Seth Gilliam plays Othello
Theater alert for Bostonians and anyone who might be visiting town through August 15: Do whatever you need to do to your summer schedule to see the spectacular (and free!) production of Othello on the Boston Common.
We are regulars and have seen most of the Commonwealth Shakespeare productions over the last 15 years. But this one is the best ever. And it isn’t just my spillover passion for anything The Wire. Seth Gilliam (who played an unforgettable Ellis Carver in the greatest TV series ever) is rivetingly pitch perfect as the Moor. (Imagine how razor sharp your first circle/third circle—in the Patsy Rodenburg theatrical sense—edge must be to explode that Othelloian emotion without going too over the top, and to do it for an audience that stretches from the stage all to way to Tremont Street.) Tight and tough, Gilliam’s Othello is not the towering Moor that is often cast in this role but his energy is blinding. Iago, played by James Waterston (yes, he’s the son), captures the banality of evil with such force my poor partner Dave spent a sleepless night after encountering that ambient but essentially meaningless ill will. And the ladies held up their end as well, Marianna Bassham as Desdemona and a best ever Emelia played by Adrianne Krstansky. The sets are simple and elegant and also work with the large crowds that a free event on a summer evening attracts.
Don’t miss it.
For more info, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.
Daughter C. went to school with Jamie Waterston, and she is a total lunatic about The Wire, even more so after having spent a year in Baltimore. She is going to die of jealousy.
In a review with Boston Globe at Boston.com, Gilliam says he was drawn to the concept of “outsider fitting in” and that when he was at SUNY, where he was in the theatre program, he thought the play “seemed completely beyond me” but with age came to view it as something he could do.
Maybe he’ll come perform with our Shakespeare Theatre. Sigh…
Sal, Hope you can catch a performance. And can I connect with daughter C about her lunaticness? I am SO with her on that.
And M, you are better at scouring the local paper from a distance than I am as a subscriber and resident…So interesting to read his response to playing Othello. I loved him in The Wire. And to see him in this tour de force–Wow.
Many of you who follow Louise Kennedy’s theater reviews in the Globe may have seen her less than enthusiastic review of Othello. Many commented and disagreed, and here’s a summation of responses to other reviews of the play that was posted by “Cambridge-Sarah” that I thought worth sharing:
I, too, attended this same performance that Ms. Kennedy reviewed and I thought it was an emotional and moving production that may be the best Shakespeare in the Park I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen many). Ms. Kennedy does a disservice to the Globe’s readers by dismissing an entire production that many other reviewers praised.
Carolyn Clay of the Boston Phoenix said of Othello: “Not only is the speechless prologue lovely, but what immediately follows — clamorous encounters in which arch-villain Iago uses vividly animalistic (and offensive) language to inform father-of-the-bride Brabantio that his daughter has flown the coop to marry a black man and dad appeals to his fellow Venetian senators before repudiating Desdemona — are riveting. Then the tragic pas de deux in which duped Othello seals his and Desdemona’s fates moved me to tears.”
Sandy MacDonald of Theater Mania said that “any production of Othello that brings out hitherto hidden nuances is a rarity to be treasured, and Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s rendition … achieves that remarkable feat. As portrayed by Seth Gilliam, Othello is not the stunned dupe we’re accustomed to seeing, but a clever, cagey man whose advantage on the field was no doubt more tactical that brutish.”
Alex Stevens, writing for the Newton TAB, said, “[CSC] celebrates its [15th] birthday with a first-rate “Othello” that bears all the hallmarks of a classic CSC show: fast-paced, energetic, and delivered with a clarity and precision that makes it work for both patrons nestled near the stage, and those at the far reaches of the audience… These CSC productions continue to be a singular achievement in Boston’s wide-ranging theater scene. The shows are a huge event — big and brightly lit, it’s as if something other-worldly has landed on the Common. Indeed, this kind of eloquent, impactful free Shakespeare is about as rare as a UFO sighting.”
Al Chase of The White Rhino Report said, “The play – in five acts – sped by. The pacing was exactly what was called for. Steven Maler’s direction of an extraordinary cast was flawless… Among a uniformly excellent ensemble cast, Seth Gilliam as Othello, James Waterston as Iago, Marianna Bassham as Desdemona and Adrianne Krstansky as the maid, Emilia, stood out… With Shakespeare, making the Elizabethan language comprehensible and relevant to a modern audience is always a challenge. I knew that the CSC had succeeded in this regard when a 20-something audience member sitting next to me asked: ‘Did Shakespeare really write that line? It sounds like something I would say to my friends!’”
Deborah Barlow of Slow Muse wrote, “We are regulars and have seen most of the Commonwealth Shakespeare productions over the last 15 years. But this one is the best ever. Seth Gilliam is rivetingly pitch perfect as the Moor.”
Don’t miss some of the best theater Boston has to offer because Ms. Kennedy had a bad day.
[…] August 14. Last year’s production of Othello with Seth Gilliam and James Waterston (reviewed here) was spectacular and raised expectations for this year’s performance. Steven Maler (who also […]
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