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Othello at the Rogue

The beauty in Rogue Theatre's production of Othello lies in it's simplicity. It rises and unfolds like a song, using Shakespeare's text as lyrics. And its a soft song. This is the quietest Shakespeare you have ever heard. But you mustn't assume that is a bad thing. The spectacle (production) is soft in overall behavior. The physical life of the characters is simple and casual. The volume of their speech is ordinary. And for us spectators, this is in many respects a welcoming and inviting phenomenon.

There is a certain intellectuality or cerebral-ness to the performance and very often the actual events and circumstances of the drama were not manifest at all - but...it was moving as a story telling practice, unique in its own way...and there were a couple of simply outstanding scenes, well played and engaging. With Rogue, its difficult and challenging fare, making it completely exciting to be present as a spectator.

Thoughts on Othello - part six

One thing I didn't mention about Othello. I said he is a great story teller, lover, warrior, things like that - but to cap it off, dude is a party animal! Which just about completes all the things some of us aspire to and to be.

In the scene where he returns victorious to Cypress and we have the great "reunion kiss" that I mentioned in an earlier post, Othello makes the announcement of the end of battle, the war, which in large part was due to the storm that has been ravaging the island. Shortly after that announcement comes a proclomation - an island party!
I don't know the exact lines but something about everyone is to get busy partying, some to light bonfires, music, etc. It's to be a celebration for the end of war and also a wedding reception party for Othello and Desdemona. Dude goes in during the middle of the night and steals away the hot young daughter of a powerful and prominent citizen, goes off to fight a war, and then comes back to party like its 1999. Now me being me, I imagine this island party scene to go down big.

The theme of the party is 'Freelove." (as made up by me). And I know this is America and we have certain retarded rules about what is allowed on stage in theatres and what is not...and I'm not talking about sex or nudity mind you...I'm talking about flames - some good bonfires and bbqs happening. Cause that is what I imagine in the scene. BBQ's, bonfires, drinking, dancing, music, skimpy clothes, freelove all around. Hey, Men have been at war and now everyone wants to get it on. Its an all day and night party mind you. This is one of Othello's legendary shindigs. Its big and bold and passionate like him. If you are on the A list - you got it made. Island party!

That becomes the backdrop for more of Iago's scheming of course, and he proceeds to get Cassio drunk. Now Rogue Theatre had a nice little rousing scene of this with music and drinking - this particular section. Their production for various reasons played down and edited some of the war references and context - which is something often done in productions these days. And in the manner of presentation of the play they were not going to haul barrels on stage to light up some bonfires and roast some lambs - to my lament, to my lament. Neither was there going to be sensual love making to stand in stark contrast to Iago's distant persona - to my lament, to my lament. Neither was there going to be cliff diving - to my lament. Or swinging from the rafters and trees - yes, to my lament. But they did have the rousing little "haha drinking" scene with songs, to get Cassio drunk. And I enjoyed it.

Othello via the Rogue was not the bold party dude type. Nathan Crocker's Othello was more proper and prim and well behaved and mannered and official acting and sounding at all times. Formal. I had a bit of a hard time believing this dude would go in the middle of the night to steal the hot young chicka out of the house. He behaved more like an A-Student goody two shoes, sometimes even walking around reading as if he was working on some intellectual project, a thesis perhaps. Now there is logic in that interpetation, reason for it. But me being me, I was hoping for a more swaggering, bold, bravado, come-with-me-cause-this-is-where-its-at kind of guy. Something that would really make Iago jealous. Othello can be that smart and succesful bad boy who gets the ladies. Hey, he gets them somehow, and I dont think its because he is prim and proper and official at all times. Ladies love him and men want to be him. And sometimes vice-versa. And then there is Iago - who is afraid of him and completely jealous of him. In all else in life, until Othello came along, Iago, with his brain and mind and good humor, his honesty etc, got the attention and did all the right things. Now comes Othello, with a bigger strut in his step, a more powerful sword, experience to make others wish they had only, etc, etc, etc. And it drives Iago bonkers! Especially after Othello hops in the sack with his wife (perhaps). (In the unsaid and said behavior between Desdemona and Emelia comes some depth and contrast and interesting relationship in that manner).

Storm, kiss, party, ...love this play!

Joe McGrath/Iago/Othello/Sea Creatures

I was gonna write this post something like a very long Irish limrick entitled "Can We Get Joe McGrath Some Rest?" I got this far -

"Can we get poor ol'Joe McGrath some rest,
He's been a working just a tad bit harder than the rest,
of us."

