John Douglas Thompson as Othello and Juliet Rylance as Desdemona; photo by Gerry Goodstein.NOTE: Othello will return to the Duke Theatre for a brief reprise on April 15 -24.
A splendid production of Othello by Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA) awaits you at the Duke on 42nd Street. This production uses a nearly bare stage to extremely good effect; the emphasis is on the text and the clarity of the direction. When my husband and I saw this in an early preview, we were struck by the coherence of the work which made us feel that all elements were united to increase our comprehension of the drama and its rich layers of emotion. While the entire cast is a strong ensemble, I would especially single out fine performances by Ned Eisenbery as Iago, Juliet Rylance as Desdemona, and Kate Forbes as Emilia. John Douglas Thompson made Othello a most credible amalgam of experience and naivete, valor and passion. There were moments in the first act when his delivery was somewhat stilted, but as the drama progressed his performance grew deeper and more affecting.
Othello is directed by Arin Arbus, a young director whose work I have never before seen, but Arbus' biographical sketch in the program reveals this tantalizing nugget: "In association with Rehabilitation through the Arts, Arbus also leads a theatre company of inmates at Woodbourne Correctional Facility, a medium security prison in upstate New York."
-- Ellen
No comments:
Post a Comment