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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.