By Benedicte Dansie
Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah presents William Shakespeare’s Othello, and its relevance delights the audience. Westminster’s production of the Shakespearean tragedy is extremely well done and very applicable for today’s society. Dealing with issues of loyalty, manipulation, and jealousy, this performance leaves audiences deeply unsettled and questioning how things can spiral out of control so quickly.
Director Jared Larkin has cultivated an amazing interpretation of the play, carefully crafting the overall emotion and mentality of the production. Dylan McKernan (Stage Manager) and Roya Burton (Props Master) do an amazing job of assuring that everything on stage runs without a hitch. Transitions and set changes run quickly and efficiently allowing the audience to focus on the actors instead of the alterations. Spencer Brown (Set/Lighting Designer) and Lexi Corpron (Sound Designer) do an amazing job creating the lush world of Venice and later Turkey. The set is an absolutely spectacular villa that takes up the majority of the stage allowing actors to pop in and out between pillars and yell down at each other from the balcony. One of my favorite artistic moments in the production was in the set up of Desdemona’s death. As she and Emilia reach the end of the pillared hall, glowing in gold and white under the lighting, a white corporeal curtain flutters down from the ceiling over the top of Desdemona’s bed, a heaven sent burial shroud. Corpron uses a mix of modern, aspirated music to help build dramatic tension between scenes. Spencer Potter (Costume Designer) and Lina Le (Hair and Makeup) do a marvelous job with elaborately layered gowns and twisted hairstyles that were extremely time appropriate while also allowing the actors free movement. In addition to this, Zac Curtis (fight choreographer) does a thrilling job in coaching the actors for the many physically and mentally challenging fight scenes, helping to show the connection and hate between the characters through their brutalized movements.
Tristan B. Johnson (Othello) is incredibly articulate and fills the stage with his presence and swagger. He plays up the complicated personality perfectly, swinging back and forth from cocky warrior to raving madman as the piece demands. His interactions with Aidan Croft (Iago) are absolutely spectacular showing the complicated play of emotion between a manipulator and his prey. Croft is a marvel, and reminds me of a young Loki (Tom Hiddleston). He plays the part of Shakespeare’s most terrifying villain so well it’s honestly a bit frightening. He slips it on as though it were a second skin, letting the passions of a madman sweep over him. Louise Dapper (Emilia) plays an equal counterpart to Croft, with her quick wit and sharp tongue. One is instantly drawn to her warm demeanor and playful personality. At one point, while the two were bantering onstage, she nipped at Croft’s lip playfully, urging him to follow what she says leaving the audience roaring with laughter. Samantha Miller (Desdemona) works to provide a softer side to this astonishing quartet. She is Johnson’s sweeter playful half who brings an angelic yet impassioned personality into the mix. The chemistry between she and Johnson is palpable and they play up the part of a newlywed couple perfect. The final scene between the two of them leaves the audience absolutely breathless and heartbroken. (Spoiler Alert) It’s somewhat terrifying to watch the two of them together as she’s screaming, fighting for her life as he drags her across the floor, back to the bed he has appointed to be her tomb. The interplay and complicated relationship between the two couples is so masterfully done that you couldn’t help loving the four of them.
Collin Voeller (Cassio) does a great job playing the charming character. He plays up the humorous parts of his role and is quite sassy as he banters back and forth with everyone. Maggie Minshew (Roderiga) played her genderbent role spectacularly. She was the perfect love sick puppy, trying to win Desdemona’s love after being, in her opinion, spurned. She gives up everything in order to follow this love. She has one of my favorite lines in the play in which she discusses the fact that although she knows Iago is using her, she just can’t turn away from his well-crafted arguments and manipulative manner. Val Tholen (Brabantia) also plays a genderbent role, as Desdemona’s mother. This was interesting because it altered the parent dynamic quite a bit. Instead of a somewhat clueless father trying to protect what he sees as his, Tholen plays an impassioned and somewhat overbearing mother. Sydney Schwarzwalder (Bianca) who is Cassio’s lover, is very passionate about her feelings toward the young gentleman. The interactions between them, while tainted a bit by their complicated relationship, are realistic and open.
Emir Sabic (Duke of Venice) feels a bit like an old college friend who is trying to act like he has his life together, but is really still stuck in the glory days of his fraternity. This helps to bring the Venetian Senate down into a more realistic light and show how people can easily get swept up in the group mentality when stories of adventure are offered them. He and the rest of the senators, Kevin Klay (Senator One) and Colton Barnhart (Senator Two,) are easily persuaded that Othello has done no wrong in sweeping Desdemona away due to his degrading humor and captivating storytelling.
Madison Parker (Lodovica) and Kaelan Patrick (Montano) show the shock and horror of Othello’s crimes as they try to assess and take control of the situation. They do a great job of showing the pain their characters feel about their kinswoman Desdemona’s death and their fear of Othello, a man they once honored and trusted. Jordan Reynosa (Gratiano) unknowingly aids Iago in his plot by inciting a fight with Cassio. His fighting skills and support really added to the scene. Thomas Reilly (Gentleman Two) and Abbie Hagen (Servant/Messenger) help to add to the overall mood of the show. They allow the audience to see how those unconnected to the horrors react to the death and destruction.
Westminster’s Othello is incredible. Westminster again has chosen to take on an extremely long and difficult play. The show is almost two and a half hours long with a ten minute intermission, yet in my opinion is time well spent. The cast works so well together, and draws you in as an audience. I highly recommend seeing this show as they produce the Shakespearean tragedy almost flawlessly.
Westminster College Presents Othello by William Shakespeare
Vieve Gore Concert Hall, 1840 1300 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
April 4-6, April 11-13, 2019 7:30 PM
Tickets: $12/Free for Westminster students, staff, and faculty
Westminster Performing Arts Facebook Page
Othello Facebook Event
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