But something...just didn't sound correct there...so...back to my prosiness.

First of all, if you haven't seen Othello playing at the Rogue Theatre yet, go see it. Despite my recent posts on Othello here, I haven't written about this particular show yet save for mention of one lovely scene. But there are lots of very good reasons to see Rogue's production. So...go to.

Can we get Joe McGrath some rest? Joe McGrath plays Iago in Rogue's Othello. Its a very demanding role and Joe does an exceptional job with it. But here comes "however." However, there is something missing - not so much with interpetation or execution of the role/character itself, but rather what seemed absent to me was a spirit and energy, a persona, that I believe is present when Joe is at his creative best. Where was it? I believe it just wasn't able to manifest itself along with Joe's work here because Joe is exhausted - physically and creatively. And, along with that, there have grown recent barnacles on, in and around Joe's creativity. That last part may sound harsh, but it happens to all of us from time to time. In fact, I borrowed that from a recent description I read of an actor, which happened to reference Stanislavsky's thoughts on how barnacles grow on our creativity and we need to clean those off periodically so we can get back to our best work. I believe its apt in this case.

Joe McGrath is the hardest working person in theatre in our Town. Now lets put this in perspective. There is hard working and then there is hard working. The first hard working is like me, I think I'm busy and have so much to do, etc. The second hard working is the real deal. Theatre-wise in this second category in our town we have people like Joe and Cindy and others at Rogue Theatre, and certainly both Dell's at Beowulf Alley Theatre, a few perhaps at Live Theatre Workshop. These are all people in official capacities with theatres. Then there are hard working people like Patrick Baliani who combine family, profession, interests and social activity, formally and informally. Anyway, with all due respect to everyone else, I think Joe McGrath is the hardest working and also the most all-around working,theatre-wise, doing some of everything. Usually, for people like this, love and passion and creative fun and purpose fuels and sustains them for long durations. But it just so happens sometimes you get a little tired, mentally, physically, etc. And little habits develop. and then more little habits develop on top of those habits. And still you keep going going creatively. But now the habits of creative behavior begin to engulf or enslave you - the barnacles are taking over, getting heavy, loading you down. A good nights sleep won't resolve it. You need rest but you need creative rest and renewal also. You have to clean the barnacles and re-examine and re-understand your creative body and mind. You have to get sleek and ready in that respect.

I said the barnacles happen to all of us from time to time. Well, that's not totally true. In order for the barnacles to start growing in the first place, you have to get into the water, into the creative act. And so at times, despite their "ugliness" in appearance, you can wear your barnacles with momentary pride, because you have been to "the depths." If you haven't been in the water recently, you likely are barnacle free. But if you go in there and get them, you eventually should clean them off. If you want modern reference, think cookies and spam and spyware on your computer. Gotta wipe it clean!

Stanislavsky was brilliant at creative renewal and even as an elderly man, few could keep pace with his creativity. But he worked at the renewal, at revitalizing himself, and did so consciously. The various manifestations of his work throughout his life attest to this. Besides his daily "rote and drill" for actors which is legendary and is one aspect of the process, getting to nature and to rest and to reflection was also included.

Which brings me back to Joe. Can we get Joe McGrath some rest? Can we send him on a cruise that doesn't have a scene shop? A cabin without scripts? How about a workshop or a massage or yoga retreat or some order of business that prompts new perspective? Not because Joe is bad, but because Joe looks tired, and barnacled.

Now in fairness and specifics to his work on Iago, we have to separate certain things. We already said the work was "pretty good" (for lack of better term and time at this moment). We have to separate though certain reasons for "things missing." Time is one reason why "things are missing." Lack of time that is, meaning preparation time. A short rehearsal period like Rogue's does not allow actors to prepare roles fully in context within themselves and their fellow actors. That type of reason is different from creative exhaustion and barnacles. So we have to recognize that and understand it. In this case, more rehearsal and production time will take care of certain problems, but it wouldn't necessarily take care of others -that spirit, that persona. For that, rest and barnacle clearing is needed.

Why be audacious about this and say it to begin with? Afterall, Joe's work was exceptional in many ways. My reason is selfish. As a spectator I want to see an inspired performance. I want to see Joe as Iago as lightning in a bottle. And I think it could be, could have been. The night I saw the show there were some obvious signs even within the fine work - stammering over a line here and there, missing a stair step, the overall sounds and looks of a body on fumes, still running seemingly ok, but trying to burn the last of fumes, and then being overtaken with the habits, the barnacles. In glimpses things broke free for Joe. But not in a complete sense, and they weren't going to. But the talent and the know how and the experience is there for lightning in a bottle. So, I'll ask once more. Can we get Joe McGrath some rest and renewal?

