Red Bull Theater Announces OTHELLO 2020, A Multi-Program Initiative

Red Bull Theater today announced that the 2020-'21 Season will continue with OTHELLO 2020, a multi-program initiative providing an engaging and educational experience for all who are interested in Shakespeare's Othello and the world in which we live today.

Artistic Director Jesse Berger explains: "We couldn't be more thrilled to announce our fall OTHELLO 2020 initiative and the artists and scholars who will be joining us for the programs. All of us at Red Bull are excited to deepen our exploration and understanding of the intersection of race and classical theater. This October, with Shakespeare's Othello as our launching point, we invite audiences to take a deep dive into these issues as we examine them from a variety of perspectives over the course of four key projects. Together, we'll ask 'What does Othello mean for us in 2020'?"

"All of us at Red Bull Theater are committed to working actively to help realize a more just American theater. Othello 2020 is part of our ongoing commitment to racial justice and ensuring that our theater is a home for all. This initiative is a starting point for our renewed and refocused efforts in this area. We look forward to continuing these conversations as we learn more about the intersection of classical theater and race," said managing director Jim Bredeson.

Running from October 5th through 28th, the multi-program online-only OTHELLO 2020 initiative will include an informal reading of Keith Hamilton Cobb's American Moor, which the company produced Off-Broadway in the fall of 2019; a premiere reading of Anchuli Felicia King's new play Keene, concerning the first known African American actor to perform the role of Othello; a RemarkaBull Podversation with Patrick Page focused on Iago's "I hate the Moor" speech from Othello; and a multi-part salon seminar series: Exploring Othello in 2020 that will bring together a group of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) theater artists to read and discuss Shakespeare's Othello with celebrated Shakespeare scholar, Ayanna Thompson.

Red Bull Theater is committed to continuing connection during this historic time. Red Bull's online readings offer the unique opportunity to hear rarely-produced classic plays, and brand new plays in conversation with the classics, performed by the finest actors in New York. All of Red Bull Theater's fall offerings are FREE, but advance reservations are recommended. Tax-deductible donations are encouraged to support Red Bull and invest in the vitality of classical theater for a contemporary audience. For details visit redbulltheater.com/othello-2020.