Cast and Creative Team Revealed For OTHELLO at San Jose Stage Company

San Jose Stage Company has announced the full cast and creative team for The Stage’s upcoming Jazz-Infused Adaptation of William Shakespeare’s OTHELLO. Directed by Kenneth Kelleher, OTHELLO will run from June 7 – 25, 2023 at San Jose Stage Company (490 South 1st Street, San Jose, CA, 95113). The press opening will take place on Saturday, June 10th at 8:00 p.m. Tickets range from $34 - $74 and can be purchased through the Box Office at (408) 283-7142 or online at www.thestage.org. For more information, visit www.thestage.org.

The Stage presents a reimagined, jazz-infused version of William Shakespeare’s OTHELLO, set in the gritty and dark world of a 1950s film-noir jazz club milieu, providing a unique twist and an extra layer of intensity to the already powerful drama. The cast of eight actors takes on multiple roles in this Brechtian cabaret-style performance, creating an intimate and disturbing exploration of Shakespeare's timeless themes. At its core, this production delves into the tragic love story of Othello and Desdemona, complicated by the cunning manipulations of Iago who leads Othello to believe that Desdemona is unfaithful. With themes of love, deceit, betrayal, and murder at its core, this reimagined version of OTHELLO provides a powerful commentary on these timeless themes and offers a fresh perspective on Shakespeare's classic tragedy while remaining true to its enduring relevance.

“The Stage is thrilled to wrap up our momentous 40th Milestone Season with a truly captivating production of William Shakespeare's masterpiece, OTHELLO,” says Randall King, Artistic Director. “In this highly anticipated adaptation, the stars have aligned to bring together an extraordinary ensemble and creative team. This new adaptation blends Shakespeare's brilliance with the pulsating heartbeat of jazz while tackling today’s pressing issues: racism, gender dynamics, and fierce agendized manipulation. The timeless tale of OTHELLO illuminates the delicate complexities of the human condition and our shared humanity.”

“This reimagined 1950’s film-noir adaptation of Othello, William Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy of love, deceit, betrayal and murder, invokes echoes of Raymond Chandler and Jack Kerouac,” says Kenneth Kelleher, Director. “With only 8 actors, we’ll  investigate Shakespeare’s themes of the manic twist for dominance laced with an underscore of racial prejudices.”

The cast of OTHELLO will feature Aldo Billingslea* as “Othello,” Johnny Moreno* as “Iago,” Charisse Loriaux* as “Desdemona,” Michael Storm* as “Brabantio/Montano,” Davied Morales as “Cassio,” Nick Mandracchia as “Roderigo,” Judith Miller as “Emilia/Duke of Venice” and Elenor Irene Paul as “Bianca/Lodovico.”  

In addition to Kenneth Kelleher, the creative team includes Robert Pickering (Scenic Consultant), Jean Cardinale (Costume Designer), Maurice Vercoutere (Lighting Designer), Steve Schoenbeck (Sound Designer), Jenn Trampenau (Props Coordinator), and Justin Travis Buchs* (Stage Manager).