While most theatre companies choose to open their season with a grabby title or celebrated classic, Buffalo’s Irish Classical Theatre Company begins 2019-2020 with a lesser known, nearly 400-year-old show that’s rife with drama and salaciousness.  And while it’s not their best work to-date, it’s a bold choice to begin a new season with a play that’s virtually unknown to modern audiences that focuses on an incestuous relationship. 

“Tis’ Pity She’s a Whore,” a tragedy written by John Ford circa 1633 and directed at ICTC by Fortunato Pezzimenti, centers on the forbidden love between a brother and sister. Young Parman nobleman Giovanni (Jeremy Kreuzer) is desperately in love with his sister Annabella (Anna Krempholtz), and is overjoyed when she reciprocates his feelings. But they know that their incestuous passion must remain a secret, a secret they believe they can keep – until Annabella is pregnant. With suitors clambering for Annabella’s hand in marriage including Bergetto (Adam Yellen), Grimaldi (Ben Michael Moran), and Soranzo (Adriano Gatto), the solution seems obvious: She must marry one of them right away to save her honor and keep the secret. With multiple revenge schemes, jilted lovers, and manipulative servants, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore spares no character from heartbreak.

The production’s sparse set design (a single chair) leaves the burden to the acting company of carrying this antiquated story along, and several of these cast members do so fabulously. Per usual Adam Yellen, an ICTC staple, is hilariously fresh as Bergetto, bringing ample flair to the role of the goonish dim-witted nephew of Signor Dinado (Christian Brandjes). Everything from his flashy stage entrances to his over-the-top gestures exemplify why ICTC continues to cast him in their productions.

And speaking of Dinado, Christian Brandjes excels in both this role as well as the earnest and devout Friar Bonaventura. Brandjes’ performances in both characters are organic and natural, allowing the audience to fall right in sync with the production during the scenes in which he’s center-stage.

While their chemistry is sometimes clunky, Krempholtz and Kreuzer share many moments of believable tenderness and intimacy, a credit to the skilled directing hand of Fortunato Pezzimenti. Krempholtz in particular radiates and grabs the audience’s attention, particularly in the first act’s scenes of romance.

ICTC’s production of “Tis’ Pity She’s A Whore” is a decent rendition of a play that’s likely lesser-known for a reason. While the action and violence of the later acts does perk up the audience a bit, large swaths of the show just sort of trudge along, a reality that’s less a fault of the production and more the fault of  John Ford. ICTC is one of Buffalo’s finest arts institutions, and their 19/20 season contains titles that will surely pack the house, but this choice for season opener is a bit of a head-scratcher.

Running Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes with one 10-minute intermission.

“Tis’ Pity She’s A Whore” is playing at ICTC’s Andrew Theatre until October 13th; for tickets and more information, click here.