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Othello

By William Shakespeare Directed by Bill Rauch
February 16 – October 28, 2018 Angus Bowmer Theatre

Passionate love in a prejudiced world

In Shakespeare’s most intimate tragedy, director Bill Rauch explores racism, religious bias, xenophobia, and the more disturbing aspects of relationships in the context of our society’s ongoing struggle with polarizing differences. Consumed by their bigotry, those who praised the Moorish general Othello’s military successes now reject his marriage to Desdemona. The newlyweds are determined to overcome all obstacles, but Othello’s assignment in an exotic new location draws them into the web of his lieutenant Iago, whose resentment and demons know no bounds. A powerful cast of twelve actors includes Chris Butler (Othello), Alejandra Escalante (Desdemona), Danforth Comins (Iago) and Amy Kim Waschke (Emilia).

Development of Othello was supported by a grant from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation

This production of Othello is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a national program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Length: Approximately 3 hours, 10 minutes, including one intermission

  • LEAD SPONSORS
  • Helen and Peter Bing
  • Bertie Bialek Elliott
    Buffett Fund of the Community Foundation
    for Monterey County
  • SPONSOR
  • Jim Collier
  • PARTNERS
  • The Birrell Family
  • Peter and Jane Carpenter
  • Jerome L. and Thao N. Dodson
Suitability Suggestions

The play explores intolerance, suspected infidelity and revenge, and contains several violent stabbings, onstage murders and a suicide. Othello is highly recommended for well-prepared teenagers able to handle the violence and mature themes.

Accessibility

The Angus Bowmer Theatre is outfitted with an elevator that takes patrons to either Row E or Row K.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is committed to accessibility. We recognize the needs of persons with disabilities and strive to make our facilities and productions accessible to all. OSF offers a variety of accommodations, outlined here.

Amor apasionado en un mundo de prejuicios

En la tragedia más íntima de Shakespeare, el director Bill Rauch explora el racismo, la parcialidad religiosa, la xenofobia y los más preocupantes aspectos de las relaciones empleando el contexto de los continuos conflictos de nuestra sociedad acera de las diferencias polarizantes. Consumida por su intolerancia, la gente que antes elogiaba al general moro Otelo por sus éxitos militares ahora rechaza a su matrimonio con Desdemona. Los recién casados se entregan a superar a todos los obstáculos. Pero cuando Otelo está asignado a un exótico lugar nuevo, los enamorados se encuentran atraídos a la telaraña del teniente Iago, cuyo resentimiento y demonios no conocen límite. Un poderoso elenco de doce actores incluye a Chris Butler (Otelo), Alejandra Escalante (Desdemona), Danforth Comins (Iago) y Amy Kim Waschke (Emilia).

El desarrollo de Otelo fue apoyado por una dotación del James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation

Esta producción de Otelo forma parte de Shakespeare in American Communities, programa nacional del National Endowment for the Arts en asociación con Arts Midwest.  

Sugerencias de idoneidad 

La obra explora la intolerancia, el sospecho de infidelidad y la venganza, y contiene varios apuñalamientos, asesinatos en el escenario y un suicidio. Se les recomienda mucho a Otelo a los adolescentes bien preparados que sean capaces de manejar la violencia y los temas maduros.

Accesibilidad

El Teatro Angus Bowmer cuenta con elevador que lleva a los patrones de teatro a la Fila E o la Fila K.

El Oregon Shakespeare Festival se compromete a la accesibilidad. Reconocemos a las necesidades de los patrones con discapacidades y nos esforzamos a asegurar que nuestras instalaciones y producciones les sean accesibles a todos. OSF ofrece una variedad de acomodaciones, aquí descritas here.

Production Photo of Othello
View Full Image with Credit Amy Kim Waschke, Alejandra Escalante. Photo by Jenny Graham.
Production Photo of Othello
Amy Kim Waschke, Alejandra Escalante. Photo by Jenny Graham.
e-Luminations: A Play Fit for a King

In the early 17th century, Shakespeare had hit his stride as a playwright with a proliferation of works, including some of his most complex tragedies Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. By the time Shakespeare wrote Othello, he had seen a decade of tremendous success in London theatres. He also experienced profound loss; perhaps the death of his young son in 1596 brought such gravity and maturity to his writing.

Scholars believe Othello was written between 1603 and 1604. However, E. A. J. Honigmann, editor of the Arden Othello, third series edition, argues the play must have been written between 1601 and 1602. With Honigmann’s earlier dating, Othello would seem both an Elizabethan and a Jacobean tragedy. Straddling the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James, it was written with the sensibilities of one in mind while debuting for the other.

In Elizabeth’s England, Shakespeare was in good company; arts and letters were flourishing. The political landscape, however, was rocky, and the country in turmoil. In the winter of 1600, Shakespeare’s company performed Twelfth Night at court when Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud, the Moroccan ambassador, was in attendance, allowing Shakespeare to experience the Moorish embassy firsthand. Did this glimpse at England’s foreign ally inspire Othello? The perpetual Anglo-Spanish War waged on, 20 years of conflict between England and Spain during which Spain made major land grabs in the New World. Audiences of Othello would have understood the analogy of England to Venice, which was warring with the Ottomans. Though her sights were set on growing a British Empire, Elizabeth I was aging and ailing, with no heir-apparent. Perhaps this impotence is echoed in Othello’s fears, or Iago’s. By 1604, when Othello was first performed, she was dead, and James I was king.

Shakespeare’s company, newly dubbed The King’s Men, served at the pleasure of the new king. The theatre-loving James, a father, diplomat, a sworn king of peace, and a studied theologian with a fascination for witchcraft, commanded Othello at court on at least two occasions. The play, certainly now a Jacobean tragedy, perhaps inspired by events of Elizabeth’s reign, resonated deeply for the new king.

—Dawn Monique Williams 

Reprinted from OSF’s 2018 Illuminations, a 64-page guide to the season’s plays. Members at the Donor level and above and teachers who bring school groups to OSF receive a free copy of Illuminations.

Creative Team

* Member of Actors' Equity Association (AEA)

Cast

Ensemble: Barzin Akhavan*, Rainbow Dickerson*, Richard Elmore*, Alejandra Escalante*, Derek Garza, Richard Howard*, James Ryen*, Stephen Michael Spencer*, Sheila Tousey*, Amy Kim Waschke*

* Member of Actors' Equity Association (AEA)

Our 2018 Season