This weekend the Shakespeare Company of Greater Rochester (ShakeCo) will offer three unique performances of some of The Bard's rarer works. "Titus Andronicus" is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays, and also one of his least performed due to its gruesome subject matter. The story concerns a Roman general whose strict adherence to following orders leads to a brutal cycle of revenge that ultimately claims everyone and everything he loves. This performance will feature minimal costumes, sets, and props, as director Philip R. Frey has stripped the play down to its most basic form, with certain scenes and characters removed. It will be staged at MuCCC (142 Atlantic Ave.) The shows will start at 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, through Saturday, May 28.

Also taking place on Sunday, May 29, at 2 p.m. is "ShakeCo Radio Theater," an anthology of drama and music featuring local musicians and two dramatic productions to pilot a larger production that will capture the sounds of historic radio shows.

Finally, next weekend (June 2-4) ShakeCo will present three cold readings from Shakespeare's Apocrypha - plays whose authorship has been disputed over the years. "The Two Noble Kingsman," "Arden of Feversham," and "The Merry Devil of Edmonton" have not been accepted by all Shakespeare scholars, and are seldom performed. The actors performing will have had no previous rehearsal, allowing their characters to develop before the audience's eyes.

All of the ShakeCo performances are "pay what you want" productions with no set fee. For more information visit muccc.org or shakeco.com.