By Victoria Gaffney
Tom Prewitt, artistic director of WSC Avant Bard, is putting a new spin on the Shakespearean wartime tragedy of love and deceit. In a production that runs through March 1 at Theatre on the Run, “Othello” is set in the modern context of the Middle East. Prewitt adds an additional maritime twist by enclosing the characters in a claustrophobic man-tower submarine for the duration of the play. Prewitt explains that the majority of military encounters in Shakespeare’s time were at sea. By creating this unique setting, he hopes that people will be able to see the show with a fresh perspective.
This production hones in on a particular effect of war, PTSD. Prewitt explains that Othello, who has been a soldier since the age of 7, has had a life of war which lasted until nine months before the play’s beginning. Prewitt and his team collaborated with community partners who work with veterans experiencing PTSD and traumatic brain injury. If we look at the psychological changes—Othello’s jealousy and anger and the behavior of other characters—within a contemporary context, Prewitt explains, “those all sound like classic symptoms of PTSD.”
By setting the characters in the “very enclosed, claustrophobic container” in the submarine, Prewitt says, “I wanted to explore not only what the influence and the impact of traumatic stress would have on individuals but also what kind of impact it would have on the community.” Prewitt says he wanted to see how this community, which comprises military, family members and civilian advisors, would respond to the subversion of one of their own members. Iago, the classic villain, is described by everyone as honest. Prewitt explains, “It’s as if they cannot conceive that one of their own could possibly be up to such a level of malevolent no-good that they just overlook that possibility until it’s way too late.”
In terms of structure, the production is true to Shakespeare’s original with only minor cuts for timing purposes. This production curiously takes Iago’s last lines in the play and puts them in the beginning as well, which gives the show a “wraparound, bookend structure,” says Prewitt. He wanted to leave the villain’s infamous words “hanging in the air” so that the central questions concerning the nature of evil and Iago’s motivations frame the play.
In finding his approach, Prewitt explains, “I start out by reading the play hundreds of times and reading it in different ways, reading single scenes, comparing different scenes, comparing scenes out of order.” Once he has discovered his direction, he looks for designers that can help him tell the story in a fresh light. For “Othello,” the set designer is Joseph Muscumeci, the costume designer is Elizabeth Ennis, the lighting designer is Colin Dieck and the sound team is Lean and Hungry Theater.
WSC Avant Bard offers “unscripted afterchats” following Sunday matinees. In light of Black History Month, this Sunday’s chat will focus on race in the play. The discussion, “Race and Racism in Othello,” will feature Chuck Young who plays Othello and Frank Britton who plays Iago, as well as Caleen Sinnette Jennings who is a professor at George Washington University, a playwright, and an actress.
On March 22, Lean and Hungry Theater will be recording a live, one-hour audio version of the play at Artisphere.
Ticket Information (through March 1):
Thursday-Friday 7:30 p.m., $30
Saturday 2 p.m., pay what you can
Saturday 7:30 p.m., $35
Sunday 2 p.m., $35
Sunday Unscripted Afterchat 4:50 p.m., free
Theater:
Theatre on the Run
Cultural Affairs Building
3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive
Arlington, VA 22206
Lean and Hungry Production (March 22):
Sunday 6 p.m., $15-20
Dome Theater
Artisphere
1101 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22209
