Andy Gillis/Cascadilla Photography

Adrienne Jackson '14 appears as Lavinia Andronicus and Alexander Quilty '15 is Aaron the Moor in the Cornell production of "Titus Andronicus."

The Department of Performing and Media Arts at Cornell will stage a production of one of William Shakespeare’s earliest and bloodiest plays, “Titus Andronicus,” Jan. 31 to Feb. 8 at the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 430 College Ave.

Directed by Spencer Whale ’14, the play will have five performances in the Schwartz Center’s Black Box Theatre. Show times are Jan. 31, Feb. 1 and Feb. 7-8 at 7:30 p.m.; with a matinee Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.

A revenge tragedy styled after the popular works of Shakespeare’s time, “Titus Andronicus” is set in a politically turbulent Rome. The story is a fictional account of a deadly rivalry between the families of Gen. Titus Andronicus and Tamora, queen of the Goths, set into motion by the ritual sacrifice of her eldest son.

Due to its perceived excesses, with more than 15 murders and other atrocities, the play fell out of favor with audiences for about 300 years and was rarely seen in the years leading up to and during the Victorian Era. New scholarship and a resurgence in performance in the latter part of the 20th century have solidified its place as a thrilling, if infamous, entry in Shakespeare’s canon.

“‘Titus’ has garnered a bad reputation over the centuries because of its alleged ‘violence for the sake of violence,’” Whale says. “But it’s an incredibly relevant and moving play when you dig into what Shakespeare is really doing with all that blood. In a way, he was satirizing his contemporary theatergoers’ bloodlust by treating them to more than they could handle, but it instantly became a crowd favorite. Hopefully, our new production puts ‘Titus’ back into its historical context, connecting it to its source text – Ovid’s ‘The Metamorphoses’ – to be appreciated by a new generation.”

Tickets are $13 for the general public, $11 for students and senior citizens, available by calling 607-254-2787, online at www.SchwartzTickets.com, or in person at the Schwartz Center box office, open noon-4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 30 minutes prior to shows.