Bay Street Theater and Divaria Productions announce a live opera presentation of Othello: The Opera and Play Enmeshed on Saturday, September 14 at 8 pm. This production is an exploration of the timeless classic though theater, opera & dance. The project will feature selections from Verdi's opera in Italian, parts of Shakespeare's text with professional actors and dancers, all three of which will transmit the essence of the story through different mediums. The story of Othello concerns themes of jealousy, misplaced trust and exclusion, all of which, though crafted 400 years ago, are extraordinarily relevant today.
In the words of co-director Andrew Bell, "We've grounded our staging of Othello in World War II, a period where heroes abound, and unexpected villains lurk on every corner. It's an uncertain time period where one's ethnicity divides and one's loyalty is always being put to the test. Religion historically was more of a driving force in skirmishes of yesteryear, but it is in the dark days of World War II, where one's identity is under assault and determines one's fate. Othello exhibits a steadfast allegiance to his army, one he's demonstrated through great feats on the battlefield, but his identity and background regrettably make him a target. He clings to the fellow soldiers who've won his trust amidst the unease and it is with that very choice that his fate is sealed." A dream team of actors will perform the opera including Leland Gantt as Othello, Rivka Borek as Desdemona and Michal Gizinski as Iago, to bring our vision to life. The singing cast is equally as strong including tenor Limmie Pulliam, one of the finest Othellos currently gracing opera's stages, soprano Ashley Galvani Bell as Desdémona, and Metropolitan Opera's Kidon Choi as Iago. These performers imbue new energy into and state the case for why Othello is more perhaps relevant today amidst our politically and racially divided landscape than it has ever been before.Videos