The Aaron Play (Independent Shakespeare Company/Coin & Ghost 2025 Production) Theatre Review

Titus Andronicus is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays, and his bloodiest. There are several villains in that play, including Aaron, who seems an out-and-out villain, taking pleasure in cunningly causing harm and even bragging about it. Even as he faces his doom, he expresses a wish that he could have caused yet more harm. His final lines in the play are these: "If one good deed in all my life I did,/I do repent it from my very soul." And yet, when it comes to the matter of his infant son, we see a more human side to this character, which is all the more striking because of the great contrast to everything else we've seen of him. And so there is the question of whether we can really take those final lines of his at face value. We can't help but question our initial impression of him, at least to some extent. The Aaron Play, a wonderful new play written by Zachary Bones, begins where Titus Andronicus ends, focusing on Aaron as he suffers the punishment ordered by Lucius Andronicus. 

The Independent Shakespeare Company delivered an excellent production of Titus Andronicus in 2018, that production apparently providing the initial inspiration for this new play. So how perfect it is that the world premiere of The Aaron Play should be held at the Independent Shakespeare Company's theater, a co-production with Coin & Ghost. Directed by Carly DW Bones, and featuring Bruce Lemon Jr. in the title role, the play offers a captivating and often hilarious look at the effects of vengeance and the question of justice, with a keen eye on the present as well as the past. In addition to Bruce Lemon Jr., this play stars Brian Monahan and William Gray as the two soldiers tasked with overseeing Aaron's slow execution by starvation, and Camila Rozo in multiple roles (including Messenger, Young Lucius, Tamora and Lavinia). All four actors turn in fantastic performances. 

As we in the audience take our seats, facing us on the stage is a sheet with an image of a variation of the Hanged Man Tarot card, with two soldiers added, leaving us to ponder the various meanings of that card. As the performance begins, that sheet is removed, and Aaron, buried up to his shoulders in dirt, is revealed, with a soldier on either side of him. One soldier comments to the other, "Crazy times we're living in, huh?" And immediately we in the audience are aligned with them. We are easily brought into their world, because it is our world. Perhaps that line could apply to any time, but it seems especially relevant now. As the soldiers begin to discuss rumors regarding the Andronicus family, anyone familiar with Titus Andronicus will begin to pick out errors in their understanding of events. They have bits of information, but lack the full and correct picture, and again, we automatically relate that to our own times (though perhaps not to ourselves). What's fascinating, however, is that as the play goes on, we begin to feel that we ourselves (those of us who have seen Titus Andronicus) lacked the full and correct picture, and that it is, at least to some extent, a matter of perspective. The question is, Do we carry that too into our present?

The soldiers get to know each other, with Guard One (Brian Monahan) expressing annoyance at the assignment. "This is going to take forever." Guard One has been around for a while, and relaxes, while Guard Two (William Gray) is younger and is more of a by-the-books sort of soldier. They speak to each other over Aaron, largely ignoring him at this point. And when Guard One says he landed this assignment as punishment for accidentally killing a kid, we hear in his description the voice of a modern police officer. While the modern parallels are obvious (and appreciated), they are not dwelled upon, and are not delivered in a heavy-handed way. There are references to illegal immigration, and the two soldiers realize they come from opposite political factions, one having supported Saturninus, the other Titus in the last election. There is also mention of how Saturninus encouraged his followers to take up arms to defend his claim to the throne, with strong shades of the events of January 6th, 2021. And again, it is delivered with plenty of humor, as when one of the guards comments, "This execution's killing me."

The soldiers are not deliberately cruel people, but as they thoughtlessly pass a water flask over the head of the starving and dehydrated Aaron, we can't help but feel for the prisoner. We also can't help but be delighted, as Aaron is, by the misinformation the soldiers have received regarding how Titus lost his hand (Aaron says, "Actually, that was me"). Guard One is eager to hear the real story of what happened the previous night, and asks Aaron to tell him. Aaron at first refuses, but then says, "I have absolutely no idea," adding that he wasn't even there. Interestingly, there is then a lighting change, as Aaron delivers a soliloquy to the audience, drawing us into his confidence. Here he admits to being the villain of this piece, saying he embraces the role. And so it seems that he is playing a role for the benefit of the soldiers, but as the play progresses, we realize that he was also playing a role for us too. And perhaps for himself. For it is later that he does open up, and we see another side of him. And, as in Shakespeare's play, it is at first related to his son. His voice changes then, his expression softens, as he says that holding his son in his arms for the first time was the happiest moment of his life. And then, suddenly remarking on the beauty of the sunrise, he says, "Rome does shine against the summer sunrise." But interestingly, it is later when talking to Guard Two about the war they both fought in (though on opposite sides) that he seems even more human. And we have a desire to lose sight of what we know of Aaron, that he is a master manipulator. It is in that scene that we learn something of Aaron's childhood, giving us a greater perspective on him.

