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Armin Bardel
After a brief, critically-acclaimed run in Vienna in June, director Peter Sellars's chilling production of Othello is currently being staged here, for a similarly brief period of time, ending October 4th. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as Iago and John Ortiz, a Latino actor, as the titular Moor of Venice. Explaining the decision to cast a non-black actor in the title role, Sellars tells the Times, "In the 21st century in this country you can no longer look at Othello as a black guy, as some symbolic figure of the unrepresented black person. He is a person, period. In our cast we have three black actors, three Latin actors and two white actors. We’re mixing it up, just like America is mixing it up."
The performance begins with a heavenly prelude: Othello and Desdemona (Jessica Chastain) reclining together on a bed of sleek television monitors, the stage's main set-piece. Birds chirp as the two lovers embrace languidly, and our knowledge of the imminent catastrophe infuses the scene with an aching tenderness. Soon Hoffman, as Iago, emerges to discover them, and the tragic chain of events is set in motion. His commanding performance transcends the cliche notion of Iago as one-dimensional villain, and is charged with a blistering intensity that boils over into rage more frequently than one sees in his film roles. But occasionally all the shouting feels repetitive, and just a little unearned; during the interval one audience member was heard remarking, "They should have changed the name of the play to OthYELLo."
Sellars, who cut many of the play's characters and condensed two parts into the new role Bianca Montano, has accurately described his production as "chamber theater," and the minimalist set—an empty stage save for a few chairs and the aforementioned TV screens—casts the passionate performances in stark relief. James Ingalls's crisp yet rich lighting design enhances the bare-essential mood, while also pitching enormous shadow-puppets of the actors against the rear wall. The whole space has the feel of a massive military barracks, where idle soldiers have nothing to do but drink, lust, and plot.
All in all, it's a bracing, well-measured interpretation, and each member of the talented ensemble holds their own alongside the two powerhouse stars. Ortiz is reliably subtle and tender, and his only unconvincing moment as Othello comes when, immediately after killing his wife, he eschews gravitas for an unexpected nonchalance. It's a strange choice, considering his devastating anguish in the moments before the murder. But, ultimately, your enjoyment of this Othello largely rests on how enamored you are with Hoffman's prodigious gifts, balanced against your willingness to sit for four hours of Shakespeare. It's Sellars's considerable achievement that the pacing never drags, but with a two-hour-and-fifteen minute first act, you'll definitely want to limit your fluid intake before the show.
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Just once I would love to see an Asian playing Othello, or Iago for that matter.
They could change all the references from 'The Moor' to 'The Chinaman'?
I did see an Asian MacBeth in a touring production. Not like a consciously Asian MacBeth, it was a pretty diverse cast. I really enjoyed it.
I find that when you can take some of these older pieces and change them up a bit with things like color blind casting it has the possibility to transcend into the realm of almost science fiction. You can find yourself looking past the characters as they are cast and and as you've previously known them and see the humanity and motivations in a new light, not tied down by yours or anyone else's preconceived notions.
Though modernization and color blind casting of any show by Billy Shakes has become sort of a cliche at this point.
Sorry to carry on, but I was a bit miffed that the review made no mention of Jessica Chastain, who played Desdemona. She took a notoriously difficult female role and, along with PSH, really carried the show. She's on her way up, so if you don't see her in this, see her in something else, but do it soon before she's whisked off to LA.
Ortiz was completely forgettable. He has a strange kind of diction which, along with the fact that he looks a little like our current governor, made me feel like I was watching a production starring a young David Paterson at times. Especially when paired with Chastain, who has impeccable speech skills in addition to her other theatrical talents.
The charge of PSH yelling a few times too many is fair. Though considering it's a 4 hour show you can imagine being caught between trying to keep your audience's attention but not wanting to blow the whole thing open before the climax.
I can forgive any excessive volume on his part due to the humanity and pathos he was able to inject into what is sometimes seen and performed as an almost melodramatically villainous role.
Oh, and PSH's costuming was a little weird.
He was wearing totally different clothing than the cast.
Seriously, everyone is wearing military uniforms and formal evening wear and he was dressed like he was some hip mid 40's Park Slope dad. He looked like he really could have just walked in off the street 5 minutes before curtain.
If it's a choice by the costumer, that's fine, but I still don't get it.
If it's him not putting on costume because he is who he is and you can't make him, then it's a little disappointing.
Why should a black man always be cast as the wife murderer?
I've always thought Othello was the real villain in this. Iago is a nasty schemer but it's the Moor who kills his lovely wife without even bothering to find out if she really cheated on him. My high school English teacher didn't agree with my take on it though.
You see, Othello, having to be black is an ANGLO creation. a "Moor" has no ethnological determination. The word "moor" means brown, or dark. Moors were Muslims and Arabs and those of North African descent that had settled in Spain and Portugal and other Mediterranean places. Not necessarily black, as we Americans term it. A moor to the Anglo Shakespeare and to his Anglo society was anyone that was the other of darker skin than his pasty countrymen. Traditional casting of Othello as black is an ignorant and shallow. Othello should be "the other".
And, as for colorblind casting: stop it. If the stories don't fit the players, make new stories. Stop the Shakespeare festival nonsense and support new writers and our future.
Othello is described as being "thick-lipped" and having dark skin, along with curly hair. Although the depictions of these physical characteristics are stereotypical and offensive (they're supposed to be), to say that casting of Othello as black as completely random is unfounded.
Ortiz was awful and did not have the chops to carry Othello. The rest of the cast was great. For reference, his last role was in Aliens vs Predator.
gimmick