We have all studied or seen Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth, but who among us can claim to be an expert on Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedy, Titus Andronicus? Luckily, we have our own Shakespearean troupe, Hold Thy Peace, to educate us.

Set in ancient Rome, Titus Andronicus offers a fictionalized look at the notoriously gruesome realm of imperial politics. The play opens with the dramatic dilemma of finding a successor to the newly dead emperor. Saturnina (Gabrielle Geller '12) and Bassianus (Clifton Masdea '15), the late ruler's children, both wish to fill their father's shoes, but Marcus Andronicus (Aaron Fischer '15) insists that his brother, Titus (Andrew Prentice '13), is the people's choice for emperor.

Meanwhile, Titus returns from war abroad, with Tamora (Stephanie Karol '12) and her sons Demetrius (Ryan Kacani '15) and Chiron (Sari Holt '15) as prisoners. After refusing the throne, Titus gives his support to Saturnina, who, in a fit of happiness, demands the hand of his daughter Lavinia (Samantha LeVangie '15) in matrimony.

When Titus declines, Saturnina takes Tamora to be her queen instead. In her new position of power, Tamora plans revenge against her former captor and his family. With the help of her lover Aaron (Jonathan Plesser '12), Tamora causes great pain for the Andronici, spurring an all-out family feud that ends, like all of Shakespeare's tragedies, in multiple deaths.

It is not surprising that this tale, filled with mutilation and bloody murder, has fallen over the years into near obscurity. Who wants to sit through two or three hours of on-stage amputation, rape and plots of slaughter? HTP's production aims for a farcical reinterpretation, but it is obvious they struggled to find balance.

The elegant simplicity of the set and lighting, designed and implemented by Plesser, Carolyn Daitch '14, Tziporah Thompson '15 and Maya Himelfarb '15, allowed the actors to dominate the stage and, in most cases, dominate they did. Fischer's boisterous and over-the-top portrayal of Marcus perfectly complemented the understated and sarcastic mannerisms of Titus' eldest son, Lucius (Alex Davis '15). The duo's chemistry was evident in their mastery of Shakespearean dialogue, and their use of vocal inflection made up for Prentice's somewhat forgettable Titus. Karol as Tamora brought the play's villain to life: her fearlessness and physical commitment to the role made her another source of humor in this dark story.

It is a challenge to make Titus Andronicus digestible, and while directors Daitch and Ben Federlin '14 succeeded on many counts, their vision seemed to confuse several actors. Geller's interpretation of Saturnina, though it demonstrated her range as a performer, came across as a bit scattered. Although she shone as the well-spoken candidate for empress at the play's open, her later scenes as a temperamental and baby-voiced ruler were disorienting. LeVangie, who was great as the beautiful and vain daughter of Titus, also appeared to lose her sense of the character when Lavinia lost her hands and tongue to the angry sons of Tamora.

The use of wooden scimitars, retractable daggers, a link of plastic sausages and a foam axe as weapons was a commendable way to lessen the severity of the murders and prevent the audience from being blinded by the silvery swinging of swords, but the groan-eliciting prop blood gushing from throats and mouths instantly negated the effect.

Additionally, Daitch and Federlin were a bit heavy-handed in their efforts to insert moments of physical comedy. Especially in the cases of Titus' lesser sons Martius (Simon Cramer '13) and Quintus (Jessica Pizzuti '15) and his grandson Young Lucius (Jackie Longacre '15), the movements of the actors in the background distracted too much from what was being said, inadvertently eclipsing parts of the plot.

Despite impressive acting and moments of ingenuity from the Titus Andronicus cast and crew, Prentice himself summed up the experience of the show in his notes in the playbill: "The moral of this show is to never trust a skinny chef … or perhaps … not to go hunting with the enemies of your people … or how common sense should prevail over a sense of honor." If Titus himself isn't sure what the play is trying to say, how can the audience be expected to understand?

Editor's Note: Tziporah Thompson '15 is a cartoonist for the Justice.