Nestled in a small theater space, there is a play that seems to burst with vibrant, exuberant energy. The Actor's Shakespeare Project's refreshing production of "Othello" is performed as if it weren't written in Elizabethan England, but as though it were a new play, with an unabashed force that carries its audiences through the five acts with ease.
For those who didn't read "Othello" in high school, the play is about the titular hero (Jason Bowen), a newlywed general, and Iago (Ken Cheeseman), who weaves an intricate web of lies to get his revenge on Othello. The tragedy of this play comes from the heartbreaking trap both Othello and his wife, Desdemona (Brooke Hardman), fall into thanks to the machinations of Othello's false friend.
Bowen takes on the lead role of Othello with poised charm and a carefree smile. His youth is one of the contributing factors to this production's force. Every moment he is on stage, Bowen appears utterly at ease with himself and his role. There is no doubt that his noble nature and almost arrogant charisma so well established in the beginning make his slow unraveling throughout the play a wonder to behold.
Iago, who can easily be considered the real star of the play, is a forceful, terrifying presence onstage. Cheeseman, despite the occasional fumbling of a line, delivers his creepy monologues with wild eyes that chill the theater. The other members of the ensemble cast further complement these two actors with their equally brilliant performances. Although one of the potential difficulties with performing Shakespeare is its esoteric language, the actors reveal the power of these great words with strong deliveries filled with meaning.
The production's set also adds to the strength of the actors in the play. The small space, which at the hands of a less capable troupe could lead to a cramped and uncomfortable play, is transformed into an intimate production, which makes the violence in "Othello" all the more jarring and traumatic.
The audience is split into two sides each facing the stage, with the balcony seats in the circular space overhead and lighting in plain view. Such exposure, to both the set's operation and to the audience, gives all the different elements of the play a certain unity.
The varied heights of the set elements — including a staircase in one corner — create interesting visuals without being overly pretentious. The balcony space is later used in one of Desdemona's scenes to touching effect. Although certain elements seem unnecessarily symbolic — we can certainly figure out that Iago is spinning a web of lies without having the physical lines above our heads form a web — overall the tight quarters of the stage are used perfectly.
Oddly enough, the most confusing elements of this production were those introduced to make "Othello" more accessible to a modern audience. Gender roles were switched deliberately to create a matriarchal society, rather than a traditional patriarchy, and the military high command played by a racially diverse group of actors. Furthermore, although the program informed us that the play is supposed to take place in the near future, nothing on stage ever made this explicit or used this setting for some evident purpose. These modifications suggest that director Judy Braha was trying to transform "Othello" in interesting ways, but did not fully actualize these unique changes in the play's costume design or performances.
This is practically irrelevant, however, because what Braha was able to craft instead is a brilliant and energetic Shakespearean production. "Othello" is an old play, but instead of being intimidated by its writer, the Actor's Shakespeare Project instills it with a new life and creative vigor.
