Previews and Reviews

 

 

Pasadena Cosmopolitan

"Othello" - Timeless Themes, Cautionary Brilliance

Othello, with an all women cast, opens Thursdays for previews. - Photo by Terry Miller

FEBRUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 27, 2008

 

The women of Pasadena's Boston

Court Theatre turn out a classic tale

That's still ripe for the modern world.

 

BY CANDYCE COLUMBUS

Centuries before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. marched for civil rights, Shakespeare penned a masterpiece about racism and the evil wreaked by a demented and devious mind. Written in 1603, "The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice" is considered by many, including Lisa Wolpe, as his greatest work. Artistic director and founder of the award-winning Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company, Wolpe directs and performs the role of Iago in this collaboration with Boston Court, which opens Saturday, February 23.

 

In Shakespeare's time men played all the roles, male and female. Bending gender in the opposite direction, women play all the roles in this production, which is set in 1930s Fascist Italy, when "man's sense of himself allowed him to murder millions of people." The story revolves around four central characters: Othello (Fran Bennett), his wife Desdemona (Nell Giesslinger), his lieutenant Cassio (Kimberleigh Aarn), and his trusted advisor Iago. Because of its themes - racism, love, jealousy, and betrayal, the play remains relevant today.

 

"I directed a 1994 production of "Othello' at the Odyssey, and I always wanted to revisit it with a smaller cast," Wolpe explains. An ensemble of nine actors play all the roles. Traditionally the multi-ethnic company has been color blind in doling out roles, but with this version of "Othello" they are sticking to the script as written. "Racism, war, and domestic violence are key issues for our country. You could say this is a cautionary play—a brilliant, relentless train of unchecked fear and dishonesty that obliterates love and kindness," says Wolpe.

 

For this thespian, working at Boston Court has been "a dream come true. I believe it's the finest small theater in Los Angeles." The technical showplace has allowed sound designer Kari Rae Seekins to create a "gorgeous soundscape" evoking the interior of Othello's mind as "the wires fry," as well as the "exterior storm. We have received wonderful support from the artistic and production staff."

 

Relieved of her customary multiple responsibilities, Wolpe says the support of the Boston Court staff has allowed her to focus her energies on directing and on developing her character, who is duplicitous and cunning, "but doesn't think of himself as a villain. It has been interesting exploring the shadows that are in my mind." Wolpe says, "Warriors have to develop a callousness which is both a necessary and tragic part of their military training. Othello tries to soften and fall in love, but in three days, he is back to his defensiveness.

 

"It has been exhausting working out the extreme violence in this show. As women we are not used to this kind of physical work.

"We want this production to be a thought-provoking wake-up call for all of us to be alert to the dark forces in humanity, one that will create conversations for our audiences."

 

"Othello" previews Thursday and Friday, February 21 and 22, and performs Thursday through Sundays through March 23. Preview tickets are $17, and regular performances are $32. Senior and student discounts are also available. Call (626) 683-6883, or visit www.bostoncourt.com. Boston Court Performing Arts Center is located at 70 N. Mentor Ave. in Pasadena.

 

 

Equity Magazine

March 2008

LA Shakespeare Company is All Women, All the Time

 

            An all-female version of Othello mounted by the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company (LAWSC), opened the fifth season at The Theatre @ Boston Court in Los Angeles on February 23, 2007. The production is scheduled to play through the month of March, which, coincidentally, is Women's History Month.

The company has been presenting all-female, multi-cultural productions of Shakespeare's plays under Equity's 99-Seat Plan since 1993, including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Richard III, Measure for Measure, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night and The Winter's Tale.

            One reviewer said, "With blithe disregard of barriers—of sex, color, whatever—the LA Women's Shakespeare Company just gets on with it. Required only are talent, training, energy and conviction."

            LAWSC calls itself the only all-female Shakespeare Company in the world creating collaborative, multi-racial theatre productions that provide opportunities for women and girls to work together. Says Lisa Wolpe, founder, artistic director and board president of the LAWSC: "We hold it as an important part of our goals to nurture in the next generation an excitement and appreciation for Shakespeare. The complexity and depth of mining Shakespeare's work provides a worthy educational and artistic challenge for women and girls to explore together, offering them personal empowerment and expression while serving the artistic cultural and educational needs of the community."

            The company also has conducted workshops for teenagers, worked with inner-city girls and included young girls as part of multi-cultural ensembles in their productions. In addition, an Outreach Program presents "Bare-Bard" productions of scenes from Shakespeare that tours throughout California.

 

 

 

Los Angeles Times

February 21, 2008

 

All-Women's Othello in Pasadena

 

A WOMAN'S TOUCH

 

It's hard to top the soaring musicality of the L.A. Opera doing Giuseppe Verdi's "Otello," but let's not forget the Bard churned out a pretty nifty version of the epic tale of love, revenge and betrayal himself. And while Shakespeare's original productions were notorious for having men play every role -- masculine and otherwise -- this Saturday, the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company returns the favor with their all-female "Othello." Fran Bennett and Nell Geisslinger, pictured, play the roles of Othello and Desdemona. Set in 1930s fascist Italy, it's otherwise faithful to the original -- a justly famous drama boasting not only Will's way with words, but also "possibly the best structure in the canon," says director Lisa Wolpe. "It moves like a locomotive at full speed." Opens 8 p.m. Sat., runs 8 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., ends March 23. The Theater at Boston Court. (626) 683-6883; www.bostoncourt.com

 

 

 

IN Magazine

Los Angeles

 

L.A. Women's Shakespeare presents an Othello for the times

 

By Christopher Cappiello

 

When Lisa Wolpe, artistic director of the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company, pitched her idea for a tight, nine-actor production of Othello to the folks at Pasadena's Theatre@Boston Court last September, she couldn't have known how perfectly timed the winter 2008 production would be. With the country at war and the race for the Democratic presidential nomination inspiring a nationwide dialogue on issues of race and gender, a play about a black general operating in a white world — with all the characters played by women — has layers of resonance that it wouldn't have had six months ago.

 

Wolpe is directing the production as well as taking on the role of Iago, Othello's lieutenant who gets passed over for promotion and turns his bitterness into vengeful action with tragic consequences.

 

"I think he's disenfranchised," Wolpe says simply, when asked about what some scholars call Iago's "motiveless malignity."

 

"I think that it's not unlike the 120 veterans a week that are committing suicide in this country [according to a CBS News report based on 2005 statistics]. You make a life of service and feel unrecognized, and that the support promised to you is not there," she says.

 

Iago has a series of delicious soliloquies delivered directly to the audience as he hatches his plot to exact revenge on Othello. "There's nothing he can do to prove his intelligence and his sense of deserving other than to turn to the audience and say, "You see my situation—I have to triumph here. And if I have to do it in a subterranean way, I will,'" Wolpe explains. "And I think that's interesting, because women do that all the time. They back stab and gossip and they pull each other under water in these subterranean ways that I think occur because they don't have direct access to power."

 

Giving women the opportunity to play Shakespeare's great male roles—and experience that access to power, and what Wolpe describes as the "direct speech" of men—is something her company has been doing for 15 years. For the title role in Othello, a part that requires extremes of emotion, including homicidal rage, Wolpe taps the considerable talents of Fran Bennett, a veteran of stage, film and television.

 

"Fran has a commanding authority. She loves language. She has a beautifully developed voice. She has a nobility of spirit, an elegance of mind and a very strong theatrical commitment," Wolpe says with admiration.

 

When asked if playing Othello's jealous rage—inspired, essentially, by a misunderstanding about a handkerchief—is a near impossibility for an actor, Wolpe says, "I think that's what any advanced actor wants: an impossible task. I think that's what's appealing to both of us in approaching these roles."

 

As for directing and starring, "It's exhausting, I'm not going to lie about it," Wolpe says with a laugh. "I am very fully used right now." But creating opportunities for herself and her all-female company is what drives her, feeds her and, ultimately, gives her the greatest satisfaction.

 

"It's really good to know what you're passionate about and to have a play that makes your heart feel full. That's life-affirming for me," she says. "More than anything else, you want to feel like you're delivering your gifts to the community. And at this point, after 15 years, we definitely have some loyal fans and some friends and some witnesses to the growth of things. And that's really cool."

 

Othello runs Feb. 23-March 23 at the Theatre@Boston Court, 70 N. Mentor Ave., and Pasadena. For more information, visit www.bostoncourt.org.

 

 

 

 

 

Pasaadena Star News

Feminine wiles add spark to 'Othello'
By Michelle J. Mills, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 02/21/2008 04:39:11 PM PST

The Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company will present "Othello" at Boston Court Performing Arts Center in Pasadena beginning Saturday.

Many of us are familiar with Shakespeare's drama, "Othello." Filled with passion, jealousy and murder, it explores power, politics, prejudice and the struggle between the sexes. But the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company's production at Boston Court Performing Arts Center isn't the bard's usual style; the cast is exclusively female.
"I love Shakespeare's work and I know that his original companies were all male and there's something thrilling about being able to totally transform and play these great roles," "Othello" director Lisa Wolpe said.

Wolpe also stars in the work as Iago, alongside Nell Giesslinger as Desdemona and Fran Bennett in the leading role.

Santa Monica resident Wolpe founded the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company in 1993. She wanted to create her own acting and work opportunities, rather than waiting for things to come to her. She also believed that, in starting her own multicultural troupe, she could make a political statement while reaching out to the community at the same time.

"Othello" is a timeless and important play to Wolpe.

"I think the racism is powerful and obvious," Wolpe said. "It's a core issue that has not gone away even with Sen. (Barack) Obama being a presidential candidate. There are a lot of people who still want to keep America white."

In Shakespeare's time, ships traveled to other countries, such as India, Morocco and Cypress, and brought back not only stories about other cultures, but people, too. The mix put pressure on the English to understand cultures other than their own, which they resented. Shakespeare picked up on this and used it in his work, Wolpe said.
She sees the same thing today in America with the strife over the borders, the clashes between the races and the disparity among the socioeconomic classes. Half of the homicides around the globe are motivated by male jealousy and 85 percent of intimate violence events are perpetrated against women, Wolpe said.

"This thing about men killing their wives, that happens," she said. "Two of the men in the play kill their wives and there are only two wives in the play. I think that that's a story to be told; I think that's why he wrote it. I think we have a chance to talk about how frightening it is and, stepping into the men's shoes, we get to see their point of view."

To further illustrate the tale's timelessness, Wolpe has set her production in 1930s fascist Italy, a point in history when men quested for power and would kill or incarcerate those who did not agree with them or did not meet their ideals. This often meant repression and death to Jews and black people.

In the play, Iago, the villain, is a career military man, who is angered when he sees those without military training promoted to officer status above him.

"Added to that is his sexual jealousy because he believes Othello has slept with his wife," Wolpe said.

"Othello" is an extremely demanding show, both physically and emotionally, and the cast had to build trust with each other to feel comfortable during the many violent scenes, Wolpe said.

"The women who are involved had to do many hours of violence training because in almost every scene there is an act of violence and most of the women are uncomfortable and unready to take that on physically," she said. "But over time, they have rehearsed it and they think they have an effective story."

The demands on Wolpe are doubled, as are the rewards. She is unable to see her own performance on stage, so she has to rely on videotaping rehearsals and suggestions from her assistant directors, Landa and Natsuko Ohama. To work on the details, Wolpe has her understudy step in her stead, but this means she has less stage time with the cast.

"It's challenging but overall, I'm probably better served than most people because I don't have any arguments with the director," Wolpe said.

Adding on to the benefits is the support of Boston Court. As a producer, Wolpe usually has to do all the work involved in the production herself, but for "Othello," she has a full staff to assist with all the necessary jobs.

Aside from the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company, Wolpe teaches acting and voice at Cypress College. She also runs clown and Shakespeare classes in her studio.

After "Othello," Wolpe will be directing and acting in "Macbeth" in London with two of her current cast members and, this summer, she is planning to perform her one-woman show, "The Universal Actor." The company is still considering its next project, which might be "Taming of the Shrew."

For now, Wolpe is focused on "Othello."

"People should come see Fran Bennett in this role, she's magnificent," Wolpe said. "She a very celebrated actress who is at the top of her craft. She's probably the only woman on the planet playing Othello and it is a rare opportunity to see somebody play with this text at that level."

 

Variety

Posted: Mon., Feb. 25, 2008, 11:46am PT

Othello

(The Theater @ Boston Court; 99 seats; $32 top) A Theater @ Boston Court, in association with Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company, presentation of a play in two acts by William Shakespeare. Directed by Lisa Wolpe.

Othello - Fran Bennett

Iago - Lisa Wolpe

Desdemona - Nell Giesslinger

Emilia - Katrinka Wolfson

Cassio - Kimberleigh Aarn

Roderigo - Linda Bisesti

 

By BOB VERINI

 

Although Shakespeare's plays were written for all-male performance, modern unigender productions, especially of the tragedies, usually come off as gratuitous and trivial. Happily, the all-female "Othello" from the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company can't be dismissed as a drag stunt. Co-production with and at the Theater @ Boston Court is artfully conceived and psychologically astute, not seamlessly executed but consistently interesting. This is an "Othello" to savor.

 

Production's lucidity begins with the inspired choice of 1930s Italy as the period of decor, with a stage full of high black boots, brown shirts and leather straps serving as a constant reminder of a macho military culture in stark contrast to the femininity of its camp followers. Helmer Lisa Wolpe effectively substitutes guns for rapiers, and Senator Brabantio (Mary Cobb) is wittily informed of his daughter's marriage by wind-up telephone.

 

Fascist salutes are absent, thank goodness, but Mussolini's ill-fated Ethiopian intervention -- a neat parallel to Venice's Cyprus misadventures -- can be seen in the clay walls of Susan Gratch's massive three-tiered unit set, evoking both Globe Theater facade and Casbah and encouraging the rush of simultaneous action that fuels play's thrills.

