Titus Andronicus

I'm very excited to present these excerpts from the production of William Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus" that I directed a while back at the Geraldine Ruby Theater. This famously gory play chronicles the vengeance taken by the Roman General Titus Andronicus against the Empress Tamora, whose sons raped and mutilated his beloved daughter Lavinia.

It was quite a challenge directing one of Shakespeare's plays, but for me the results were very much worth it. I did make a few changes to the flow of the plot and abridged certain parts to fit our time restraints and budget. These videos showcase some of my favorite scenes from the play and the wonderfully talented cast that I worked with, including Habeeb Khan (Fareed from Prep School Blues) as the villainous Aaron the Moor. You really have to see Habeeb's rendition of Aaron's Act II monologue to believe it. So much power and intensity! Habeeb is currently reviving his Shakespearean talents in a production of the Bard's "Measure for Measure" at Columbia University in New York City.

This first excerpt shows the Empress's secret love affair with Aaron the moor, one of the most dastardly couples in all Shakespeare.



This next excerpt shows Aaron's bone chilling monologue about his many evil deeds when captured by Lucius, son of Titus Andronicus.



Here, Tamora tries to manipulate Titus, but Titus gets the upper hand in this battle of wills.



In this darkly comic scene, Titus confronts the two boys who raped his daughter.



The final scene starts at a Roman banquet that descends into a shocking bloodbath, from which one emperor will fall and another will rise.



I had so much fun doing this play and hope to direct more theater in the future. Thanks for watching!