Thoughts on Othello - part five - main event

Back in my part one I mentioned the idea of an "initiating event" and said there was the related "main event" of the play. And I said there was or should be a logic of action and association with between these two ideas. Very often directors use this as a way of constructing the series of actions that become the performance. The two ideas serve as the reasoning behind it all so to speak. When faced with how or why questions about what characters do or don't do, a director will often try and see what squares best with the logic and association of these two events before making a decision.

In part one I said that I like the suggestion that the initiating event in Othello is the fact that Othello himself is such a wonderful story teller, was invited often by Brabantio to his home, told his stories there of war and adventure and travel, and Desdemona fell in love with him and he with her during that time. It makes sense to me I said because you can line up every other thing in the play behind that.

To me the main event of the play itself, is when Othello kills Desdemona. It is the most profound and meaningful action in the play, with the widest repurcussions. And of course there is a direct link, connection between that and what I take as the initiating event. So in my mind, the story, the play goes essentially from the falling in love to the killing.

For that reason, I believe the play is appropriately entitled "Othello."

While certain events as happening in the play are manipulated by Iago, Iago's own behavior and scheming is a result of what Othello is and has done. Therefore again, Othello is the catalyst, the turning point of this play. For that reason also, I believe the play is appropriately entitled "Othello."

Before our modern fixation on Iago's "psychology" great actors and producers through the ages understood Othello to be the role of a lifetime, the measure of an actor's greatness. For that reason also, I believe the play is appropriately entitled "Othello."

Shakespeare entitled it "Othello, the Moor of Venice." Therefore, I think that is the appropriate title.

Many other reasons exist too for the title - but I'll leave it at that.

It's a brilliant and complex play and tracing the logic and the action bit by bit between the initiating event and the main event of the play is a challenge, but one all actors and directors can love and appreciate.

Thoughts on Othello - Part 4 - questions for scenes one and two.

Curious things about the first two scenes of Othello.

As the play opens, the Duke's council is in session in the middle of the night because a possible war is brewing and decisions need to be made quickly. Brabantio, one of the Senators, is home sleeping. His daughter Desdemona has been stealed away out of his house earlier that night by Othello. The war council has sent out three separate dispatches to try and find Othello. Obviously he wasn't at his usual abode because he was someplace getting married to and then (at the Sagittary) getting on with Desdemona. But the council has been trying to find him. They need his services. But apparently no one has been searching for or trying to call Brabantio to the meeting. Why? Or why not? And the second question is who in the world gets to interrupt a hastily called middle of the night war council meeting to complain that their daughter has eloped with someone they don't like and so they want the guy taken care of, prosecuted with the law? And why do they get to do that? We need answers or possibilities for answers in order to grasp the logic and the tension, the full dramatic action of these first two scenes.

Stanislavsky for one offered some interesting and plausable answers. Stanislavsky suggested that Brabantio, whose influence we hear is double the Duke's, could or would be Duke himself, save for a political agreement between him and the current Duke. Brabantio essentially did the Duke a favor. But the Duke has been slowly dismantling some of Branbantio's ideas and policies. (reason perhaps not to invite him to the council meeting that night?). Before Brabantio and Othello come into the council meeting, one of the Senators announces Brabantio's entrance. The Duke however proceeds to greet Othello first and then say to Brabantio, "oh sorry I didn't see you there and we missed having your council tonight, so sorry you weren't here." When Brabantio explains what happened to his daughter and asks for revenge on the man who took her, the Duke agrees - seizing on it as a chance to repay that political favor. However, when he finds out the guy in question is Othello, things change. Suddenly these are now two men (Duke and Brabantio) in a power struggle with one another politically, socially, in front of the rest of the Senators and others now present. How will it go down? Some of the Senators would be worried and fence walking like crazy having given their own allegiance to one of these men one way or another. Its a political throwdown. And then Othello speaks giving his side of the story. And with his charm and charisma, his great gift of storytelling, and in this case humility as well, he throws the lead over to the Duke's side. But of course Othello had suggested that they don't really listen to him but rather go get Desdemona and let her tell her side of things. And so there is still Desdemona to be heard. When she arrives, fresh from a little time alone with Othello on their wedding night, after sneaking out of her father's house (where she has basically been a captive all her young life) she gives her side of the story, cementing politically reprieve for the Duke (who now will not have to prosecute Othello).

Addendum: The very talented David Morden who plays Brabantio in Rogue's production looked like Hulk Hogan with that wig and cap he was wearing. Maybe why I used references like "throwdown!" Sometimes these modern references and images get in the way!

Thoughts on Othello - part 3 - a scene?

Lots of writing and I haven't yet gotten to any impressions of Rogue's production. Well, I can't get to the entire play right now but I'll get to one scene so as to make you believe I really went there.

If you don't see another scene (or play) for the rest of the year, see the scene between Desdemona and Emilia as it was played out the night I was there by Avis Judd and Patty Gallagher. It's the famous scene in the last act, "sing willow, willow, willow." It wasn't a "perfect" scene the night I was there but it was damn good. And it's not perfection that we seek as spectators, but rather lives and relationships and purpose and action and story and thoughts and emotions. And such was present in that scene that night. Avis Judd and Patty Gallagher sought something as artists in that scene, taking us with them in their search. There were no histrionics or mistaking energy and business for dramatic action and emotion - it was the real deal. Words were backed by actual thoughts, feeling was backed by actual sensation and the reactions to one another were backed by actual listening and hearing and empathizing. And the words as written by Shakespeare suddenly grew in leaps and bounds bringing meaning and relevance, rhythm and metaphor, sound and logic alive in the moment as theatre, as drama. And I as a spectator begin to think and feel and imagine. Not just with my mind but with my entire biological being. The words had an impact on me via sound, the movements and postures of the characters impacted me visually, and my mind and feelings worked those things together in anticipation of what was to come. As played out by Avis Judd and Patty Gallagher that night, it was a properly quiet and powerful scene - a prelude to what is to come later in the play, a tribute to what is good, a lament and lesson of what is wrong, and a celebration somehow of dedication and beauty and love and possibilities...all in one. All in one. And all in ones like that can only happen when playwright words merge truly and logically and literally with the creative process of the performers.

Thoughts on Othello - part 2 - the reunion kiss.

Question/Problem: How to play out the kiss in the following scene.

Here is the setup - Desdemona and Othello have not seen each other really since their wedding night. Othello has been at war and Desdemona has been at home under the watch of Iago (and Iago is home [at Othello's request] watching Desdemona instead of serving his own duty of office. Buts that's another question/problem). It's been months perhaps. Now however they have a planned meeting at a seaport town in Cypress. But to make matters bad, a storm is raging and that has made travel almost as risky as war, with ships tossing up and down on the sea. Never-the-less Desdemona arrives safely (with Iago and others) first. And Othello soon makes it onshore as well. The storm has calmed, if not completely passed as they see each other, a kind of poetic silence if you will descends. And then.


Othello: O my fair warrior.
Desdemona: My dear Othello.
Othello: It gives me wonder great as my content
To see you here before me. Oh my soul's joy.
If after every tempest come such calms
May the winds blow till they have waken'd death.
And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas
Olympus high, and duck again as low
As hell's from heaven. If I were now to die,
Twere now to be most happy; for I fear
My soul hath her content so absolute
That not another comfort like to this
Succeeds in unknown fate.
Desdemona: The heavens forbid
But that our loves and comforts should increase
Even as our days do grow.
Othello: Amen to that, sweet powers.
I cannot speak enough of this content;
It stops me here; It is too much of joy;
And this, and this, the greatest discords be
(Kissing her)
That e'er our hearts shall make.


She is his "warrior" and he is her "dear."

And so you must imagine like I do, two soaked, wet, drenched people, tired from travel and worry, so deeply in love with each other, standing now before one another, at last, legs a little shaky still from the ship's tossing and tossing. And saying these lines! Come on - it's too beautiful! I love it. This is Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett! ('cept Othello and Desdemona actually do it) Note: Us actors like to say we find clues in the manner in which Shakespeare presents his language - and like great writers, the characters themselves become more and more poetic and beautiful as they become more and more emotionally engaged, with all their senses highly activated - just as in this scene. In the unspoken, in the action, in the kiss itself, they say "I love (and need and want) thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach." (more or less you know).