 

Fran Bennett's imperious Othello seems beholden to Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the austere aristocrat convinced of others' witlessness. This is an older Moor than most, meaning many more years of having suffered Venetian slights and condescensions, every one of which can be counted in Bennett's tight, humorless visage. At the outset we're plainly signaled that winning Desdemona (Nell Giesslinger), daughter of privilege, is an act as much of vengeance as desire.

 

Godlike entitlement and inerrancy are the tragic flaws in this most Coriolanus-like of Othellos. When rumored faithlessness of wife and underlings shakes his entire worldview, pride permits confiding only in the meek little carabinieri in the corner who always follows orders: Iago (Wolpe), inciter of those very rumors and, in a fascinating way, victim of the same moral weakness as his boss.

 

Wolpe's muted, weaselly sergeant, careful to reveal his machinations to no one but us in soliloquy, makes helmer's case for jealousy and class resentment as adequate motivations for Iago's iniquity. A messy five o'clock shadow permanently brands him as proletarian upstart, and his diminutive stature renders Napoleonic dreams of manipulation as (literally) small wonder. (Wolpe's transformation completely disguises any sense of a woman under that tunic, which may or may not be the gender question company most wants to pose.)

 

Geisslinger's Desdemona is a voluptuous but sexually inexperienced woman in her early 30s, Soojin Lee's stunning peach silk gown conveying the former and thesp's wearing of it the latter. This Desdemona overly dotes on her beloved as anyone in late first love might, while her developed intelligence and spirit could clearly strike the feckless Moor as fodder for adultery. Geisslinger's piteous confusion leads to the requisite terror as her murder looms.

 

A second directorial eye might have led Wolpe to more varied line readings, and she seems to have slighted the supporting players. Hapless swain Roderigo must drive plot and add comedy, but Linda Bisesti flounders at both. Conception of Emilia (Katrinka Wolfson) as a wisecracking Eve Arden never places her in the same class, let alone the same room, as husband Iago, and Kimberleigh Aarn offers just a stiff of a Cassio.

 

Still, the central trio make or breaks any "Othello," and all their scenes are skillfully shaped and exciting, augmented by Jaime Lee Smith's sensual light and smoke effects. With: Cynthia Beckert, Mary Cobb, Kate Roxburgh.

Sets, Susan Gratch; costumes, Soojin Lee; lighting, Jaymi Lee Smith; sound, Kari Rae Seekins; fight choreography, Edgar Landa; production stage manager, Rachel Myles. Opened, reviewed Feb. 23, 2008. Runs through March 23. Running time: 2 HOURS, 50 MIN.

 

 

LA Weekly

OTHELLO Director Lisa Wolpe sets Shakespeare's passionate play in 1930s Fascist Italy, illuminating little of its complexity. From the outset, Fran Bennett's title character fails to radiate the wisdom, nobility or charisma that might attract his wife, Desdemona (Nell Geisslinger) — many decades his junior — or the soldiers under his command who profess to admire him. When events turn dark, this Othello responds querulously rather than with noble rage. Wolpe's Iago is a cerebral fellow whose hatred of the Moor — the play's driving force — shows up in his face but doesn't permeate his being. Kimberleigh Aarn's generic Cassio lacks the charm that might threaten other men, and so spur the gullible Othello to a jealous rage. And as Iago's wife and Desdemona's lady in waiting, Katrinka Wolfson despoils a juicy cameo by hyperbolizing her indignation at Desdemona's murder, rather than building a viable and moving relationship with her mistress (and with Iago) prior to the event. Only Geisslinger lands on target, as a gracious and ladylike Desdemona who later persuasively pleads for her life. Wolpe makes adept use of the production's technical elements, which include Susan Gratch's set, Jaymi Lee Smith's lighting and Kari Rae Seekins' sound. Together, they furnish an impressive framework for this less-than-compelling drama. Theater @ Boston Court, 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru March 23. (626) 683-6883. A Women's Shakespeare Company Production. (Deborah Klugman)

 

 

Backstage West

Othello

February 27, 2008

By Travis Michael Holder

Considering the success of this virtuoso collaboration, it would be ironic if the saying "a match made in heaven" had been Shakespearean in origin. The Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company has worked diligently for 15 years to craft all-female productions of the Bard's plays, displaying the company's wares with unswerving dedication at whatever location the nomadic troupe could land. Bringing its efforts to this particular theatre could not have been a more inspired idea, a house where finally these formidable players can show us all they've got and, at the same time, render a well-worn 400-year-old masterpiece fresh once again.

