Tag Archives: Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre

Titus Andronicus

Drama, Off-Broadway, Shakespeare March 30, 2026 Leave a comment

Titus Andronicus was Shakespeare’s first “stab” at tragedy.  Unlike his soon-to-arrive Romeo and Juliet, it has no characters to fully invest in and bears many of the hallmarks of a brilliant and driven playwright who has not yet grasped the subtle art of developing a tragic hero.  The excitement is derived from the adrenaline of brutality, a device not apparent in the rest of his Folio. In fact scholars now think that Act 1 (maybe more) was written contemporaneously with George Peele.

The title character is a brave General in the Roman Army recently returned victorious over the Goths.  In front of his captives including the Goth’s Queen Tamora and her paramour, the Moor Aaron, he orders the Queen’s eldest son to be butchered as a religious sacrifice to honor those lost in battle.  This act of cruelty immediately earns the military leader two calculating enemies and sets off a cycle of chaotic and bloody revenge.

I have recently taken up needle felting.  It’s wonderfully cathartic to stab something beautiful into being.  I imagine Red Bull Theater’s Artistic Director Jesse Berger must have felt a similar tug towards reshaping Titus Andronicus after absorbing current events.  As director, he has used the flatness of the characters to craft an experience akin to a live video game illustrating the purposeless of vengeance and violence.

The period has been updated to a time of business attire, smooth jazz and neon chandeliers.  The escalating blood lust is reflected in all the creative elements from the bright red accessories of Emily Rebholz’s costumes to the torture instrument design of the bows by Anya Kutner.  Sounds orchestrated by Adam Wernick that could be wind or whispers whisk around the pillar-trees by award winning set designer Beowulf Boritt.  These solid white elements are given eery tone with lighting by Jiyoun Chang.

Adam Langdon, Amy Jo Jackson, Jesse Aaronson in Titus Andronicus; photo by Carol Rosegg

Literally frothing at the mouth as Titus Andronicus is the Shakespeare-fluent and magnetically edgy Patrick Page.  But this has always been an ensemble work and Berger’s entire cast deserves a chef’s kiss for their commitment to his giddy vision.  Many moments are positively hilarious, a word rarely applied to this play.  When Matthew Amendt’s Saturninus accepts the Emperor’s crown with a goody-goody-gumdrops of delight you know this is not your great-great-great-great-grandfather’s production.  Likewise the purring of Francesca Faridany’s Tamora who’s slide into death is perfection. Also of note are the smirking Jesse Aaronson and Adam Langdon who skin-crawlingly out “Bro” each other as Tamora’s sadistic sons Chiron and Demetrius.  McKinley Belcher III portrays Aaron in a more classic style as befits his more traditional path to villainy.  Many actors play multiple parts.  A character map and “about” pages are provided to help you keep track of the relationships along with 430 year old spoilers and trigger warnings.  A more complete content advisory is posted on the Red Bull Theater website.

Popular in its day, Titus Andronicus still appeals today in the lurid vein of tabloids and clips on Musk’s X.  Berger’s interpretation smartly puts what could be melodrama through Martin McDonagh’s black comedy grinder to serve up something rip roaringly entertaining.  Performances continue through April 19 at The Pershing Square Signature Center’s Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre (480 West 42nd Street).  Running time is a little over 2 hours including a 15 minute intermission.  There is more legroom though less rake at the entry aisle F.  Aisles are used for entrances, so there are multiple reasons for wanting to keep your arms and legs to yourself.  Tickets start at a welcome $49.  Visit https://www.redbulltheater.com/titus-andronicus-off-broadway to make a purchase or to get more information.

Grangeville

Off-Broadway, Play February 25, 2025 Comments: 2

Grangeville is the county seat of Idaho County and the setting for and title of Samuel D. Hunter’s latest play exploring life in his home state.  Older brother Jerry still lives in this town of slightly over 3000 people.  He is newly separated from his high school sweetheart Stacey, raising two kids, acting as healthcare proxy for his mother, and doing his best to support himself by selling RVs.  Younger half brother Arnold has distanced himself from all the bullying he received at the hands of his family and classmates.  Married for nearly 17 years to Bram, he lives and creates works of art in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.  The only thing these two seem to have in common is a little DNA.  But when it comes to light that their critically ill mother has made Arnold her Executor and granted him Power of Attorney, the siblings have no choice but to reconnect.

What follows is 90 minutes of stirring and often witty dialogue delivered by two versatile actors.  Similar to Arnold, Hunter has created a piece of art that both mocks and celebrates his birthplace.  This script is his usual blend of profound human insight and bookish humor.  If you’ve enjoyed my spoiler-free reviews, you should jump to the last paragraph.  There is simply no way to discuss this production without revealing something that is better experienced for the first time in the moment.  

Arnold and Jerry are so different they don’t even share similar memories from their past. Their search for and avoidance of common ground is enthralling.  In the meatier of the roles, Brian J. Smith portrays Arnold, the brighter and more settled of the brothers.  Smith’s ability to navigate Arnold’s swift transitions of emotional state is impressive and endearing.  Smith also plays Stacey just by adding a measure of softness to his tone and gestures.  Paul Sparks takes on Jerry, a man full of deep regret about his conduct as a younger man and consumed by unhappiness with his current circumstances.  At first, Jerry verbally tiptoes towards Arnold in their video chats.  As his need increases, so does the urgency in his language.  With a subtle change in posture and a waffling accent, Sparks then moves to the role of Bram.

Paul Sparks and Brian J. Smith in Grangeville; Photo by Emilio Madrid

With the precision of an orchestra conductor, director Jack Serio enables his actors to delicately build towards an inevitable crescendo.  Initially we sit in darkness, fully tuned in to their choice of words and reflective pauses.  Movement is added as the exchanges increase in temperature and truthfulness.  Like Hunter’s characters, the black textured walls and dirty white door of the set by dots don’t fill out until far into the journey.  Stacey Derosier’s lighting and Chris Darbassie’s sound have similarly calculated arcs.  Props by Addison Heeren add the perfect punctuation.

Grangeville is a smartly written work that takes full advantage of live theater as a communication and entertainment vehicle.  The Signature-commissioned World Premiere continues through March 23 at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre, 480 West 42nd Street.  The house is shallow and well raked with the legroom of an economy seat on Spirit Airlines.  Run time is 90 minutes with no intermission and no re-entry permitted.  Tickets are available at https://signaturetheatre.org/show/grangeville/  and begin at $78 including fees.  Arrive early to take advantage of the pleasant cafe and small bookshop on the second floor.