And so...to the question, the problem...how to do that? How to play out this kiss? Maybe it's only Othello who is soaking wet from the storm, and perhaps we have seen just previously as she has come ashore, Desdemona being protected from the rain. But now, perhaps she freely embraces and kisses Othello without concern for the wet and maybe coldness. Or maybe Othello begins the kiss with the intent not to get her wet, kissing her ever so very delicately, but then slowly they meld together, feeling the wettness between them (no puns intended!!!) and after stepping away from each other, there is "Othello's mark," the outline of his body, in the form of the wetspot (no pun intended again!!!) there on Desdemona. This is love. And the need to feel one another. The need to express love after so much time away. Wet fabric,clothes, clinging as they part, peeling away from each other, lips first, then slowly back from one another, as the wet fabric of their clothes holds together still, like bodies peeling pieces of one another, taking bits of each other.

I think however the kiss plays out, it must have as much poetry and beauty in the action of it as the words spoken between them do. It must have that exactness and precision that the words do. Its not a wild and crazy embrace and kiss, nor is it awkward or too forceful or too casual. It is (or should be) just right. Simple somehow, yet so rich in and full of love. It should be two souls coming together. These are not jaded and angry people (not yet) nor are they momentary lovers or just sexual partners. This is Othello and Desdemona. No matter how odd or unfamiliar a pair, their love is mature, their sensuality full and appropriate in happiness and sureness. This is a kiss the spectators and the others witness - the full blown beauty of love in action. Everyone should be taken, captivated by it in their own way, for their own reasons, from their own point of view. How do you play that kiss as actors?

And who wouldn't want or wish that they had told their love upon seeing them "My soul hath her content so absolute that not another comfort like to this succeeds in unknown fate." And then a moment later kiss her/him! Don't we all want to give and receive that kind of love? My gosh! This in contrast to what we have just seen from some of the other couples or would be couples in the play.

This challenge of Shakespeare, of not only how to say the lines, the words themselves, but how to create the physical action with the same kind of depth and meaning. We can imagine the raw power and grace of Othello, contrasted and combined with the delicate and graceful flow of Desdemona, working somehow in harmony to create, to make, this incredible kiss.

And in related matters of the play - let's take note that Desdemona says in this short but gloriously beautiful and meaninful scene "The heavens forbid but that our loves and comforts should increase even as our days do grow." And so we know, we learn, we are told - as spectators (as is Iago) - in some sense it will become Iago vs the heavens as to what will happen next.

Thoughts on Othello - Part One

There is a book, well worth reading, that was published in the mid 1980's, a Shakespeare in performance series one, which details great actors through the ages in the role of Othello. From Richard Burbage on down through the years, Salvini, Kean, Stanislavsky, Aldridge and others, we get the details and descriptions of their work. For many years, in the 18th and parts of the 19th centuries, Othello was considered the measure for the greatness of an actor's skill. The role of Hamlet perhaps took over that mantle in more recent times and now even in Othello itself it has become more fashionable and hip for actors to play the character of Iago rather than Othello and the emphasis of the play itself during production has often shifted in this regard as well, focusing primarily on the mind and intentions of Iago. But for a long time, Othello was it, the dream role, and actors spent careers working on it. Who wouldn't want to play such a charismatic guy? a daring and successful warrior/traveler, a great story teller, and exciting and sensual lover? It's everyman's fantasy to be such anyway. Add to that all the other stunning challenges for the actor in the role and well, its huge, huge, huge.


Into the fray comes The Rogue Theatre now, with Nathan Crocker and Joseph McGrath as Othello and Iago respectively. I saw the show on Saturday night.


Before I go farther along with the play itself and/or Othello and Iago, let me remind or say that the play has several other wonderful characters, not the least of which are the women, Desdemona, Emilia and Biancha. And in this production they are worth more than a mere noting. But I'll get to all that.



My number one guy Stanislavsky spent a great deal of time working on Othello during his life. As a teenager he saw Salvini play the part and was captivated. He attempted it himself as a young actor and director, and many years later directed a production again. If you have read his books, you know all this. The play and the part of Othello is used often in his teaching. And in the published prompt book of his direction of the play are brilliant notes and descriptions of scenes. He knew it well.


Further background and interest to me personally with the play (in addition to all those monologues and scenes from it in various classes) are a production directed by Eimuntas Nikrosius and a production called Oro de Otelo, which is a dance performance by Augusto Omolu from Odin Teatret, created for ITSA. Augusto's performance I saw in person. Nikrosius' Production I've only read about and seen clips of scenes on tape. And I would be remiss if I didn't say I fondly remember a production in Reid Park several years ago that had a terrific Othello. Where this actor came from or went to after I don't know.


