‘Othello’ opens with guest pro
By Mamus Ngeseyan
This evening, an eclectic cast of a guest actor, students, Earlham faculty and members of the Richmond community will come together to present the Earlham Theatre Company’s (ETC) production of “Othello, the Moor of Venice” in Wilkinson Theatre. Guest Actor Kyle Haden stars as Othello.
Director Lynne Perkins- Socey describes Othello as an “examination and exploration of what happens when the seeds of jealousy are planted within us.”
The idea of performing the play at Earlham spawned from a casual conversation between Professor of Theatre Arts Michael White, who also plays the role of Desdemona’s father on stage, and Assistant Professor of English Nathaniel Eastman.
White said, “We talked about what a great play [Othello] was because it is not done that often, and the fact that it could be a Ford/Knight project.”
ETC held auditions earlier this semester, bringing together a diverse group of individuals with varying levels of experience in acting.
White said that ETC chose an outside actor for the lead role of Othello because a student who could play role was not available at the time.
Haden, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., has acted in over 17 Shakespeare plays and various films.
White noted that it was important to find “someone who knows what it would be like working with students, who could teach the students, who is older.”
Perkins-Socey has faced some obstacles, such as working around students’ busy schedules, the light board malfunctioning and the set being three of four weeks behind. However, the production has overcome these challenges and is ready for the performances.
“Lynne and Kyle have helped a lot to produce a play whose action is so well portrayed and defined that the audience loses themselves in the personalities of the characters as they watch,” White said.
For senior Nick Husted, theatre and politics double major, this production counts as his senior project. Husted plays the role of Iago, a villain who blurs the line between evil and justifiable anger.
“The most enjoyable part of this has been getting to know everybody and working with Kyle, who is amazing to watch act,” Husted said. “You should expect a really cool and inventive way of producing a classic play.”
Senior Angela DeGarmo, make-up director of the play, expected a positive reception.
“I think people will be impressed by how passionate our actors are,” she said.
Junior Sarah Waddle plays the role of Desdemona, a young daughter of a politician in Venice who falls in love with Othello.
Waddle describes the entire production as a “very intense play.”
“I know the term ‘intense’ gets thrown around often, but this production is an exception,” Waddle said, adding, “Some of the scenes could get Shakespeare steamy, and for some of you who may not know what that means, you should come and find out.”
Perkins-Socey thought the audience can expect much from the play.
“It’s a tale of passion, sex, sword-fighting and drinking — it’s Shakespeare,” she said.
The Earlham Theatre Department performs “Othello, the Moor of Venice” tonight and tomorrow, and Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17. All performances are at 7:30 p.m. in Wilkinson Theatre.
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