- No chemistry between Othello & Desdemona.
- Desdemona. Either she's played by an actress who can't "do" innocence, in which case you can't trust her, or she's played by an actress who equates innocence with blandness, and you can't understand why passionate Othello would be so drawn to her.
- Just as contemporary actresses can't play innocence --have no idea what it would look like, as I've ranted before, contemporary actors can't play anger. At least not with sincerity. We've all grown so nihilistic and detached that we don't know what it is to be angry rather than jaded and unsurprised. So when actors play angry, they just throw a tantrum. You can tell it's acting --and in a good performance, you shouldn't be able to see the "acting."
- Iago can be well-played, but he's just as often over-played --might as well give him a cape and a pencil-thin mustache as he rubs his hands together and snickers.
Hubby & I went to a preview of Shakespeare Theater 's Othello this afternoon. I went expecting an intelligent production. The top regional theaters eclipsed Broadway long ago for interesting stage work, and Shakespeare's Michael Kahn is an actor's director --for my money, the best working in the U.S. There's always work of interest on the Shakespeare Theater stage, but I find I'm only satisfied when Kahn directs. All visting directors --and he only hires the best from the other top regional theaters-- simply pale in comparison to him. I don't say they lack talent, but they have their own hobby horses to explore. Kahn knows how to let the plays speak for themselves and how to refine an actor's creativity into a sustained and finely observed performance. So as I say, I expected an intelligent performance.
What I did not expect was to be moved. Othello has always left me a bit flat, but under Kahn's direction, the four pivotal characters give not only beautiful performances themselves, but a marvelous ensemble performance. Avery Brooks (yes, the Star Trek Deep Space Nine Captain) is simply a marvel as Othello, bringing him to life with astonishing freshness --and the man knows what real anger looks like. He and Colleen Delaney as Desdemona achieve chemistry, so you believe these two actually love each other and you can invest yourself in their relationship. Patrick Page is a keenly observed (he makes the most of every utterance) yet understated Iago, the business-like character of his malevolence actually drawing hisses at various points from the audience: fantastic! Who has ever heard anyone actually hiss? And he and Lise Bruneau as his wife, Emilia, managed through stage business and a few reactions to convey an entire subplot in their relationship.
I have never before been able to care very much when Desdemona dies. I understand the tragedy of it intellectually, of course, but I've never seen a performance where I was in any way invested in the characters. This afternoon the play actually moved me to tears. My husband will tell you that I am cynical about Washington audiences --they give standing ovations for every blasted thing, and even though I feel a bit crabbed about sitting while everyone stands, I just refuse to stand for a merely acceptable or interesting performance. But today I turned to my husband and said, "Today, I'll stand --that was magnificent." And I'm actually going to write Michael Kahn my first fan letter. You can't receive a gift like that and not say thanks.
