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  Othello at Guthrie Theatre

Othello

Guthrie Theatre
818 South 2nd Street Minneapolis

For the first time on the mainstage in nearly two decades, the Guthrie presents a bold new Othello for our audiences to feast upon. This classic Shakespeare tragedy is an astonishing epic of sweeping passions and murderous ambition – a thrilling meditation on the power of love and the destructiveness of suspicion, all triggered by one of literature’s most seductively manipulative villains: Iago. Directed by Tony and Drama Desk award nominee and Obie Award winner Marion McClinton, best-known for his Broadway and regional productions of August Wilson’s plays, this devastating story examines issues of cultural diversity, race and betrayal in what promises to be a profound night of theater you won’t soon forget.

Thru - Apr 20, 2014



Price: $24-$71

Stage: Wurtele Thrust Stage

Box Office: 612-377-2224

www.guthrietheater.org


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  Othello Reviews

Star Tribune - Recommended

"...The genius of McClinton’s unapologetic air of masculinity reveals itself in the pained perorations of Regina Marie Williams’ Emilia, who is the conscience of this tragedy. With Desdemona — the innocent and heartbreakingly beautiful Maloney — lying dead because of the vicious stink of testosterone that infected both Iago and Othello, Williams delivers a scorching condemnation of Iago and the stupid, silly games that men play."
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Graydon Royce


Twin Cities Daily Planet - Highly Recommended

"...The second leg that this tragedy stands on is, of course, the titular Moor. Peter Macon's Othello is powerful yet often soft spoken, with an exotic cadence to his delivery. This cadence implies volumes more about how the character fits into Venetian society than his lines alone might convey; it is also unexpectedly nuanced, changing according to whether the talk is of war or peace. Macon's portrayal of the character's slow breakdown into jealous rage is just as masterful as Yoakam's turn as the manipulator. If not for the vague slight for which Iago hates Othello, these two could have had a magnificent bromance."
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Basil Considine


How Was The Show - Recommended

"...In the dark and affecting Othello (at the Guthrie, through April 20) director Marion McClinton and costumer Esosa dress the Moor (played thrillingly by Peter Macon) in thick leather and stiff boots. This imparts to him a lumbering, dominating authority. Add to this the fact that Macon is a large man. In comparison, the other characters seem feckless and fearful. (Was I imagining this? I don't think so). Ugly battle-scars criss-cross Othello's shaven head. His accent is vaguely foreign - Caribbean? African? Watching Macon/Othello descend into jealous rage and epileptic violence is a frightening and disturbing pleasure. Is he really going to strangle the poor girl, one asks in the famous bedroom scene? Could he really be so weak, so unbalanced? We watch, aghast, reveling in the delicious horror. Macon and McClinton make it possible."
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John Olive


Aisle Say Twin Cities - Recommended

"...In the Guthrie Theater’s recent production of Othello, Iago is played by Stephen Yoakam. Because Iago is such an important player to Othello, it is essential that anyone playing him be up for the task. Having recently seen Yoakam in An Illiad at the Guthrie in October, I knew he had the capability of giving Iago the depth I was looking for. During that production, Yoakam performed a 95-minute one-man show, and there was not one minute when I was not captivated by his performance. I cannot say the same for his performance of Iago.  While Yoakam did not miss a beat, his Iago seemed less nefarious than I had hoped. While Iago plotted, and explained his plotting to the audience, he didn’t seem to get much enjoyment out of it. He was clearly unhappy, but the joy of getting what he wanted only made him superficially happy. To give credit to Yoakam, that may have been the intended subtext—that Iago is an unhappy, frustrated, superficial person, no matter his situation. Yoakam’s interpretation of Iago also did not turn him into some kind of super-villain from a child’s cartoon to be defeated by our super hero at the end. Iago remained human throughout this production; I only wish that his humanity had allowed for a little bit more evil."
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Tamar Neumann



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