OTHELLO: THE OPERA AND PLAY ENMESHED Comes to Bay Street Theater

Bay Street Theater and Divaria Productions have announced 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."

We've gathered a dream team of actors 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 Desdemona, 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.

The production team is headed by co-directors Antón Armendariz and Andrew Bell, musical director/pianist Nicolò Sbuelz who will be accompanied by a string quartet, and choreographer Francis Roach of Luigi Jazz Centre.

Tickets range from $25 to $50 and can be purchased at the Bay Street Office at 631-725-9500 or online at baystreet.org. The Box Office is open daily 11 am - showtime. Beginning September 3, it will be open 11 am - 5 pm Tuesday - Saturday.

This event is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor M. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by The Huntington Arts Council.

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. It serves as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists.