What's the goal of theatre? Well, in my mind, it's to give something to the audience that they can take away and talk about. That's the social aspect of theatre anyway.
So, what exactly does one talk about after seeing two men get their throats slit, a woman get raped by a sword, a young girl mutilated, and just a general and constant splatter of blood?... I don't know! But that's not to say we keep quiet.
A group of us went to see Titus Andronicus tonight, and my god... the gore. I don't consider myself squeamish. I'll watch the worst kinds of horror movies and no matter how gruesome, I won't close my eyes. Although I may make really weird faces. But seeing that kind of gore live is just a whole other story.
We stood as groundlings and were right against the stage: in the splatter zone. Around us, people were leaving the theatre and even fainting. Shakespeare, what the hell have you written?!
The story of the fall of a city, all reflected in the fall of a man. His life is taken away from him. His status, his children, even his hand. Arguably, he loses his sanity while on the road to revenge. Or does he? If someone arranged for my sons to die and for my daughter to be raped and mutilated, I'd seem a little "off" as well, I think! But Titus has a clear vision of what he will accomplish throughout the entire play...and boy, does he accomplish it. William Houston did a remarkable job toeing the sanity line. I surprised myself whenever I laughed at his twistedness. But honestly, I think I just needed some kind of release.
It's a different kind of experience, seeing something so visual. The words, are of course, poetic. The visuals, however, will haunt me. It's been over two hours now since the show has ended and I still feel sick. But that's exactly the intended effect, I think. Lavinia, after her assault, was portrayed constantly shaking and jerking. It was so disturbing. The movement told so much. Despite the character not being able to speak, her thoughts were so clear: the shame she felt over her violation, the fear of being touched by anyone, the frustration at not being able to express herself, and just the trauma of going through something like that. All told through movement, tears, and the blood that would spill from her mouth should she ever open it. I can just imagine the nausea she felt as being what I felt watching her.
I didn't find it gratuitous. It all simply shocked your system. I won't be forgetting this one for a long time. Warning: it's not for the faint of heart.
So, what exactly does one talk about after seeing two men get their throats slit, a woman get raped by a sword, a young girl mutilated, and just a general and constant splatter of blood?... I don't know! But that's not to say we keep quiet.
A group of us went to see Titus Andronicus tonight, and my god... the gore. I don't consider myself squeamish. I'll watch the worst kinds of horror movies and no matter how gruesome, I won't close my eyes. Although I may make really weird faces. But seeing that kind of gore live is just a whole other story.
We stood as groundlings and were right against the stage: in the splatter zone. Around us, people were leaving the theatre and even fainting. Shakespeare, what the hell have you written?!
The story of the fall of a city, all reflected in the fall of a man. His life is taken away from him. His status, his children, even his hand. Arguably, he loses his sanity while on the road to revenge. Or does he? If someone arranged for my sons to die and for my daughter to be raped and mutilated, I'd seem a little "off" as well, I think! But Titus has a clear vision of what he will accomplish throughout the entire play...and boy, does he accomplish it. William Houston did a remarkable job toeing the sanity line. I surprised myself whenever I laughed at his twistedness. But honestly, I think I just needed some kind of release.
It's a different kind of experience, seeing something so visual. The words, are of course, poetic. The visuals, however, will haunt me. It's been over two hours now since the show has ended and I still feel sick. But that's exactly the intended effect, I think. Lavinia, after her assault, was portrayed constantly shaking and jerking. It was so disturbing. The movement told so much. Despite the character not being able to speak, her thoughts were so clear: the shame she felt over her violation, the fear of being touched by anyone, the frustration at not being able to express herself, and just the trauma of going through something like that. All told through movement, tears, and the blood that would spill from her mouth should she ever open it. I can just imagine the nausea she felt as being what I felt watching her.
I didn't find it gratuitous. It all simply shocked your system. I won't be forgetting this one for a long time. Warning: it's not for the faint of heart.