 

Although the story of the hoodwinked Moor has been told many times and updated to myriad periods and locations, director Lisa Wolpe austerely stages the play and explores its abiding themes of racism and betrayal without smoke and mirrors to make it appealing to contemporary audiences. Fortunately that's all that was needed here, considering this well-equipped theatre, gloriously used here by Susan Gratch (set), Jaymi Lee Smith (lights), Kari Rae Seekins (sound), and Soojin Lee (costumes). Unlike many Shakespearean works mounted at small venues not originally designed as theatres -- spaces that lose the poetry in the rafters and leave the viewer too close to Velcro-ed capes and tinfoil crowns, this partnership is an elixir of the purest theatricality.

 

Still, beyond the faultless design elements in this production and the acoustics calculated into the venue's original plans, which allow audiences to savor the words no matter how softly they are uttered, the focal point of this richly appointed presentation is the steadfast, magnificently shaded performance of Fran Bennett as the title character, a great leader brought down by the hate and envy of his trusted advisor Iago (played with eerily unctuous calmness by Wolpe). The supporting cast is exceptional, particularly those playing old Will's powerfully drawn misogynistic macho men, so uniformly enlivened with borrowed testosterone that one might wonder if all have been treated by Roger Clemens' personal physician. Why, at this distance from the stage, even the usual LAWSC five o'clock shadows don't appear to have been applied with eyebrow pencil.

 

Talkin' Broadway.com

Othello

 

Some writers, in deference to gender neutrality, use the word "actor" to refer to performers of either gender. One almost needs to use that particular convention when reviewing the work of the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company, as describing Lisa Wolpe as a brilliant Shakespearean "actress" is unduly limiting. Wolpe is a fine interpreter of the Bard, and the fact that she has created a company that enables her to address many of Shakespeare's greatest roles, regardless of gender, is our gain.

 

In Othello, playing at Boston Court, Wolpe takes a turn as Iago. It's difficult to pay attention to Iago's initial dialogue, as your brain is taking a moment to process how perfectly Wolpe creates a male character. It's the same feeling you get when you first hear a British performer flawlessly pull off an American accent - you just marvel at the fact they're actually doing it, before you can take it for granted and watch the story. Linda Bisesti is posturing as a man in the role of Roderigo, but Wolpe's Iago actually is male. It isn't about a swagger or a lowering of voice. Just watching the way Iago sits and holds his cigarette tells you not only that he's a man, but a man of a certain class (not that high), a man of a certain attitude (that the world should give him what he believes is his due), and a man of thoughtfulness. Wolpe approaches Iago with a level of understanding - if not actual sympathy - for the villain, creating a character who is conniving, but also delightfully human. Her Iago knows he's never going to be a dominating physical presence, so he smoothly talks other people into thinking that what he wants is in their best interest. And when Othello promotes Cassio over Iago, Iago feels unjustly betrayed, and thinks that revenge is his right.

 

Wolpe's Iago is complex, but her interpretation is never confused. It's a splendid performance, well-served by Wolpe's own direction. (Watch Iago's wife, Emilia, while Iago watches a seductive dancer. There is no dialogue spoken, but their wordless interaction tells you everything you need to know about their marriage.) The problem - and it is a problem that frequently plagues LA Women's Shakespeare - is that Wolpe is not backed up by a company that matches her talents.

 

Fran Bennett starts off solidly enough as Othello - a confident military man with no artifice about him. His words are blunt, and Bennett matches them with a blunt delivery. It's easy to see how Bennett's Othello will fall prey to someone as scheming as Iago - he's a man of simple goodness who assumes everyone around him is of a similar mindset. But as the play progresses, more is required of Othello, and Bennett's portrayal can't keep up. A scene in which Othello has a seizure is particularly unconvincing. (Kimberleigh Aarn plays Cassio with the same sort of decent goodness that can't even conceive of deception - and it works better for Cassio because Cassio doesn't face the same emotional challenges Othello does.) While Bennett's Othello is weaker in the second act, Nell Geisslinger's Desdemona gets stronger. She opens the show in a dance with Othello (which nicely establishes her handkerchief as a key prop), but her movements aren't committed enough to express how truly swept away Desdemona is. But in her climactic second act scene with Othello, it is Geisslinger's Desdemona who truly dominates. Cognizant of her fate on one level, trying to change it on another, Geisslinger brings a tension and urgency to a scene to which, let's face it, everybody already knows the conclusion. Also notable is Katrinka Wolfson, who brings quite a bit to her portrayal of Emilia - focusing not only on the "concerned maid" element of her role, but also delivering an Emilia who is smart enough to be a match for Iago.

 

Wolpe has set the play in the 1930s, and some fascist images and uniforms add an extra dimension to this particular exploration of evil. There is a lot to recommend this production, but a few uneven performances keep it from being as powerful as it could have been.

 

Othello runs at the Theatre @ Boston Court in Pasadena through March 23, 2008. For information and tickets, see www.bostoncourt.com.

