Othello

I recently attended a performance of Othello put on by Shakespeare in the Park. Othello has always been pretty near the bottom on my list Shakespeare plays. I think my dislike of it stems from my 11 grade English honors class. I playacted a scene with a group of students in which I was mostly dead, after being smothered violently with a pillow. Also, we didn't read the actual text; we read a comic book version featuring mice.

Despite my dislike of the the play, I was excited to go. I have not seen nearly enough Shakespeare in my lifetime. I wrangled together some other Shakespeare fans, found my picnic blanket, grabbed some snacks, and headed to the park.

In their original form, Shakespeare plays were performed on an outdoor stage with little props or scenery. The story was told through the words and actions of the actors. There was also no fourth wall. The performances relied heavily on the reactions and participation of the audience. Shakespeare wrote to please the masses.

My expectations were pretty low. Free Shakespeare performed by volunteers in the park? I thought the whole thing was highly suspect.

Shakespeare performed is magical. Always. Shakespeare performed in the evening among the tall pine trees at the park while you sit on blankets and munch on bottle caps is pretty much the best thing ever.

You can find more information about Shakespeare in the Park here. I believe they are doing Richard III next. You should try to find the time to go. Trust me, it's worth it. Chances are pretty good you'll run into me, sitting on my picnic blanket with my buddies, munching on my bottle caps.

PS It is so strange to work with a whole bunch of people just like me. Who knew I'd ever have a host of friends that enjoy Shakespeare? I'm kind of in love with it.