If you haven’t seen Othello yet, you have only three chances left before it closes Sunday afternoon. Ben Brantley of the New York Times said “A rare Olympian music — forceful, beautiful and inaudible to ordinary ears — seems to dictate the rhythms of John Douglas Thompson’s performance… From the moment he sets foot on the stage of the Founders’ Theater here, this truly commanding Venetian general is a figure of monumental poise but also of instinctive, exotic poetry.”
Othello is written by William Shakespeare and directed by Tony Simotes, featuring John Douglas Thompson and Michael Hammond, and with music by Scott Killian, costumes by Gail Brassard, sets by Yoshi Tanokura and lights by Les Dickert. Buy tickets now.
Ben Brantley of The New York Times raved about our production of Othello, writing
While it’s rare in the 15 years I’ve been coming here that I’ve left a Shakespearean production feeling dazzled, it’s equally rare that I’ve left without feeling the satisfaction and illumination that comes with hearing a familiar, interpretation-crusted story told so clearly that you see it with fresh eyes.
Click here to read the full review.
August Play Days are here, and time to make hey nonny, nonny while the sun shines! Now’s the time to enjoy all the fun, enrichment and discovery that Shakespeare & Company offers at the height of summer. And this year we’re making a special effort to help you save every way we can.
Learn all the details right here about discounts and packages. And don’t forget about all the special events: Dennis Krausnick’s The Lear Project, The Actors Rehearse the Story of Charlotte Salomon, Riotous Youth and Young Company performances, plus Café & Croissant performances of The Ladies Man one morning each weekend.
So take a ‘Daycation’ with your family or a few friends, pack a picnic, or let us prepare one for you, and enjoy top-tier theatre at a price that will keep you grinning for the rest of the year! Choose your discount below and plan your August Play Day now. Your seat is waiting for you!
Continue reading ‘August Play Days are here!’
Terry Teachout of the Wall Street Journal reviewed Othello, All’s Well That Ends Well, and The Ladies Man in a triad of acclaim. About Othello he said
Not all directors are alert to the comic aspect of Shakespeare’s tragedies, though, which is one of the many reasons why I was so impressed by Shakespeare & Company’s first attempt at Othello…this Othello is lean, clean, detailed but unfussy and fast on its feet.
And about The Ladies Man
Ms. Aspenlieder is one of the funniest actresses on the East Coast, and I can say no better of her performance as Mme. Suzanne Aubin, a loosely married lady with a widely roving eye…I can’t recall the last time I laughed so hard as I did at the look of glee that lit up her improbably mobile features when she warned the hapless Mr. Croy that ‘I zink my hass-boont sus-pecttts!‘
Read the full review at the Wall Street Journal online.
I remember, when I was still an undergraduate at the University of Iowa, sitting in the library and writing a little essay in my journal about Shakespeare’s villain, Iago. There’s probably very little I wrote during that period that I would stand by now, but, given what I can recall about the contents of that essay, my thoughts and feelings about this character haven’t changed all that much over the years. I recognize in Iago today, as I recognized then, the consummate actor: an individual who instinctively understands which mode of speech and behavior will be required to convince and influence others. And it still makes perfect sense to me that Shakespeare would have drawn from his knowledge of the actor’s craft as he created this evil genius. And, although I’m less certain about this, I am also inclined to suspect that by presenting a character so ingenious in his ability to inspire and manipulate others, Shakespeare was offering those who mistrusted or even hated the theatre their worst nightmare. Continue reading ‘Iago, the consummate actor’
Othello is now open! Buy tickets now.
Directed by Tony Simotes, Othello stars John Douglas Tompson as Othello and associate artistic director Michael Hammond as Iago, with music by Scott Killian, scenic design by Yoshi Tanokura, costumes by Gail Brassard and lighting by Les Dickert. Production photos by Kevin Sprague.
Founding Company member Tony Simotes returns to direct Shakespeare & Company’s first-ever mainstage production of Othello. He sat down for a video interview in which he discusses the soldier’s bond between Iago and Othello and the deeper motivations behind Iago’s actions, the love Desdemona has for Othello and the ease with which everything we know can suddenly change. (The video features rehearsal footage and production photos, and music from the show composed by Scott Killian).
Othello, now in previews, opens Friday and stars John Douglas Thompson as Othello and Michael Hammond as Iago, with Merrit Janson, LeRoy McClain, Ryan Winkles, Kristin Wold, Walton Wilson, Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Michael F. Toomey, Jon Croy and Tom Rindge. Buy tickets now.