 

The Theatre @ Boston Court -- Jessica Kubzansky & Michael Michetti, Artistic Directors; Michael Seel, Executive Director -- in association with Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company -- Lisa Wolpe, Artistic Director -- presents Othello by William Shakespeare. Directed by Lisa Wolpe. Scenic Design Susan Gratch; Costume Design Soojin Lee; Lighting Design Jaymi Lee Smith; Sound Design Kari Rae Seekins; Props Robyn Taylor; Fight Choreography Edgar Landa; Choreography Cynthia Beckert; Hair & Make-up Design Mary Trahey; Assistant Directors Edgar Landa & Natsuko Ohama; Casting Raul Clayton Staggs; Key Art Christopher Komuro; Production Stage Manager Rachel Myles; Publicist Aldrich & Associate

 

 

 

Los Angeles Times

'Othello'

Lisa Wolpe is a standout bad guy in an all-female 'Othello' at the Theatre @ Boston Court.

By Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Iago is notorious not just for making Othello run amok with jealousy. He's also a brazen scene-stealer, offering an actor abundant opportunities to eclipse the play's tragically duped protagonist.

 

In the Theatre @ Boston Court <http://bostoncourt.com> 's all-female take on "Othello," a co-production with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company, Iago actually deserves title-character status. Director Lisa Wolpe saves her most interesting interpretation for the diabolic ensign, a role she performs so naturally that you're hardly aware of any cross-dressing trickery.

Forget Coleridge's diagnosis of "motiveless malignity" -- this Iago has good reason to be enraged. Once again he's been passed over for promotion in favor of a suave aristocrat. A working stiff with a five o'clock shadow, he's the type of guy who could easily be changing carburetors at a garage near you, covered in car grease and muttering salacious accusations against his wife and boss.

 

Wolpe's explanation of her character isn't as persuasive as her technical prowess, which sets her apart from the rest of the cast. The talented, if overtaxed, Fran Bennett plays Othello, but her performance, unlike Wolpe's, is a constant reminder of the external effort required to adopt a masculine facade. As a result, the Moor never becomes supplely human.

 

Iago aside, the gender bending is hardly revelatory, and the acting often translates into broad impersonation -- the donning of caricatures and stereotypes.

 

As for the female characters, well, they aren't rendered with too much subtlety either. Nell Geisslinger's Desdemona is notable mostly for her pert self-possession -- she's obviously no goody two-shoes, though her flagrant randy streak sometimes contradicts her spotless reputation.

 

With a running time close to three hours, the production -- unfettered yet still draggy -- needs to dig deeper into the psychological poetry. The enduring fascination with "Othello" stems from the way an idealized love is destroyed by steadily kindled doubts. That story transcends time, place and even sex. But to reach the universal, you have to be, like Wolpe, comfortably situated in the bearded particular.

 

Pasadena Star News

A good - not stunning - 'Othello' at Boston Court

By Frances Baum Nicholson, Correspondent

OTHELLO

 

8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday through March 23

The Theatre at Boston Court

70 N. Mentor Ave at Boston Court

Pasadena

$32

(626) 683-6883; www.BostonCourt.org <http://www.BostonCourt.org>

 

The joy of producing a Shakespeare play is the freedom implicit in the act. Nobody expects to see you do the play in Elizabethan doublet and hose anymore, so almost anything is possible.

 

From Orson Welles' famous voodoo "MacBeth" to the "Julius Caesar" at the Mark Taper Forum a few years ago set in the time of JFK, one is allowed - no, encouraged - to take liberties in order to find new truths. Yet, one fact remains: because Shakespeare was writing for a company of men, most of the truly remarkable parts are male.

 

That is no longer the case: Along comes the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company. By casting every single role with women, just as Shakespeare himself was forced to cast every role with men and boys, you let a new gender of actor loose on the great roles of the English language. Take, for example, the production of "Othello" just opened at The Theatre at Boston Court, in Pasadena. One gets a chance, as the Bard's own audiences did, to look past gender and admire performances in this most emotionally tragic of tales.

 

Well, most of the time. For some of the actors playing men, the result is a work of art. For others, it is an incomplete creation.

 

And, unfortunately, for she who plays Othello himself, much of the emotional connection one would otherwise have with the character is strangled. This, not because the performer is a woman, but because the vocal control necessary to sound like a man does not, in this performer's case, allow for the expression of a range of emotion.

 

This does not spoil the production.

 

Lisa Wolpe proves not only convincing but absolutely frightening as Iago - a man overlooked for promotion, and bent on horrific revenge.

 

Hard-edged and capable of convincing false loyalty, this Iago becomes the dark side of the career soldier: amoral and seething. As the man who receives the honors Iago feels deprived of, Kimberleigh Aarn give Cassio an earnest innocence which proves both endearing to Othello, and obviously maddening to his more hardened compatriot.

