Iago (Nick Westrate) embroils Othello (James Udom) in a devious plot in stirring CTH production (photo by Richard Termine)
UPTOWN SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: OTHELLO
Classical Theatre of Harlem
Richard Rodgers Amphitheater, Marcus Garvey Park
18 Mt. Morris Park W.
Through July 27, free (advance RSVP recommended), 8:30
www.cthnyc.org
The night I saw the Classical Theatre of Harlem’s stirring adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello, the projections weren’t working, but I found that to be a bonus, as this stripped-down version gave the audience the opportunity to investigate the misogyny and racism that’s inherent in the story, told here with a militaristic edge as well as some unexpected comic relief and sexiness.
Last year, Kenny Leon’s Broadway version of Othello starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal gained more recognition for its ticket prices, which reached $921, than for its quality, earning mixed reviews and zero Tony nominations. However, over the last decade, I’ve seen five other Othellos, each of which shined new light on the classic tragedy of jealousy and deceit without breaking the bank: Sam Gold’s captivating and intense iteration at New York Theatre Workshop in 2016, with Daniel Craig, David Oyelowo, and Rachel Brosnahan; Satoshi Miyagi’s hypnotic Mugen Noh Othello at Japan Society in 2018; Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s gripping, emotional Shakespeare in the Park production in 2018; the New Place Players’ immersive, clear, and concise show in 2023; and
Bedlam’s three-hour, four-actor sparer-than-spare work this past spring, celebrating every word.
Continuing at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park through July 27, CTH’s Othello, adroitly directed by Carl Cofield (Memnon, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), is trimmed down to a lean 105 minutes on a gray set that resembles the inside of a castle; the characters wear contemporary clothing, linking the past and the present.
Distilled to its essence; the plot zeroes in on Othello (James Udom), a Moor and military hero who has secretly married Desdemona (Isabel Arraiza). Othello’s ensign, Iago (Nick Westrate), furious that he was not promoted to lieutenant, which went to the stalwart Cassio (Orlando Grant) instead, concocts a devious plan to ruin Othello by convincing him that the ever-faithful Desdemona has been cheating on him with Cassio. With Roderigo (Hiram Delgado), who loves Desdemona, in tow, Iago goes to extreme lengths to pull the wool over Othello’s eyes and heart, unwittingly involving his own wife, Emilia (Karen Lugo), Desdemona’s maid; Bianca (Rebecca Pena), Cassio’s lover; Desdemona’s father, Brabantio (Gilbert Cruz), a powerful senator; and others.
Desdemona (Isabel Arraiza) attempts to hold her ground and defend herself in Othello (photo by Richard Termine)
Race is central throughout the play. Speaking to Brabantio early on, Iago tells him, “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise!” The Duke of Venice (Collin McConnell) says to Brabantio in Othello’s presence, “Your son-in-law is far more fair than black.” While duping Cassio, Iago can’t help but refer to the Moor as “black Othello.” And near the conclusion, Emilia calls him “the blacker devil!” These lines pierced me more than they usually do, in part because they take a more prominent place in this significantly shortened adaptation.
There is also added pungency when Othello strikes Desdemona across the face in front of her cousin Lodovico (McConnell); she responds, “I have not deserved this,” standing tall, not about to back down and just take it. This is indeed a twenty-first-century Desdemona.
Despite the many cuts, the key lines are left intact: “I am not what I am.” “If after every tempest come such calms, / May the winds blow till they have wakened death.” “Reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation!” “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! / It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on.” “Farewell content!” “And think it no addition, nor my wish, / To have him see me womaned.”
However, Bard purists might not like some of the key changes Cofield has employed, including a different, more exciting ending. Zounds!
Westrate (The Wild Duck, A Delicate Ship) is a conniving Iago, filled with vitriol and venom. Arraiza (The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar) is one of the strongest, most well defined Desdemonas I’ve ever seen. Recent NYU grad Grant (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, GIRLBOSS) is staunch as the brave but confused Cassio.
But the center of the play is Udom (The Rolling Stone, Mies Julie), who gives a complex, riveting performance. He commands the stage with a building fury; most productions are organized around Iago, but CTH shows why Shakespeare called it Othello, not Iago.
[Mark Rifkin is a Brooklyn-born, Manhattan-based writer; you can follow him on Substack here.]