Actors' Theatre of Columbus to Stage OTHELLO

In 1982, Actors' Theatre of Columbus (ATC) kicked off its first season with a single production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The success of that season proved that Schiller Park was an excellent venue for open air Shakespearean theater, and the troupe has continued this tradition for 35 years. "To Tell the Truth," Actors' Theatre's 2016 season, features four plays that ask questions about how far relationships can be strained and even broken by dishonesty, falsehood and slander.

ATC is proud to kick off the 2016 summer season with one of Shakespeare's great tragedies and one of his finest works, Othello (May 26 - June 19). When the formidable and revered war general Othello (Christopher C. Austin III) falls in love with the beautiful Desdemona (Lindsey Fisher) he marries her, and welcomes the pleasures of a domestic life. Unknown to him, his trusted officer and friend, Iago (Matthew Michael Moore), outraged for being passed over by Othello for a promotion, engineers an insidious campaign of lies and deceit to convince Othello that his new bride has been unfaithful to him. Othello becomes consumed with suspicions of Desdemona's infidelity. Now he must wage war not only with an unseen enemy, but also his own tragic jealousy.

Director Matt Hermes is elated to return to Actors' Theatre, where he began his Columbus theater career years ago. Matt directs for many local troupes, including New Players Theater, Available Light Theatre, Gallery Players, Curtain Players and A&B Theatricals. He helmed the acclaimed area premiere of God of Carnage for NPT; other directorial credits include Good People, Hedda Gabler, The Action Against Sol Schumann, The Vanek Plays, and the world premiere of State of Control. In addition to doing video direction for several local shows, he is a director/producer/editor of narrative, documentary, and industrial films, having won several awards for training videos. On stage, favorite roles include Pastor Paul in The Christians, Beethoven in 33 Variations, Matt Friedman in Talley's Folly, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Jacques in As You Like It, and Lucien P. Smith in The Boys Next Door. Matt has a theater degree from Cedarville University, and is a graduate of the Los Angeles Film Studies Center.

Christopher C. Austin III (Othello) is very proud to take part in Othello, a production in which the centuries old themes of gender equality, race, class, and the effects of war on the soldier, still remain relevant in these modern times. It is Christopher's hope that while we engage in an evening of theater, we as a community will continue the dialogue of the themes of this production and perform the collective work necessary to bring about a cure to these social ills. A theater veteran and much honored to receive awards for his theatrical endeavors; Christopher is also a Licensed Professional Counselor for The Buckeye Ranch.

Lindsey Fisher (Desdemona) is thrilled to be returning to Actors' this summer having previously appeared in King Arthur and the Sword of Britain as Capalus and Lillian. Some past productions include Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Honey), Lend Me a Tenor (Maggie) both with Columbus Civic Theater and Proof (Catherine) with Curtain Players. Lindsey also appeared as a reenactor in WOSU's "Columbus Neighborhoods" documentary series. She is a proud Ohio University graduate with a B.F.A. in theater. In her spare time, she is a novice ceramics artist and avid sewist.

Matthew Michael Moore (Iago) is delighted to return to Actors' Theatre this summer. He has an M.F.A. from the Academy for Classical Acting at GWU, and a few of his local credits include Gerald in Murderers (CATCO), Antonio in Twelfth Night (Human Race Theatre), and Touchstone in As You Like It (Actors' Theatre). He's the founder of Lamp and Light Productions and travels nationally with three solo performances of Scripture, including King David, Paul the Apostle, and John's Gospel.

"As an arts organization with the incredible privilege of presenting free theater in a public park, we have an obligation to reflect and celebrate the diversity of our community," shares Artistic Director Philip J. Hickman. "Classic theater is classic because it speaks to the human condition and inspires our lives. We are committed to leading our community in artistic excellence and vision."

ATC's 2016 performance season will continue with a world premiere adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo (June 23 - July 17), as well as Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale (July 21 - August 7), and Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband (August 11 - September 4).

Each performance runs Thursday-Sunday at 8 pm at Schiller Park's Amphitheatre Stage in German Village. Outdoor summer shows are free and open to the public, though donations are encouraged and vital to the continued success of Actors' Theatre. Inaugural memberships with Actors' Theatre have been created for the 35th anniversary season and are available by visiting http://theactorstheatre.org/membership.html.

On Friday, May 27, beginning at 6 pm, ATC will celebrate its 2016 Annual Tent Dinner with pre-show entertainment, silent auction, and a gourmet meal prepared by Matthew Schenk, the Executive Chef of the Columbus Culinary School before the opening season performance of Shakespeare's Othello. For reservations call 614-444-6888 or visit http://theactorstheatre.org/tentdinner.html.

Support for Actors' Theatre is made possible by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Ohio Arts Council, and The Columbus Foundation with media support from WCBE 90.5 FM.

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