 

Nell Geisslinger brings to the ill-fated Desdemona a kind of joyful spark. Katrinka Wolfson gives depth to the more worldly but still principled wife of Iago, who is eventually appalled at her hand in Desdemona's undoing. Cynthia Beckert makes entertaining work of the occasional fling of Cassio's too, though her sojourn into manhood as Duke Lodovico becomes a triumph vocally, if not in her movements.

 

Still, one must discuss Fran Bennett's Othello. Having seen Bennett in other work, I know her to be a capable actress, and there are moments - particularly in the play's climactic ending sequences - when one begins to see what could have been. But darkening her voice enough to sound like an aging general has left Bennett with no room to move.

 

Having walked like a general, and commanded the stage like one, she talks in a near monotone. The result is admiration, but no emotional connection. Without it, Othello does not become a victim of Iago's viciousness, but a curious object to study.

 

Still, director Wolpe, who has so amazingly transformed herself, does a fine job with the feel of the piece as a whole. The trimming of the very long Shakespeare text is tight and pointed. The sense of urgency pushes one throughout the piece, and the motivations are clear and compelling for all the convolutions of plot, which lead to the disastrous end.

 

The only downside is a desire that one could have connected as much with Othello, and his readiness to believe the distortions in his wife's honor, as we do with the evil twistings of Iago, his ensign.

 

Kudos also go to Susan Gratch's three-dimensional set design, which allow for seamless shifts from place to place, and Mary Trahey's hair and makeup design, which play a large part in describing genders in the production. Soojin Lee's vaguely 1940s costumes give an air of generic militarism to the proceeding.

 

"Othello" is one of the greatest plays in the English language. Originally, Desdemona was portrayed by a boy. Now Iago is a girl. Why not? It wouldn't bother the Bard, and it would do any audience good to get past gender and appreciate a good performance. Now's your chance.

 

 

 

Random Lengths

March 7, 2008

 

Othello and Otello

 

A great plat (Shakespeare's Othello) and the great opera (Otello) based on it, now in Pasadena and the Music Center near you.

 

In the play, a sharp, fascinating Iago takes in the audience as she takes in Othello. She (LA Women's Shakespeare's Lisa Wolpe) hares intimate winks and nods, takes us into her confidence even as it turns into a confidence game. Fran Bennett's elaborate speech makes Othello as a worldly soldier of great pride and dignity who fails with a thud. A laconic Desdemona and genteel Cassio complete the picture. Through Mar. 23 at 70 N. Mentor in Pasadena. Tickets and info at BostonCourt.org or (626) 683-6883

 

 

 

Park LaBrea News/Beverly Press

March 6, 2008

Madeleine Shaner

 

Female Actors Play "Othello" with Muscle

 

Surprisingly popular guy, that Othello. But no one, from Lawrence Fishburne to Orson Welles to Laurence Olivier has made it his own. Fran Bennett in LA Women's Shakespeare Company production doesn't quite do it either, but she comes awfully close, in fact, bringing us to tears at the end, something that doesn't happen much when you go to the theatre five times a week.

 

Coming co recently off Verdi's "Otello" at LA Opera, it seemed like a stretch to traipse out to Pasadena to see the play one more time. But experience should have warned us that a LAWSC/Theatre at Boston Court production could not help but to every "Othello" we had ever seen. Combining the technical and production ability of one of our newest theatres and the talent and resources of one of our most talented Shakespearian troupes could only be a win-win situation.

 

LAWSC continues to be a truly competitive organization which defeats the gender discussions that encircle the original productions, in which men played all the roles, to complete the circle in which women play all the roles. Experience tells us that good theatre: masculine or feminine, hetero or retro, classical or hip-hop become irrelevant when the text is played for its truth, its honesty and its relevance. According to Shakespeare's texts, not much has changed since the 16^th century, when men were men and women were well…just slightly different.

 

Topping the LAWSC production is the performance of Lisa Wolpe as Iago. Wolpe has played them all, from Romeo to Lear, to Shylock to Richard III, and in all she has been outstanding, but here she outplays even herself. At intermission, a woman returned to the lobby to ask the staff if that really was a woman playing Iago; we all assured her that Ms. Wolpe was really a woman, but above all, a superb actor, a talented director, an educator and the producer of a couple of dozen prizewinning shows, of which she was star player.