The play does a great job of showing the reality of approaching death by making things less real, first with the shadow of Aaron's son (older than he is at this moment), and then with the entrance of Tamora, who was killed in Shakespeare's play. "How I did grieve when I heard of your death," Aaron says to her. And when he tells her that their son lives, she reacts, excited, and soon kisses him, leading him to declare that he must live. He seems delirious, but determined, as he talks about his son. Tamora soon visits Aaron again, kneeling by his side. And a little later Lavinia (who was also killed in Shakespeare's play) appears to him. It is as Lavinia that Camila Rozo especially shines. There is also in this play something of how this cycle of vengeance affects the next generation, here presented in the person of Young Lucius, who is caught up in the anger and violence, wanting to kill Aaron himself with a purloined dagger, yet at the edge of tears. Young Lucius proves himself something of a manipulator too. As we in the audience learn more, we might find ourselves wondering, Who is the villain here? Or, Who isn't a villain? And, Is there forgiveness? And, How do we emerge from this cycle? Perhaps there is hope in the actions of Guard Two. Or perhaps he was just expertly manipulated. The play is completely engaging, a lot of fun, and it leaves us with much to think on.

This world premiere production of The Aaron Play was originally scheduled to run through November 16th, but has already been extended to November 23rd. I highly recommend attending. There is one intermission. During that intermission, by the way, the image on the sheet is changed to the reversed Hanged Man card, with its own set of meanings. Also, if you enjoy alcohol, be sure to order the special concoction created for this play at the concession stand. It's delicious. The Independent Shakespeare Company's theatre is located at 3191 Casitas Avenue, #130, in Los Angeles, California. There is a free parking lot next to the building (a rarity in this city). 

Cymbeline (Antaeus Theatre Company's 2025 Production) Theatre Review

The new season of the Antaeus Theatre Company has opened with William Shakespeare's Cymbeline, a play that is not produced as often as it should be. It is a play that mixes elements of tragedy, comedy and romance, and includes some beautiful passages as well as some difficult-to-believe coincidences and plot devices, all adding up to a wonderful ride. It deals with themes of jealousy and fidelity, and of misguided leadership. And of forgiveness. Shakespeare, as is often said, is always relevant. This new production is set in the American West in the 1800s, though maintains the text with its references to Britain and Rome. But as is generally the case with Shakespeare, it really doesn't matter where it's set. What matters is the story, the poetry and the performances. And the performances here, especially by Elinor Gunn as Imogen and by Teodora Avramovic as Guiderius, are excellent. This production is directed by Nike Doukas, who is also the company's artistic director.

For the opening of the play, the entire cast is on stage, and the conversation between the two gentlemen in the text becomes a way of introducing the characters, with different characters stepping forward as they're mentioned. Everyone acts as a sort of Chorus here. Interestingly, Cymbeline (Bernard K. Addison) himself delivers the lines, "He had two sons" and "Some twenty years," which stresses the importance of their disappearance on his subsequent life, setting up the notion that perhaps all his mistakes stem from that event. Cymbeline is dressed in a black hat and coat, and wears a sheriff's badge, though he is still referred to as King. Posthumus (Peter Mendoza) interestingly is also dressed in black, giving the impression that the two are in some way aligned. And so they are, for they both love Imogen. As Posthumus and Imogen exchange their tokens of love, JD Cullum enters and plays guitar, a score to their intimate scene. JD Cullum (who was fantastic as Caliban in Antaeus Theatre's 2023 production of The Tempest, and delivered another strong performance in this year's Corktown '39 at Rogue Machine) plays several parts in this production, distinguishing each character not by a change of costume (except with a pair of glasses or hat), but with changes to his voice and posture. At one point, he remains on stage for three consecutive scenes, portraying a different character in each scene, and keeping each clear for the audience.

