stands for morality and honor — and in a deeply poignant act at the end of the play provides a measure of optimism for the future.
Their conversations — frequently sprinkled with dark comedy and modern—day expressions — help set up the playwright’s exploration of such themes as justice vs. vengeance, cycles of violence, and the cost of building an empire. Like Titus Andronicus itself, Aaron combines horror and absurdity. It’s tempting to sink into revenge fantasies while watching Aaron — perhaps a fantasy about burying someone up to his neck to starve after he unrepentantly caused hunger in others and — through lies and manipulation — committed other vile acts?
But it would be a mistake to be tempted thus. In his notes, playwright Bones says he firmly believes “that empathy and forgiveness are key components to achieving peace, equity and justice.” And, as mentioned previously, the last human act we see in Aaron is a moving act of empathy.
There are four other characters in Aaron — Messenger, Junior and the ghosts of Tamora and Lavinia — played by Camila Rozo. Among other things, these characters effectively help provide the pertinent parts of the back story of Titus Andronicus.
Director Carly DW Bones lets the text speak for itself through the fine ensemble that brings the story to life. A special nod to Monahan as Guard One, who has the comedic chops to lighten what is a fairly dark story, and Lemon as Aaron, who literally only has his face and head to convey his character.
Scenic design by Colin Lawrence — who has created a simple but effective set — works beautifully with the subtle lighting design by Bosco Flanagan and the sometimes haunting sound design by M. Glenn Schuster.
Independent Shakespeare Co. and Coin & Ghost at the Indie Shakes Studio, 3191 Casitas Ave., Suite 130, Los Angeles. 7:30 pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2 pm Sunday. indieshakes.org. Running time, Two hours, 15 minutes, including a 15—minute intermission.