This day's production was not about stars, but about humanity, men and women in, or wishing they were, or wishing they weren't in relationships, and what goes down between the sexes, and between the ranks, in terms of power, fear, jealousy, rivalry, love, hate and pride. As relevant today as then, the story is a familiar one, but this time the relationships are so clearly defined, and the language so well-rendered, that we're bound and astonished, to find a superbly new perspective on an old story. Words we'd never really heard before suddenly sprang into consciousness, so we silently said "Ahh" as meaning became clear. What a wonderful experience. Fran Bennett as the misguided Othello, excellent, though maybe not quite the colossus we pre-imagined. Nell Geisslinger as the lovely misunderstood Desdemona, Kimberleigh Aaron, as Cassio, Katrinka Wolfson, Cynthia Beckert, Linda Bisesti, Mary Cobb and Kate Roxburgh are all the wonderful part and parcel of this overwhelming production.

 

Credit Susan Gratch with the useful scenic design, Soojin Lee with brilliantly executed costumes, Jaymie Lee Smith with sensitive lighting, Kari Rae Seekins with sounds and Robyn Taylor with props (I always try to mention props, because that's what I was doing when I met my husband on my first "gig" in this country.)

 

LA Women's Shakespeare Company and the Theatre at Boston Court, 70 N. Mentor Avenue, Pasadena, Thursday-Saturday 8:00 pm, Sunday 2:00 pm, through March 23. (626) 683-6883, www.bostoncourt.org

 

 

 

Pasadena City College Courier

Shakespeare Not Just a Boy's Act

March 9th, 2008 · No Comments

 Meghann Baker, Contributing Writer

 

For staging an all-female production of the classic tragedy, Othello, the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company and the theater at Boston Court prove that female actors playing male characters can still provide the tension, violence and terrifying passion this play is famous for. 

 

There are only three women in Shakespeare's Othello. Jealousy, lust, greed, war and male ego are key to the plot, so it is exciting that an all-female company would choose to take it on. The Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company has been tackling Shakespeare's plays since 1993. Besides Othello, they have produced many classics including Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice and Richard III. While watching this production of Othello, it is easy to forget the women playing men are actually women. This is an amazing feat, considering the rarity of gender-switching in American theatre.

 

Lisa Wolpe, director of LASWC, co-stars as Iago in this production of Othello.  She comes across as a handsome and mischievous scoundrel.  The likability she brings to one of Shakespeare's most famous villains makes the audience simultaneously love him for his honesty and hate him for his cruelty – both makings of a truly great villain.

 

Fran Bennet brings a dignity to Othello that command respect and makes watching the character's descent into madness heartbreaking.

 

Othello is a black general in a predominantly white army, and has earned both his title and the respect of his racist counterparts by being a man of uncompromising principles.  Upon his promotion, Othello named his best friend Cassio (Kimberleigh Aaru), as his second-in-command, and Iago as third in rank.

 

The story begins with Iago and another man, Roderigo, waking one of the town's senators to tell him his daughter Desdemona (Nell Geisslinge), has secretly married Othello. The senator is furious and demands Othello be taken before the Duke.  From this point on, Iago systematically plans to destroy Othello's life while appearing to be his faithful servant.

Othello gradually falls apart over the course of the play, becoming prey to Iago's superior intellect and manipulative brilliance.

 

Throughout this Othello, Wolpe's masterful use of action to portray parts of the story that may not be clear by simply listening to the actors makes this play a fun ride.  Othello is a thriller, so it is essential that one not miss out on the action along the way.  Shakespeare is notoriously hard to follow but this production adds short action sequences such as two characters dancing on a veranda in a loving embrace, and a sexy gypsy entertaining the troupes in order to bring to life what is happening in the script.  This makes Wolpe's Othello both accessible and entertaining to a casual theatre-goer.

 

The wonderful use of visuals and the fine performances, Othello follows through as a wonderful night at the theater.

 

 

Goldstar Patron Reviews

 

kathy

I saw the last preview performance before the show opened. The actors were unbelievable - it was hard to imagine that the entire cast is female! The lead character, Othello, was a powerful presence in the firt act and lost a bit of her/his intensity in the second act. Consequently, the timing was off for me - it dragged on a bit too long.

 

I have recommended this play to others. It is well worth seeing

 

 

Patricia Morice

L.A. Women know their stuff!

Wow! If you have never seen a production from the L.A. Women's Shakespeare Company, then you haven't really seen Shakespeare done right. If I did not know Iago was really Lisa Wolpe, I would have just thought, what a handsome young man. Othello, as portrayed by Fran Bennett was the first Othello that I see have an epileptic fit, as Shakespeare intended, not an anger fit as I have seen male actors portray. I have seen this group handle other Shakespeare's plays with equal finesse, if you have the opportunity, don't miss this!

This is my first time at this Boston Court Theater and shame on me for not coming sooner, nice staff & cool decor and lucky me I live so close.

 

 

Gayle H.

The acting was superb. The way the story was told cast new light on the power issues of race, gender and class. LAWSC rocks!