William Shakespeare just might be churning and spitting in his grave in response to yet another liberal interpretation of Othello. The tone is set early when Iago drunk dials Lady Desdemona’s father on her cell phone. I was apprehensive about what might follow, hoping this production would not strike the same pose as Baz Luhrmann’s outright corny suburban interpretation of Romeo + Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Executive director and founder of the African-American Shakespeare Company, Sherri Young, tinkers with sexuality, gender, race and a hint of war and technology in Othello. Shakespeare’s immense vocabulary is left untouched so viewers at least know they are in the right building.
Iago is distraught when Othello overlooks her and chooses Cassio to be his second in command. Self-pity sparks revenge; Iago informs Venetian Senator Brabantio that his daughter Desdemona has eloped with Othello. Othello is an African Moor, which makes him an unfit match in Brebantio’s estimation, and so begins the drama. Yet, all this talk of Venetians comingling with Moors leaves one a little confused as to why the scene is set in Iraq.
Young consolidates Shakespeare’s cast to five actors, removing some characters and combining others. Desdemona’s father Brabantio is mentioned but never seen or heard in Young’s production. Roderigo is a Venetian man who has feelings for Desdemona and assists Iago in Othello’s demise. Young morphs Roderigo and Iago into one irate lesbian played by Aimee McCrary. The gender switch is an intriguing twist that complicates Iago’s plot to destroy Othello’s marriage. It seems no coincidence that McCrary is an African American actress playing the role of a racist who belittles Othello for his African roots (behind his back of course). One cannot be sure whether it was Young’s intention to extend intrigue to irony.
Iago warns us from the beginning, “I am not what I am.” Hopefully McCrary is not as dry in real life, delivering her lines like a stand-in at the start of the play. As the action gets going, McCrary redeems herself. Iago’s delight in her own malice is made clear through the actor’s facial expressions, which enrich the meaning behind the character’s mischief while adding much-needed comic relief.