“Othello”: Day 4, Play 4, Theatre Eddys at the 2018 Oregon Shakespeare Festival

William Shakespeare

The Cast of Othello

When Director Bill Rauch decided to set the 2018 Oregon Shakespeare Festival production of Othelloin our time with military personnel sent to Cyprus wearing camouflage that bear “US Navy” on their uniforms, he ensured the relevance of this tragic tale to headlines we are reading even today.  That the most reviled of all Shakespeare’s villains, Iago, says point-blankly and unashamedly, “I hate the Moor” — and he does so as a Iago who is a clean-cut, white, immediately likeable military ensign – cannot help but draw comparisons to the pictures and videos we see of everyday Americans (and even top leaders) showing their hate of those of color not born in this country.  Apart from the themes of jealousy and misjudgment that center on Othello himself, OSF’s and Bill Rauch’s 2018 Othello is a stark, unsettling reflection of the doubts and mistrusts that can quickly multiply when a respected source begins to spread rumors and outright lies about “the other” among us – about that person or people who is different in color, nationality, and/or religion from those who look like me.

What makes this Othello particularly startling is that Iago could be any one of a hundred people most of us in the audience knows.  On the outside and at first meeting, he is nice-looking, courteous, and jocular – the kind guy who grew up next door to the most of us in the audience, who are also Caucasian.  After all, everyone – and of course especially his superior officer, Othello — refers to Iago as “honest,” “good,” a man of “trust.” 

Danforth Comins & Chris Butler

Danforth Comins sends chills down one’s spine the way his Iago so casually talks to us directly and assumes by his manners that we and he are of the same kilt.  He openly shares his ideas-in-the-making and finally his diabolical plan to take down Othello, not hiding any motive or detail of how he will convince Othello that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio (the lieutenant who was promoted over Iago).  We can see that he thinks that naturally we too have the same dislike as he of this outsider Othello who invades ‘our’ country, marries one of ‘our’ daughters, and ingratiates himself to ‘our’ leader.  The assumptions he makes with his tone and looks — one almost expects him to wink at us to let us know he ‘knows’ we agree – rattles to the core and leads one to think of a certain president whose tweets and video clips make the same types of assumptions as he asserts criminals are infiltrating the U.S. from Mexico.

And though frequent mentions of the script’s Venice and its language of the early seventeenth century permeate the story’s unveiling, the ringing cells phones, TV screens of CNN and other broadcasts, and a modern-day gym where all the protagonists work out together continue to reinforce that this Othello is happening right now, all around us.

Alejandra Escalante & Chris Butler

The military hero, Othello — who in this case has immigrated from somewhere in Africa to rise to hero-status in the U.S. military – is charming in accent and manner, is well-spoken, and is full of amiable confidence when we first meet him.  Chris Butler provides few, if any, early hints of the emotional, mental, and psychological breakdown that is soon to occur.  With his new bride, Desdemona, he is passionately and unashamedly demonstrative of his love for her.  With his comrades, he is jovial and familiar.  His eventual metamorphosis into a full-fledge monster is all the more horrific because Chris Butler is able at first to make us believe that maybe this particular Othello will not be taken in by Iago’s outlandish insinuations and will in fact continue in this staging to love his beautiful, accomplished bride.

But when he does transform, never has there surely been any more violent outbursts by a physically scary Othello than the one on this stage.  Chris Butler’s increasing bouts of rage and fury are shattering to behold.  At one point, his mouth literally freezes as it emits its vicious screams; at other points, his eyes almost pop out of his head each time Desdemona even mentions the name of Cassio.  His entire being becomes so consumed with the jealous disease Iago has infected within him that he shakes uncontrollably from head to toe; his voice shifts to that of a monster; and any sign of logical, rational thinking totally leaves him.  The performance is masterful even as watching it is troubling to the core.

Surrounding these two who together march others towards a destiny of undeserved destruction are two wives and a comrade: Desdemona, Emilia, and Cassio.  Desdemona (Alejandra Escalante) — while obviously dedicated to her new groom and heads-over-heals in love with him — also exudes a sense of independence, a headstrong nature, and a proud self-confidence.  She shows no hesitation to be open about her close friendship with Cassio, and she is not about to stop pestering in a loving and playful manner her husband to reconsider a demotion he gives to Cassio (after a drunken brawl orchestrated by Iago on the lightweight drinker, Cassio).  As Othello’s suspicions become more intense and his anger begins to take over, Ms. Escalante’s performance proportionately intensifies in multiple dimensions to a climatic, disturbing demise that is gut-wrenching to behold.

As Iago’s wife, Emilia (also a member of the Navy troop), Amy Kim Waschke is initially funny and a bit irreverent, and she is most certainly hugely naïve as she agrees to steal Desdemona’s handkerchief (a gift from Othello) in order to please her husband.  When the true nature of her husband and his motives becomes known to her, the rage against him and Othello and the despair for Desdemona add up to encompass a major, accomplished performance for Ms. Waschke as she stands among this stage full of stellar actors.

As Cassio, Derek Garza is convincing as a nice guy any one would immediately like.  That he is duped by Iago is easy to believe because he is so good-natured (and like Emilia, quite naïve of Iago’s true nature).  Contrasting in every way to him is Stephen Michael Spencer as a emotionally wild, completely impulsive Roderigo, a friend of Iago’s who believes Desdemona should be his wife and who becomes a puppet to Iago’s schemes, believing he can still win her hand once Othello is out of the picture. 

Derek Garza & Rainbow Dickerson

Helping round out this fine cast is Richard Elmore as a business-like Duke and as a tottering, hilarious handyman named Hektor.   Sheila Tousey is Gratiana, a dignified, straight-laced, but caring aunt of Desdemona; Richard Howard, Desdemona’s fiery (and racist) father, Brabantio; and Barzin Akhavan, a Kurish immigrant named Monano who is now the statesmen-like governor of Cyprus (and whose Muslim faith and face further makes this production particularly timely and relevant).  Finally, Rainbow Dickerson is Bianca, the motor-cycle-riding, brazen, and openly sexy bedtime diversion of Cassio, who becomes yet another instrument in Iago’s evil plan to undo Othello via Cassio.

In addition to insightful, inventive direction and captivating, spellbounding acting is a creative team that to a person ensures that this Othello is one that will long be remembered.  Christopher Acebo’s scenic design features a strong, stone wall that shows its age in missing and crumbling blocks, connecting us to the antiquity of a old story now made modern and of a land, Cyprus, where history partly began.  That wall is also symbolic of the relationships that are falling apart, though once believed strong.  His designs make use of projections by Tom Ontiverus where the clouds and skies of a seashore fly by and where smoke and fog often cover the entire setting as the lies and deceits pile up on the stage.  Sound designer Andre J. Pluess and lighting designer Xavier Pierce create realities of approaching automobiles, rain storms, and an island’s nearby shoreline while Fight Director U. Jonathan Toppo has instructed this set of actors how to inflict bodily harms in manners so real as to make audience members look away.  The costumes of Dede M. Ayite never let us forget we are witnessing the acts of modern U.S. naval personnel (no matter all the references to Venice) while also establishing the privileged life of Desdemona or the raw, erotic life of Bianca.

No matter how many times one has seen Othello or if one has never seen the play, the current Othello as directed by Bill Rauch at this year’s Oregon Shakespeare Festival is a production guaranteed to be remembered for many years to come and also guaranteed to generate conversation at the next night’s dinner table.

Rating: 5 E

Othello continues through October 28, 2018 in the Angus Bowmer Theatre at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.  Tickets are available at https://www.osfashland.org/on-stage.