Othello

Shakespeare’s Othello, about the Moorish general who falls prey to his own dangerous jealousy, opens just before the start of Black History Month at the MET Theatre. Director John Farmanesh-Bocca’s concept removes the action from a constricted time period, evoking something more modern yet timeless. It’s an intensely physical, movement-intensive approach. Instead of the static image of actors planting themselves and reciting flowery speeches, imagine the notion of a military hero who defies his society to win the love of his life while at the same time beset by treachery. The people of a grand city in tumultuous times are depicted fighting, running, jumping, loving and living. It’s an imagining that’s dynamic, visceral, operatic in scope.