Gadfly to Present Gender-Bending Production of OTHELLO, 9/20-29

Gadfly Theatre Productions presents a gender-bending production of Othello from September 20-29, 2013 at the People's Center Theater in Minneapolis. Shakespeare's classic drama of love & lust gets a Gadfly twist this fall as directorCassandra Snow reimagines Othello as a modern-day lesbian head over heels for bisexual femme Desdemona. Still relevant politics of the piece are examined including issues like racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia, and what happens not only to minorities but to the innocent bystanders when patriarchal zealots refuse to let go.

Director and Gadfly Co-Founder Cassandra Snow has assembled a cast that is committed to bringing attention to why a text written hundreds of years ago rings eerily relevant today. "Othello forces us to confront the fact that things may not have changed much since the Bard's time, and casting Othello as a woman forces us to examine the intersection between race, sexuality, and gender," says Snow. Cast in the titular role, Siddeeqah Shabazz returns to the stage with Gadfly after a successful run in QUEER! this past summer. "Othello is relevant today in regards to racial issues. It shows how the character Othello is not fully accepted due to her ethnicity and no matter what she does her ethnicity is always a factor."

And revising the role of Desdemona is Rebecca Hanson (last seen with Gadfly as Mitzi in Mitzi's Abortion) who is happy return to Gadfly. "There is an openness, and always a welcoming feeling in any working environment with Gadfly." Professionally, this will be Hanson's first public performance featuring fight choreography at a professional theatre, "When art is passion driven, and excites the artist as they are creating, I believe it shows up in the finished product." Another creative force behind Gadfly, Co-Founder Immanuel Elliott, takes on the role of antagonist Iago. "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on." Elliott encourages both lovers of Shakespeare and those who prefer modern dramas to take in this fresh take on Othello this fall.

Performance Dates:
Friday, 9/20 @ 7:30pm* (Opening)
Saturday, 9/21 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, 9/22 @ 3:00pm (Pay-What-You-Can Performance)
Monday, 9/23 @ 7:30pm (Pay-What-You-Can Performance)
Thursday, 9/26 @ 7:30pm
Friday, 9/27 @ 7:30pm*
Saturday, 9/28 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, 9/29 @ 3:00pm (Pay-What-You-Can Performance)

*Friday nights feature a post-show discussion with the cast & Gadfly company members

Tickets: Sliding Scale of $12-$27 cash or check at the door.

Pay-What-You-Can on Sunday, September 22 at 3:00 pm; Monday, September 22 at 7:30 pm; and Sunday, September 29 at 3:00pm.

Tickets can be purchased online: http://www.gadflytheatre.org/tickets.html or
call Brown Paper Tickets at at: 1-800-838-3006 and reference event 45197: Othello.

Group organizers can contact Cassandra Snow at 612-607-3791 to inquire about tickets.

TRIGGER WARNING: This production of Othello contains scenes of violence and violence against women.

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