WSU Hilberry Theatre Presents OTHELLO, Opening Today

The Hilberry Theatre continues its 50th season with William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, opening on Friday, October 26, 2012. Othello chronicles the downfall of the Moorish general at the hands of his lieutenant, Iago, through a plot fueled by jealousy and vengeance. As the story escalates, tensions rise and every loyalty is questioned. Othello will be running in rotating repertory with Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) by Ann Marie-MacDonald, a modern comedy involving Shakespeare's famous tales. Patrons interested in seeing both shows can save $10 off the regular price when mentioning the coupon code 30R8. Individual tickets for Othello range from $12-$30 and are available by calling the Hilberry Theatre Box Office at (313) 577-2972, online at Hilberry.com, or by visiting the Wayne State University Theatres' Box Office at 4743 Cass Avenue on the corner of Hancock.

William Shakespeare is often heralded as the national poet of England and is nicknamed the "Bard of Avon." Othello, which is thought to have been written in 1603, is an adaptation of Un Capitano Moro, a short story by the Italian writer Cinthio. Othello's story has proven to be a popular theatre production and has been adapted into several films, as well as a number of operas and ballets. Since the first performance on the stage in 1604, the tragedy of Othello has become synonymous with the themes of love and betrayal. According to Edmund Alyn Jones, who will be playing the role of Othello in the Hilberry production, there are parallels between the struggle of Othello and that of Detroit: "For Othello, nothing came easy for him. So in that sense, I definitely see a connection between him and Detroit."

Jones, who played the title character two years ago in Richard III, is native to Detroit and earned his BFA from the University of Michigan. Before attending college, Jones was part of the acclaimed Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, which, due to the unavailability of drama programs while he was a student of grade school, was integral to his theatre education. Alongside the Hilberry Theatre, Edmund has also been involved in many other Detroit venues, such as the City Theatre, Music Hall, and the Gem Theatre.

Cast includes:

Edmund Alyn Jones (Othello), Megan Dobbertin (Desdemona), Alec Barbour (Iago), Danielle Cochrane (Emilia), Miles Boucher (Cassio), David Sterritt (Roderigo), Sarah Hawkins Moan (Bianca), Joe Plambeck (Brabantio), Topher Payne (Duke), Ty Mitchell (Lodovico), Brent Griffith (Gratiano), Brandon Grantz (Montano), Joshua Miller (Senator/Barkeep), Joshua Blake Rippy (Officer/Herald), Chris Call (Gentleman), Carl Ghigliazza (Attendant), and Adham Aljahmi (Attendant).

Production team includes:

Blair Anderson (Director), Veronica Zahn (Stage Manager), Leazah Behrens (Scenic Designer), Clare Hungate-Hawk (Costume Designer), Brian M. Scruggs (Lighting Designer), Heather DeFauw (Sound Designer), Curtis Green (Technical Director), and Kevin Replinger (Publicist).