Jordan Barbour to Lead Quintessence Theatre Group's Live Reading of OTHELLO

Quintessence Theatre Group, Philadelphia's professional classic repertory theatre, is bringing the world of William Shakespeare into our homes with a reading of his classic tragedy, Othello. This reading, on Wednesday May 6 at 7:30 p.m., will be streamed on Facebook (www.facebook.com/QuintessenceTheatr)and on the company's website www.qtgrep.org. The cast of this reading features members of the cast of QTG's 2012 production of the play and several friends of the theatre. Jordan Barbour, who recently appeared in The Inheritance on Broadway, plays the titular character. This streaming event is free to the public.

"Our 2012 production Othello was one of our first Shakespeare productions to draw audiences from across the region," says Artistic Director Alexander Burns who also directed the 2012 production. "We are excited to have most of the original cast back and to have them joined by celebrated classical actors Jordan Barbour, Jeffrey Carlson and Jake Loewenthal."

An epic Shakespearean tragedy, Othello, is brimming with jealousy, passion, ambition and betrayal. Othello the Moor is the celebrated General of Venice's armed forces. Virtuous, steadfast and politic, he falls in love and impetuously marries Desdemona, a powerful senator's daughter. His world is the set to collapse at the hands of Iago, an ambitious subordinate, who turns mortal enemy and becomes one of literatures most seductively manipulative villains. Iago sets the course of events after Othello makes Cassio, an untested scholar of war, his new lieutenant. Reason and passion collide as Iago manipulates Othello toward a tragic event. Quintessence returns to the Elizabethan tradition of all-male Shakespeare with this reading.

The cast includes:

Josh Carpenter* as Iago, Sean Close* as Roderigo, Jordan Barbour* as Othello
Jake Loewenthal* as Cassio, Alex Harvey as Emilia, Andrew Betz* as Desdemona, Matt Lorenz as Brabantio/Gratiano, Lee Cortopassi as The Duke/Lodovico, Ken Sandberg* as Montano, and Jeffrey Carlson* as Bianca. *Actors are members of Actors Equity Association.

This reading is directed by Quintessence Theatre Group's Artistic Director Alexander Burns. Josh Carpenter, Sean Close, Alex Harvey, Matt Lorenz, and Ken Sandberg were all part of the cast of the 2012 production.

TICKETS: Free to the public at QTGrep.org

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski