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Independent Weekly reviewIndependent Weekly http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A182748 Othello, the Moor of Venice Making Shakespeare sensible to contempoary audiences is no mean feat. Often, it's the rush of movement on stage or the warmth of an actor's smile that best brings the verse to life. And so it goes with Bare Theatre's latest Shakespearian production, Othello, where director Carmen-Maria Mandley's cast dances, rolls and shakes to jungle-like drums. This accompaniment, provided by a percussion unit dressed in head-to-toe black (as is most of the cast), is one of the most intriguing elements of this mesmerizing show, providing commentary and elevating excitement. Mandley capitalizes on the beats, creating swift dialogue among cast members and encouraging continuous motion to keep things visually interesting. With a minimalist set (two wooden benches, a table and chair) and sparse costuming (Iago wears the most complete period costuming) it's the movement and body language of the cast that fully pulls us into Othello's world. There is a cost, however, to the value of the text: The cast—a mix of seasoned performers and novices—struggles at times to find resonance in the speeches and rhymes. Fortunately, these limited performances remain only on the fringe of the play and main characters such as Iago (a beguiling Seth Blum) and Desdemona (a luminous Heather J. Hackford, also the play's choreographer) are given breadth and width. And, as the Moor, Byron Jennings was aptly gentle, jealous and murderous. It's the pacing of this Othello (which played Durham's Common Ground Theatre last weekend and moves to Holly Springs Cultural Center Thursday, Feb. 21) that both inhibits and defines it: Some actors overreached their cause and became shrill. Still, in a play so ripe with humanity, these emotional undertones and missteps bring fresh meaning to these antiquated words and phrases. As one young man said to his father at the play's close, "This felt real, Dad." |