Othello
Opening Night: July 31, 2014
Closing: August 16, 2014
Theater: Municipal Parking Lot
Shakespeare’s tragedy is explored as an exploration in contemporary violence and revenge as seen through the eyes of a top diplomatic aide, his non-white new wife, and their sociopathic press representative. In the production, Othello is sent on missions to resolve international conflicts. While he enjoys international prestige, he experiences doubt at home when he suspects his new wife of infidelity, prompted by the unworthy advice of his chief adviser. The company seeks to explore the way contemporary acts of revenge are at the core of our most violent social dilemmas. The production uses weapons and costumes both modern and ancient to further accentuate the long history of violence stemming from human deception in a quest for power.
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August 6, 2014
There are so many things working against Othello at Shakespeare in the Parking Lot that it’s a minor miracle that the show comes together so well. Traffic noise, funky smells and a few fumbled lines plagued one recent performance. Even so, by the end, there was more than a little magic in the air. To be sure, some of that magic may have been the early onset of nostalgia. After 20 seasons, this free series will be forced off its asphalt stage on the Lower East Side when the lot is closed and redeveloped. Though the Drilling Company, the producing troupe, has promised to find a new home for the program, this strange and shabby location will be terribly missed. Othello, that bold case study in jealousy and manipulation, begins with little confidence here. As the title character appears, he and those around him are tentative and unsteady. Chemistry is at a minimum, and timing often misfires. It can seem that a long night is in store. But then the scheming speeds up. Iago unleashes his deceitful plan to destroy the Moor, and that tension sharpens the skills of the 11-member cast. What had been shaky becomes solid; those double-crossing scenes between Iago and Othello, which are chock-full of innuendo and treachery, are deftly acted here.
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