Women's Theatre Festival Announces OTHELLO

Women's Theatre Festival has nnounced OTHELLO by William Shakespeare in a modern verse translation by Mfoniso Udofia as its Spring '21 Virtual Livestream Mainstage Production, produced in partnership with Ashland, Oregon's PLAY ON SHAKESPEARE.

This will be the first fully-realized production of Udofia's translation of OTHELLO. Originally commissioned by Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Udofia seeks to pull no punches with her translation that starkly illuminates the overt anti-Black racist language within Shakespeare's text.

Visionary director JAMEEKA D. HOLLOWAY helms this all Black femme creative team, which also includes MONET MARSHALL (Dramaturg & Intimacy Director), AURELIA BELFIELD (Sound Designer), KEYANNA ALEXANDER (Production Designer/Creative Technical Director), AQUILA BUTLER (Costume Design), and Tia James (Voice & Text Coach). Together, they will tackle the tough questions: should this work ever be produced and what is the cost to the Black artists who participate in it?

Holloway's OTHELLO takes place at Venice College, an elite all-female PWI (predominantly white institution) collegiate academic institution. Despite the implications of systemic racism within the school, the brilliant Othello (NUBIA MONKS) excels both academically and socially. Her success triggers envy and uncovers the covert racism of her peers, especially that of her close friend and "ally" Iago (Zandi Carlson), who sets in motion a vile scheme to sabotage and destroy her.

Funded in part by the City of Raleigh by recommendation of the Raleigh Arts Commission and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, along with the support of Play On Shakespeare and the Hitz Foundation, OTHELLO brings some of Raleigh and the Triangle's most talented theatre artists into collaboration with passionate creatives from around the country.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW for the 5 live performances of OTHELLO: April 8, 9, 10, 16, & 17 at 8pm ET. Live performances will be followed by a 3 day Video On Demand recorded version.

Accessibility: All performances of OTHELLO will be open captioned. WTF is committed to accessibility and invites patrons to request additional accommodations with as much advance notice as possible (preferably 2 weeks) to Accessibility Coordinator Hannah Williams via info@womenstheatrefestival.com.