Sex-torture saga not
for faint of heart

Cruel Theatre's production of "The Cenci: A Tragedy of Rape and Murder" should be marked as "must see" entertainment by local folks who find the endings of such tragedies as "Miss Saigon" and "Hamlet" just too upbeat. Director Taurie Kinoshita's adaptation of Percy Bysshe Shelley's controversial 19th-century play is just about a grim as it gets.

The Cenci: A Tragedy of Rape and Murder Presented by Cruel Theatre in association with the Lizard Loft, continues at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 4 p.m. Sunday, at the ARTS at Marks Garage. Tickets are $10, $7 for students, available at the theater 30 minutes before show time. Call 523-1004.

Shelley drew on a true story of an evil Italian nobleman who lived a life of extreme depravity simply because he could, and used his great wealth to escape punishment. One of Cenci's victims -- a family member whom he raped -- convinced other members of the family to help her kill him. The authorities uncovered the plot, and the participants were tortured until they confessed.

Cenci had bought protection with generous donations "to the Church," and Pope Clement VIII ruled that there was never a justification for parricide (killing a parent). The youngest son was allowed to live, but the others were lucky if they were executed quickly. The pope confiscated the Cencis' property and distributed it to members of his family.

Kinoshita stages her version in the round. Nicolas Logue (Count Cenci) defines the mood with his broad portrayal of a sadistic sex addict with no redeeming qualities. Kinoshita reinforces the theme of evil prevailing over good by having Logue also play the chief judge/torturer who ensures that Cenci's victims do not survive him for long.

Christie Hauptmann (Beatrice), Danel Verdugo (Lucretia), Chris Cappelletti (Giacomo), Andy Valencia (Woman with No Name) and an unidentified man wearing torn boxer shorts and a bag over his head suffer convincingly as victims of Count Cenci's reign of sexual violence. Hauptmann, Verdugo and Cappelletti crank up the intensity as Cenci's killers become victims of the papal justice system.

Ryan Sueoka (Cardinal Camillo) gives a nicely shaded performance representing the stifled voice of justice. Chris Doi (Father Orsino) puts an intriguing spin on the role of a corrupt priest whose decision to betray the family is driven by his unrequited lust for Beatrice.

Director Kinoshita is rarely shy about using nudity for dramatic impact, shock value or simply to challenge the audience. "The Censi" contains the most straight-forward nudity Honolulu has seen since Kumu Kahua's "Obake" in 2003, and it works on several levels.

On the other hand, scenes that could have included nudity do not, and the scenes where nudity is used could have been staged without it. There is no question, however, that between the nudity and the realistically choreographed rape scenes, this project is not for folks who prefer that such things occur offstage.