Titus Andronicus

by William Shakespeare

Nipomo High School - 2018

Our physical theatre production of Titus focuses intentionally on this, and on how to represent, shape and communicate the journey Titus embarks upon not only through the language of the play, but through movement. We seek to reflect, or comment upon, the action in ways visceral - rather than literal - in an effort to tell the tale of Titus’s internal torment. This is a torment born of the choices he has made, and that Titus is made to remember - again and again - that when given the choice, he did not choose mercy - and he reaps what he has sown. This student-led work is the result of two months of exploration, and has shown the students' genuine hunger to learn, and develop, as actors. This hunger drives us as human beings to seek enlightenment, greater human contact and a richer existence - often we are in charge of its direction, and many times we are quite powerfully, poignantly, ruthlessly even, taught an important lesson about ourselves, our past, and our purpose by an outside source. Tonight, as Titus appreciates the lesson behind the phrase ‘reap what ye sow,’ an education by fire will unfold before you. The flames of this are ignited by the cast, through the shared journey begun two months ago by grappling with the craft of physical, symbolic theatre storytelling. These brave people before you have pulled, pushed, twisted, seized, engulfed, revealed and crafted the human form in the service of this tragedy - for most of them, this exploration into such methods has opened their eyes to the beauty and pain of human experience, and we hope you enjoy the fruits of our work.