My Review of “Othello” at the Lantern Theater Company
Nobody said Shakespeare was easy, right ? Well, it ain’t all that hard either. You see, early in the play, I thought I didn’t understand what was happening, but then I stopped trying so hard to figure it out, and realized that I already had ! Sure, the language was tough, and there were times that I just couldn’t understand the dialog, but they zipped by soon enough, and by paying attention to the interaction between characters, it all became clear !You might be like me, and didn’t know the gist of Othello, so here goes : It’s the story of a young military man (Iago) who gets passed over for promotion. Feeling slighted, and rather bitter, he goes a rampage of subterfuge, misleading and misguiding all those around him. His true aim is the destruction of the romance between his commander, Othello, who is a Moor (i.e. a black man), and his new wife, a young, fair (white) maiden. I won’t give a way the ending, because it’s definitely worth checking out.
As for the production, I thought it was very, very good. Pete Pryor did a really stellar job as Iago. I also liked Frank X as Othello, though I do think he peaked a bit too early. His portrayal seems a bit too tormented in the middle of the play, but for the end, seems entirely appropiate.
And best of all ? I now understand why the game pieces in the Othello board game are black and white !
It closes on Sunday, so you better hurry. Be prepared, it’s a 3 hour play.