Death Machine Andronicus opening Friday

Yorik, MCLA's own Shakespeare club is apparently not a Bard focused organization that is inclined to fall back on Shakespearean standards. No "Hamlet" or "Midsummer Night's Dream" for them. Instead the classical theatre troupe is bringing out what is by all accounts the bloodiest play in in the Shakespeare canon: "Titus Andronicus"

Co-directors Nick Fahey and C/J Haney have elected to update the rarely performed play in a style they call "Roman steam punk" and have given it a new name: "Death Machine Andronicus"

The visual execution of the play is what the Roman empire would look like if it sustained itself up until the Industrial Revolution. "Death Machine Andronicus explores the complicated world of this industrial nightmare and soars above all of Dickens most terrible expectations" The plot of this bloody play has stayed the same, with some surface differences. Roman General Titus Andronicus, played by Conor Moroney, returns to Rome and finds it tragic coal-covered hellscape version of the city he remembered

An insane amount of violence ensues in the form of murder, rape and cannibalism to go along with the requisite Shakespearean political intrigue.

Other cast members include Mike Geary, Ben Warren, Brendon Makein, Darren Fitzgerald, Ben Seagrav, Todd Foy, Costia Karolinski, Ben Gunness, Boston Livingstone, James Sheridan, Walter Bouchard, Ben Daniel, Jesse Lee Egan Poirier, Meghan Zaremba, Dezerie Paulini, Elizabeth Cardoropoli, Laura Gibson, Mike Dearn, Siobhan Tripp, Adam Duchemin, James Admans, Steve Kildoff, Nicole Gelinas,Geoff Schultz, Alexandra Nichopor, Amy Doyle, Breana Lombardi and Beacon staffer Katie Bonneville Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. with an additional Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.