O-mazing.

Folgers Shakespeare Theater, Washington, DC

December 1, 2011

Brad - A

Chelsea - A+

Othello and Shirtless Burritos.

The Folger Shakespeare Library is America's preeminent Shakespeare research institute. Before going there for the first time, I ate half a Chipotle burrito in ninety-two seconds. Chelsea got the tickets for this show, Row M, Seats 11 and 12. The theater at the Folger is a replica of an Elizabethan theater. It is a small theater with two levels (think the play scenes in Shakespeare in Love). It turns out odd number seats are on stage left and even number seats are on stage right. So, I sat next to a man who spoke only in metaphors, directly behind a pole, across the theater from my date.

So, Othello is a tragic tale of unbridled jealousy and race relations. Othello is a pimp. He is a fierce warrior, a lady's man, and a minority. His new wife, Desdemona, is the picture of innocence and hot. Very hot. One of Othello's colleagues, Iago, is jealous of Othello's success. So, he devises a plan to destroy Othello. As the play progresses, Iago sows seeds of doubt in Othello's mind about Desdemona's fidelity. By the end of the play, Othello is prescription crazy. And apparently, the actor that played Othello felt that his shirt hindered him from expressing this downward spiral. So, he chose not to wear it, a majority of the play.

This really was a great production: crazy sound-design, excellent slow-mo scenes, and fantastic actors. Oh, and when the show was over and I got to chat with Chelsea, the company was pretty good too.

On the short walk from the theater to the metro, we realized we really did have a good time. And on second street northeast, just behind the Library of Congress, the idea for Shakespeare in a Year was born. My goal is to morph this little blog into a book contract with movie rights (think Julia and Julia meets It's Always Sunny). Details to follow...

Brad-thello