Et Tu, Titus?

Shakespeare scholars have been worrying away at Titus Andronicus forever because the play is so bloody bad (and we mean bloody). They’ve suggested that it’s not really the Bard’s work, or perhaps that it’s a parody. The characters are nuts and the plot is nonsensical, filled with mutilation and murder and culminating in a feast during which an evil mother is served a pie containing the flesh of her sons.

Titus may baffle Shakespeareans, but the talented and ingenious folk at Buntport know just how to deal with it: Turn it into Titus Andronicus: the Musical! Have five ac-tors take on the dozens of roles, labeling one of them “Someone Who Will Probably Die.” Provide a cheat board that tells the audience who’s playing whom at any particular moment. Fill out gaps in the cast by pretending that objects — a hat on a stick, a gas can, a car radio — are people. For scenery, use an old van, ingeniously painted and tricked out, and push it from side to side as needed. Keep those jets of blood spouting. Above all, let the irrepressible comic talents of Hannah Duggan, Erin Rollman, Erik Edborg, Brian Colonna and Evan Weissman loose on the script. Some unforgettable moments: Colonna as Titus warbling about his recipe for son-pie in a Maurice Chevalier accent, and Weissman as a shrill, be-wigged nurse. Best of all: the cast’s ability to turn this sow’s ear into playful, hilarious theater magic. Buntport is at 717 Lipan Street, and Titus plays through December 29 at 8 p.m.; tickets are $15, $12 for students and seniors. Call 720-946-1388 or visit www.buntport.com.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 9, 3 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 16, 3 p.m. Starts: Nov. 30. Continues through Dec. 29, 2007