10/9/2014 0 Comments Othello | Shakespeare CompanyNeal wasn't able to come out to this show with me, but I was able to bring a rather unorthodox date - my boss! In total, there were five of us, and we've all experienced some version of this masterful play before. I believe this is my first time seeing it live, although I have read it a number of times, and have seen the movie from 1995. Nothing holds a candle to seeing this performed live, in very close quarters, in a sold out theatre. Othello, we learned, was a completely sold out run, and it's easy to see why. The Shakespeare Company has always done a phenomenal job with any of the shows we've seen. This season, (as in seasons past) there are two standard Shakespeare plays (Othello and As You Like It), and one play that's Shakespearean, in one way or another (2014/2015: Equivocation by Bill Cain). The Shakespeare Company truly focuses on the traditional, and highlights the written prose and poetry of Shakespeare, as it might have been presented.
The staging and scenery were simple, versatile, and unobtrusive. In total, there were about eight props and moving parts - mostly simple wooden benches that became undulating sidewalks, war-room planning tables, thrones, and the marital bed. The ease and seamlessness of the sets and props allowed us to become lost in the intensity of the action and emotion from all the characters - primarily Othello. The overwhelming grief and suffering Othello experienced spilled over into the audience. How the actors were able to contain themselves is a true mystery to me. It was passionate, and awkward and unsettling to watch. This play is a textbook example of dramatic irony. In fact, I know that Othello is used often (in textbooks) as the primary example! Knowing how deceitful and malicious Iago is only helps bring the intensity to the forefront. It's difficult to watch, knowing so much about what's happening in Iago's mind, when the characters are lavishing him with praise for his honesty and morality. Knowing the outcome of the play makes the audience even more attuned to the action - as we hope against hope that Othello's eyes will be open in time - before he commits his inevitable crime. There were small, and important, bits of humour - a slight turn of phrase, a lingering glance, and without these reprieves, I really think the play would have been unbearable. It was exhausting, and I have nothing but absolute respect and admiration for the actors who were able to put on this masterpiece for our emotional enjoyment. For more about this play, and the rest of the season, please visit: www.shakespearecompany.com.
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AuthorMonti Tanner (he/him) BEd, BA, MEd Archives
May 2023
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