These three productions that I just mentioned stand in wild contrast to each other in terms of aesthetics and accomplishments. Granted Oro de Otelo is not the play itself being done, but rather is a performance based on someone reading Shakespeare's text while listening to Verdi's opera - and then imaginatively taking on the characteristics and actions of the main characters. But one thing that production had was a sense of immediate and palpable sensual and sexual excitement. Austusto is a fantastic dancer/performer to begin with and placed within this role, he was terrific. Many of the comments (during and) right after the performance by women (and some men probably) was that they were on the verge of a certain sexual happening as they watched Augusto's performance. I mention this not to be funny or clever, but rather because I think it is a critical element to the play - that immediate and palpable sensuality/sexuality. Without it, the ensuing jealousy, worry and revenge doesn't make sense to me except as an intellectual exercise. Nikrosius' production was over four hours long, of which two hours included dialogue. If you know of Nikirosius's work, this makes perfect sense. If you don't know a thing about Nikrosius' work, your reaction is probably to ask what they did for the other two hours. The answer is in the way that Nikrosius uses music, sounds and speech together with action and objects to compose his productions. The production in the park was your average amateur production done straightforward with the exception of one slightly brilliant performer in the role of Othello. Given all that was, this actor did not completely stun us, but the potential was there at any moment to do so.

There is a question frequently asked by directors and actors or those seeking to understand or analyze a play. The question is what is the event or incident that sets the play in motion? What thing or things happened that most prompted the events of the play to happen? Its commonly referred to as the inciting (or initiating) incident or event. If this thing never had happened, the play itself wouldn't happen. The companion question, is what is the main incident/event taking place in the play itself? There is a relationship or some equation between these two things that is dramatized and animated along the way. For many people the initiating event of Othello is when Iago is passed over for promotion to Lieutenant and is instead made his Ancient. This has its obvious basis if you are imagining the play primarily from Iago's perspective. For other people it is when and because Othello used to go to Brabantio's house and tell stories of his adventure's. The fact that he is such an amazing story teller who has had so many travels and adventures, including battles, prompted Brabantio to invite him over and ultimately led to Desdemona falling in love with him, and he with her, and then for the two of them to take off and get married. This makes more sense to me personally as the initiating event of the play. It makes everything else fall in line behind it logically. It puts together Iago and Rodrigo, who has his own crush on or love of Desdemona. It gives Iago an "in" to Othello via his wife Emilia who is working for Desdemona. Ties in Cassio more. It sets Brabantio suddenly against Othello which in turn pits them politically and socially, calling the Duke into the fray as well contextually. And more. The fact that Othello is such a mesmerizer, a charmer with his tales, his words and demeanor, puts more pressure so to speak on Iago, and his own abilities, perhaps new found abilities, to sway and charm with words and demeanor - only done in a different way than Othello.

That makes for two things now so far that I find critical, or at least very important for this play. One, Othello has to be charming and charismatic and have a way with words. It must be believable that he has had the adventures, the swagger, the bravado, the scars, etc. And two, Othello and Desdemona, and others in the play as well, must be full of sensual and sexual excitement and charm. There's more than two things in total importance, but these two issues turn so much of the other things that I want to stay with them for another moment. But let me take another angle for a second. Desdemona is a hottie. No doubt about it. A chaste hottie at that. As Brabantio's daughter, she has essentially been locked up all her life, kept under watch, told what to do. Brabantio has kept her suitors (including Rodrigo) at bay while never dreaming she would fall for an older man like Othello, a Moor, an outsider, who he (Brabantio) himself often had over in the house for entertainment and connections. Desdemona is ready and ripe - to be rather blunt. No doubt she spent more than a few nights fantasizing about Othello before the stealing away for the wedding night escape, the opening eve of the play itself. When she is called before the Duke, her father, the other Senators, and all to give her testimony whether or not she loves Othello or was in fact was mis-lead and charmed by him via potions and spells, (setting aside Shakespeare's irony there), she has just earlier been making the beast with two backs, and the pleasure of it all would still be prevalent with her. Of course she cannot say "Papa he makes me go oooooohhhhhooooooooo." She has to say all about her allegiance and honor, etc, instead. Make no mistake, Othello has set her free, and Desdemona, a most difficult and dangerous catch for Othello (if you will pardon the expression), makes Othello happy, happy, happy. And here is a man who could apparently have any and many women, and probably has. But he wants Desdemona now. Why risk all the problems with her father and politics and standing unless its love and happiness! Afterall, he could just go get any of several other women. Love...yes. Sensual...yes, very. Exciting...absolutely. All as a classic odd pair, taboo pair.