Both Peter Mendoza as Posthumus and Gerard Joseph as Iachimo do nice jobs in the scene where Iachimo proposes testing Imogen's fidelity. Iachimo's delivery of the blunt "Yours" (in answer to the question, "What lady would you choose to assail?") is funny, and Iachimo steps toward Posthumus on that line as a further challenge. And in his scene with Imogen, on her "to my demands," Imogen goes to him, even placing her hand on his shoulder, for he has turned his back to her. So he gets her to touch him first, which is brilliant. Gerard Joseph is particularly good in the scene in Imogen's bed chamber, and as he violates her by moving the sheet to view her body, the ticking of a clock strikes an ominous note. While Iachimo is a villain, and takes a certain joy in his wager, the Queen (Eve Gordon), by comparison, takes a particular delight in being a villain, and her delivery of "shall quite unpeople her," with that pause before "unpeople," is especially telling in that regard (and gets a big laugh from the audience). Cloten (Randolph Thompson) is another villain in the play, but one whose arrogance comes across as funny, and in this production we can't help but like him on some level because of that. Randolph Thompson is particularly good at finding the humor, heard in his delivery of a line like "I had rather not be so noble as I am." And his delivery of the "I love her and hate her" speech is excellent. In that scene, he makes a seat of Pisania. Cloten also gets a moment to sing to JD Cullum's guitar accompaniment, something else that endears him to us. Truly terrible people don't sing, right? 

The entire cast is good, but, as I mentioned, Elinor Gunn is especially magnificent as Imogen. She is fiery and spirited, not shrinking back before Cymbeline in the scene where Posthumus is banished. And she is absolutely adorable when talking about Posthumus to Pisania. Yes, Pisanio, servant to Posthumus, in this production becomes Pisania (Desiree Mee Jung), which helps to focus more strongly on that character's service and friendship to Imogen. It gives a different feel to the scene where Pisania hands the letter to Imogen. Imogen is so cheerful, so excited at getting a letter from Posthumus. Her happiness is almost over the top, giving her the greater distance to fall, and making the contrast with Pisania's expression all the more extreme. Imogen is great in the scene where she is assailed by Iachimo, not an easy scene. She pauses before answering "All's well, sir," which is needed, showing she is not so easily swayed, showing she thinks before speaking. And when frantically searching for her missing bracelet, Imogen all but ignores Cloten, finding him a minor annoyance and not worthy of her attention, which is wonderful. Her line "all the hairs above thee" gets a greater laugh than normal, as Cloten is bald. And when dressed as a boy (yes, this is one of Shakespeare's plays where the main female character disguises herself as a boy for a while), she is delightful. Her first line as a boy, "I see a man's life is a tedious one," gets a deserved big laugh. And her delivery of "Such a foe, good heavens" (with knife raised) is hilarious. She is dressed in a pants and a flannel shirt, but no hat, her long hair in a ponytail, which makes it perhaps a bit far-fetched that Cymbeline doesn't immediately recognize her at the end. But no matter.

Peter Mendoza is particularly good in the scene where Iachimo tells him that Imogen has been unfaithful. Iachimo's biting, scathing line "Not a whit, your lady being so easy" doesn't sway Posthumus, who remains joyful, not believing him. And Posthumus' line "O! no, no, no, 'tis true" contains an entire arc of its own the way that Mendoza delivers it. Each "no" has its own meaning, its own point. That is a fantastic moment between the two of them. And after Posthumus runs off in a state, Iachimo's "With all my heart" is delivered with a sudden compassion, and we sense a change in him then. That prepares us for the play's ending.

As Pisanio becomes Pisania in this production, so too does Belarius become Belaria (Eve Gordon), which gives a somewhat different feel to the relationship between her and the two sons. For in the play, Belarius is a replacement father figure (replacing Cymbeline), where here the character becomes a mother figure, which is complementary to a father (so at the end, we could imagine all being together, if we wished). Eve Gordon does a tremendous job as Belaria. Interestingly, the two sons are played by women in this production (though the gender of the characters is not changed), and both - Teodora Avramovic as Guiderius, and Anja Racić as Arviragus - are absolutely wonderful in the roles. In fact, Teodora Avramovic turns in one of the production's best and most enjoyable perfomances. Teodora Avramovic is especially wonderful when going off to take care of Cloten and calling "Yield" (their fight is done off stage in this production), and coming back with that sack. I love how sure of himself this Guiderius is. His line "the law protects not us" stands out in these uncertain days when our Supreme Court is corrupt and not to be trusted. Avramovic gives such a delightful reading of the line "And tell the fishes he's the queen's son" as Guiderius gathers up the sack and exits. Both brothers deliver a moving rendition of the "Fear no more the heat o' the sun" song, with JD Cullum coming out to accompany them on guitar.

