John Ford’s rarely-seen, extremely controversial 17th century tragedy “‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore,” which is receiving a highly enjoyable and effective Off-Broadway revival by Red Bull Theater, could be described as “Romeo and Juliet” meets “Game of Thrones.”
Its plot revolves around a brother and sister who, after declaring their love for each other, begin an incestuous affair. When the sister becomes pregnant, she quickly marries someone else, but the truth leaks out soon enough — leading to gruesome consequences for most of the characters.
The sister gets stabbed in the heart by her brother, who then parades the heart around on the tip of a sword. The sister’s confidante is blinded and plans are made for her to be burned at the stake. The siblings’ father dies of shock. A woman seeking revenge against a former lover is poisoned. You get the idea.
Red Bull, which produces one or two low-budget productions of classically-oriented plays each year, has made a specialty out of gory Jacobean thrillers like “The Duchess of Malfi” and “The Revenger’s Tragedy.”
These plays can easy feel overwrought or over-the-top, but Red Bull artistic director Jesse Berger has found an ideal balance.
Berger treats the play’s melodramatic content with a sort of deadpan humor. With the exception of Ryan Barbayo’s uproariously flamboyant turn as a young suitor, the cast plays it straight, with the utmost sincerity and a lot of passion — and that makes the production genuinely funny and occasionally even moving.
The set is simple but effective, with an upper balcony that allows for eavesdropping and a bed that pops out at the center. The grab-bag costumes — which freely combine period dress with a punk aesthetic — are more memorable.
What really is a pity is that the show’s short run is about to end.
If you go: “‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore” plays at the Duke through Saturday. 229 W. 42nd St., redbulltheater.com.
