Othello: Wendell Pierce and Olivia Cygan – Photo: Teresa Castracane
The Shakespeare Theatre’s Othello is one of those productions that should, by every account, be a gob-smacking showstopper. It boasts the iconic Wendell Pierce in the titular role; a young, fresh, and fully-formed cast; and the inimitable Simon Godwin at the director’s helm. And yet, somehow, despite all these winning ingredients, this Othello may be very good, but it isn’t quite great.
Why it fails to fully ignite is a difficult question, but it certainly starts with where Pierce and Godwin land the interpretation, which feels like something of a tonal mismatch. While the rest of the cast plays it full-on Shakespearean, big and bold, Pierce’s man is delivered so inwardly directed that it almost feels more attuned to a televised production along the lines of David Tennant’s recent Macbeth.
To be clear, a tamped-down characterization can work well, but the suggestion of self-control, of bottled intent and emotion, has to be clearly projected. Without that here, there are times when Pierce’s Othello feels almost a bystander to the production’s energy and this is ultimately something of a distraction. It’s also rather a puzzle, since Pierce — once Othello’s jealousy takes hold — wakes this man into a powerful and arresting intensity and some of his most interestingly delivered Shakespeare. More of a sense of this volatile soul would build a better foundation for the coming angst and final rage.
Of course, this is also the play’s inherent challenge. As with MacBeth, the lead must show how a seemingly rational leader of men can turn insanely, self-destructively murderous. In the case of Othello, he is not just a great general, he has been exciting enough to win the hand of the prized Desdemona. This begs for a strong dose of gravitas and charisma — or, at the very least, charm. Because Pierce’s Othello is so reserved, it’s hard to get a sense of his stature, and we lose some of the precipitousness of his eventual fall. Again, the actor’s approach might have worked if we could see his expressions in close range, but as staged, it’s harder to read.
And yes, you could argue that this kind of affect might be intentional; that this is how a man who knows he is “othered,” and even loathed, manages his world. But if this was the underpinning, it just doesn’t come through sufficiently, despite Othello’s references to his Blackness.
This approach also makes it harder to see the chemistry with Desdemona (Olivia Cygan). Othello is suggested to be older than this young, high-status woman, and we really need to see what continues to attract her, beyond the “witchcraft” of his stories of past hardships. It calls for cutting a compelling figure and that just doesn’t quite sit with Pierce’s choices here.
All that said, these impressions don’t detract from what else commends the production, foremost among them several stellar performances. Interestingly, Cygan’s Desdemona is more tomboy than damsel, and it nicely suits the contemporary setting. Her suggestion of inner strength mixed with hopefulness and foreboding rather poignantly touches on our modern understanding of why some women don’t or can’t leave dangerous men.
Rounding out the central triad, Ben Turner gives his Iago full-on nefarious intent and shows his immense facility with the language. He may play it large enough to occasionally taste (if not chew) the scenery, but, overall, the good-old-boy rapaciousness is a dramatic pile-driver.
These strong showings aside, some of the most memorable arrive in the smaller roles. A true standout — and frankly a surprise — is Lucas Iverson’s Cassio, who is right on point with his understated guilelessness, comic timing, and notable comfort with the language. The fact that one needs the program to realize he is Ogilvie in HBO’s The Pitt speaks to Iverson’s impressive versatility.
Another standout is Melanie Field as Emilia, Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s handmaiden. A much-debated character who begs the question of whether she is a villain or a speaker of women’s truth — or indeed, both — Field walks the line with care. Is she wholly believable as this hard-living gal delivering her final cri de coeur like she’s yelling in a Walmart parking lot? Not quite. But Field nevertheless gives the woman one hell of a presence and you just can’t keep your eyes off her, whether she’s slumping at a table or ranting to the heavens. Finally, hailing from a more traditional vein, much kudos to Joey Collins for a pitch-perfect Brabantio, Desdemona’s less-than-pleased father.
The attempts to bring segue excitement with some rather awful rock music and in-synced soldiers never quite works. Luckily, choreographers Jonathan Goddard and Robb Hunter get it very much right with some nicely-crafted barracks and fight scenes.
In the final tally, the parts here may be rather greater than the whole. But with expectations in check, this is a chance to see some world-class talent grappling with one of Shakespeare’s most troubling tragedies.
Othello (★★★☆☆) runs through June 28 at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. For tickets, visit shakespearetheatre.org.
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In a middle-class home -- evoked through a humdrum open kitchen set by Sarah Beth Hall -- a married couple, Woman (Erin Denman) and Man (Erik Harrison), approach a breaking point in their quarrelsome relationship. As she confesses, she's too hung up on her former lover, the Dragon (Jalen Wilson-Nelem), who's come back to her looking like "sex dipped in Sumatran chocolate."
Art imitates life making art in GALA Hispanic Theatre's disappointing world-premiere musical Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders. Presenting a show within the show, Aguardiente burrows into the creative process of friends and collaborators Alberto (Samuel Garnica) and Alejandro (Sebastián Treviño), struggling to create a musical that draws from and celebrates their Latino roots and culture.
Their struggle to define what they want to say is perhaps too aptly reflected in the scattered script and production of this show, directed and choreographed by Luis Salgado (GALA's Helen Hayes Award-winning In the Heights).
"It's one of my favorite events, honestly," says Deb Gottesman of the Dramathon, an evening of world-premiere short plays written, directed, and performed by D.C. theater artists. Gottesman is co-founder and co-executive director, with Buzz Mauro, of The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts, which stages the annual fundraiser.
Professional directors, writers, and actors donate their time, while additional participants fundraise through friends and family -- much like a marathon -- to earn larger roles in the final performance.
The ten-minute plays will be presented to the public on Monday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. at The Theatre Lab's space at 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Proceeds benefit the organization's Send a Kid to Theatre Camp initiative, which provides scholarships to children and teens for its summer programs.
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