As the first scene was delivered, so too is the battle scene done with all the actors delivering the lines, acting as a Chorus, all of them together, with hands raised, speaking the added line, "Cymbeline is rescued." Cymbeline's transformation at the end is one that we feel can feel in ourselves, so moving is Bernard K. Addison's performance there. Another line that especially stands out in the strange days we find ourselves in is "A most incivil one," which Guiderius says of the prince Cloten. It is a line that reminds us that leaders should not be respected just for their station. But it is the play's final message that really sticks with us, a message of forgiveness, which comes not only from Cymbeline, but also from Posthumus, who tells Iachimo, "Live and deal with others better."

This production of Cymbeline runs through November 17, 2025. Check the theatre's website for the complete schedule. There is one intermission, which comes at the end of Act III scene v. Antaeus Theatre Company performs at Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center at 110 East Broadway in Glendale, California.

Shakespeare Reference in Joyland

Stephen King's Joyland contains one Shakespeare reference, and it is to Romeo And Juliet. The character Rozzie says: "I'm not talking about psychic sight, kiddo, I'm talking about ordinary woman-sight. You think I don't know a lovestruck Romeo when I see one?" (p. 104). This book was published in 2013.

Shakespeare References in The Teachers' Book Of Wisdom

The Teachers' Book Of Wisdom, a book of quotations compiled and edited by Criswell Freeman, contains a few Shakespeare references (no surprise there). The first is a reference to Hamlet, coming in a quotation from A. Whitney Griswold: "Could Hamlet have been written by a committee, or the Mona Lisa painted by a club? Could the New Testament have been composed as a conference report? Creative ideas do not spring from groups. They spring from individuals" (p. 69). This is a strange quotation, as we know that playwrights often worked together. And has A. Whitney Griswold never seen a film? The next references comes in the introduction to a chapter: "Pupils are advised to contemplate the words of Shakespeare's Cassius, who admitted, 'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves...'" (p. 103). The introduction to the next chapter likewise contains a reference to Shakespeare: "If classroom discipline were solely dependent upon subject matter, teachers everywhere could quiet their students with a few verses from Shakespeare" (p. 111). Actually, it contains a second mention of Shakespeare: "The ideas contained in this chapter will not resolve all classroom difficulties, but they will help. And, if all else fails, try Shakespeare" (p. 111). The final reference comes in a quotation from Laurence Olivier: "I think a poet is a workman. I think Shakespeare was a workman. And God's a workman. I don't think there's anything better than a workman" (p. 143). 

This book was published in 1998.

Shakespeare References in Becoming Manny

Becoming Manny, a book about Manny Ramirez written by Jean Rhodes and Shawn Boburg, contains a few Shakespeare references. The first is a reference to Hamlet: "The basic premise behind cognitive psychology is, to quote Hamlet, 'There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so'" (p. 186). That is a line, by the way, that I return to often, for I believe that there is nothing that is inherently good or bad. It is all perception and opinion. The next reference is both to Shakespeare and The Comedy Of Errors: "The fans may indulge in a few refrains of 'Sweet Caroline,' but as anyone who has ever soaked up the Fenway ambience knows, it's back to business when the music stops. Boston Herald sportswriter Mike Barnicle once quipped, 'Baseball isn't a life-and-death matter, but the Red Sox are,' and Manny's first few seasons in Boston played out like a Shakespearean tragedy cum comedy of errors" (p. 196). There is also a reference to Much Ado About Nothing: "So the deal died, much ado about little, just like all the others before it" (p. 248). The final reference is to The Tempest, and specifically a phrase from Ariel's song: "Then Globe columnist Gordon Edes noticed the sea change" (p. 275). Ariel sings, "Nothing of him that doth fade/But doth suffer a sea change."

Becoming Manny was published in 2009. The copy I read was the First Scribner hardcover edition from March 2009.