Titus Andronicus

Shakespeare’s tragic story of revenge is reimagined for the twenty-first century.

One of Shakespeare’s goriest plays, Titus Andronicus traces the fall of the Andronicus family in ancient Rome. Clinging to the ways of the past, Titus desperately seeks to remain loyal to the throne as his world crumbles around him. Amy Freed’s translation of Titus Andronicus is careful and meticulous, making small but mighty changes in moments that enhance the drama of each scene. Freed’s version gives this extraordinary play an even faster track on which to run.

This translation of Titus Andronicus was written as part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play On! project, which commissioned new translations of thirty-nine Shakespeare plays. These translations present work from “The Bard” in language accessible to modern audiences while never losing the beauty of Shakespeare’s verse. Enlisting the talents of a diverse group of contemporary playwrights, screenwriters, and dramaturges from diverse backgrounds, this project reenvisions Shakespeare for the twenty-first century. These volumes make these works available for the first time in print—a new First Folio for a new era.

About the Translator

Amy Freed is the author of Shrew!, The Monster Builder, Restoration Comedy, The Beard of Avon, Freedomland, Safe in Hell, The Psychic Life of Savages, You, Nero, and other plays. She currently serves as artist-in-residence at Stanford University in the Theater and Performance Studies Department.