By Jennifer Mustoe and Craig Mustoe
Being able to see three of Utah Shakespeare Festival’s productions during preview week gave us an opportunity to see what effort, talent, time, and brilliance go into USF’s excellent productions. On Thursday, we saw the matinee of Shakespeare’s Othello in the beautiful Anes Theater on the SUU campus in Cedar City. What we witnessed was quite amazing.
A quick summary: Othello (Wayne T. Carr*), a general in the Venetian army, a Moor (meaning he is black) marries the beautiful Desdemona (Betsy Mugavero*), and her father Brabantio (Paul Michael Sandberg) immediately casts her out, which is kind of too late anyway, since she’s already married. Because she has nowhere to live while Othello is at war, she goes out to live in the field with him, bringing with her Emilia (Katie Cunningham*), her handmaiden, who is married to Iago (Brian Vaughn*), who may be the winner of the Top 10 dirtiest villains Shakespeare created. Iago hates Othello because the Moor got the advancement Iago himself wanted. Twice Iago was overlooked and this has created a serious, maniacal hatred in what I believe to be the already cunning and probably evil Iago. (There is supposition that he would be a participant of some of the abuse the #metoo movement addresses–let’s just say it like that.)
Jeb Burris (left) as Cassio Betsy Mugavero as Desdemona, and Katie Cunningham as Emilia in the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2018 production of Othello. (Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018.)
Iago cooks up a plan to #1 cause Othello to become suspicious of Desdemona’s fidelity, and #2 entice the hapless, trusting Rodrigo (Brandon Burk) to pursue Desdemona, even though she is married. Iago forces Emilia to get Desdemona’s treasured strawberry handkerchief (Desdemona’s first gift from Othello) for nefarious purposes. Lieutenant Cassio (Jeb Burris*) is implicated in having an affair with Desdemona, all from a dastardly and remarkably destructive plot created by the ever-increasingly evil Iago.
I studied Othello in college, but this was the first time I saw it performed. I was able to leave behind all the words I’d read on the page and not only see the action and nuance performed, but also we were able to talk over the many themes Othello introduces. Finally, we were able to apply some of these themes to today’s world and to our own lives.
The 2018 Utah Shakespeare Festival season’s theme is Tolerance. Of course, in Othello there is much that is tolerated, much that is not. Much that is tolerable, and a lot that isn’t. Vaughn plays Iago as a perfectly “normal” person. No Snidely Whiplash moustache-grooming bad guy here. Iago in his monologues shows us his maniacal plotting (Vaugh is delicious in this role–his rough physicality combined with his velvety voice is top notch), but he is constantly referred to as “honest Iago”. I had to ask myself why. Why is Iago so easily believed? Was he a perfectly kind, giving, honest man once? Perhaps as a soldier he was, though I’m quite sure he was the typical male chauvinist (and perhaps wife abusing) type of his day. He certainly discounts females. So it’s interesting that he uses Desdemona and the total passion Othello has for her to pull the general down. Did Iago plan for the ultimate ending of the marriage of Othello and Desdemona? (I won’t give it away but you probably know what it is. This is a Shakespearean tragedy, after all.)
What kept clicking away as I watched USF’s Othello was the very current term “fake news” so prevalent in our country today. Iago is a master at selling fake news. And Othello, probably because he was an old military man who is twitter-pated for the first time in his life, bought what Iago was selling, to the point that Othello goes as crazy in his own way as Iago has become. They are in a tug of war, each man having the advantage for a time, but constantly losing ground, as well.
Carr is wonderful as Othello, though his scenes with Desdemona weren’t as passionate as I’d hoped. My son recently got married and he and his fiancee before they married embarrassed us all with their constant touching each other. Though it wasn’t inappropriate, they were always holding hands, scooting their chairs together to sit at the dinner table right next to each other and just generally being completely starry-eyed with one another, which was sometimes awkward to watch. I wanted to see far more of this crazy in love vibe from the new bride and groom in Othello. However, director Kate Buckley creates some amazing scenes with Carr as he slips into madness. The scene where Othello has an actual epileptic seizure and Iago is standing right over him is haunting and wrenches the soul. The final scene made me cry, something I hadn’t really expected.
Brian Vaughn (left) as Iago and Wayne T. Carr as Othello in the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2018 production of Othello. (Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018.)
The other two stand out performances are Cunningham as Emilia, and Burris as Cassio. If I could see another play where these two actors were headliners, I’d watch several performances back to back. They are organic in their character building. Cunningham has such a believeability, and her voice–there’s something about it that made me want to stand up and root for her. She is lovely and talented and fine. Burris steals every scene he’s in. His incredulity in how he was implicated with Desdemona is a thing of beauty. He is in trouble because he allowed himself to get drunk (Iago manipulated him, knowing of Cassio’s alcoholism) and Burris plays Cassio’s repentant nature with a depth that sears one’s heart.
Geoffrey Kent is Fight Coordinator and always does an amazing job. I flinch with his fight scenes–a good thing. Set Designer Tom Buderwitz has a simple set, typical of Shakespeare’s time, in this smaller theater that has audience on three sides. Italian looking doors open and close and slide back and forth. Lighting Designer Jaymie Lee Smith creates wonderful scenes in front of and behind the doors and spotlights vignettes perfectly, helping the audience to follow the story.
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I haven’t stopped thinking about Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Othello. It is delightfully disturbing, and wonderfully played. As USF’s Education Director Michael Bahr said at his before the show discussion (and you should go to those no matter what–they are 45 minutes before the show and very worth it), Othello teaches us some real lessons about ourselves and our world now, making this Shakespeare tragedy as relevant today as it was centuries ago.
Brian Vaughn (left) as Iago and Jeb Burris as Cassio in the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2018 production of Othello. (Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018.)
Though there are minor references to sex, it will be over the heads of most kids, and there are some violent scenes but not super bloody and graphic. However, Othello is over two hours long, so I wouldn’t bring your wiggly kiddos. Take them to The Foreigner and Big River instead.
*Actor’s Equity players
Othello, by William Shakespeare
Utah Shakespeare Festival presents Othello, by William Shakespeare
Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre, 195 W Center Street, Cedar City UT 84720
Tickets: $50.00 and up, depending on time and day
Contact: 800-PLAYTIX
Utah Shakespeare Festival Facebook Page
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