Mad Othello

So last night I went to a production of Othello. It was a different production of Othello than is “traditionally” performed for a couple of reasons.

1-The setting was post-apocalyptic “Mad Max” war zone.

2-The cast was ALL female

3-Othello wasn’t black

A lot of people I know go, “Well, if Othello isn’t black is it really Othello?” and I just look at them and go “Da hell man?”

Unlike other shows like Clybourne Park, Hairspray, or A Raisin In The Sun race is not the central plot point in Othello. While many may argue that it is extremely important because without Othello’s race Iago has no motivation for destroying Othello, they are missing that the primary focus of Iago’s hatred is that he believes Othello to have slept with his wife, in addition to Iago’s jealousy at Othello’s rise in rank above him. That has NOTHING to do with race. It doesn’t matter what race, creed, ethnicity, religion, or gender Othello is, Iago will hate him for getting promoted to General over him and for, supposedly, sleeping with his wife.

                So what happens when we take away race? What happens when Othello is not only female, but is Caucasian? The entire play shifts and the characters who once stood at the center of the play are moved to the side to make way for the characters who have more to lose than anyone else—Desdemona and Amelia.

                First I need to say how much I appreciated Hailey Nebeker’s portrayal of Desdemona. For the first time ever I actually saw Desdemona as a strong female. Rather than the pure, wilting flower who gives in to the whims of men because she is unable to stand on her own, Nebeker’s Desdemona was a total badass. She was strong, but also kind. There was more than one time that I could feel the “F*** you” subtext as she spoke to various men. But she still advocated for kindness and compassion towards those she loves. She wasn’t going to take shit without a fight, but she wasn’t going to start a fight for no reason. It was incredibly empowering to watch and made me want her to fight harder and made me hate Othello and Iago more than ever. Now Desdemona was incredible, but even she wasn’t the character that haunted me and made me cry out for justice.

In watching this play in this concept/format, suddenly Amelia was the only character I cared about. I have read the play many times. I have seen scenes performed dozens of times and ways. But not ONCE did I ever understand the pain Amelia endures. And it is right there! It is in the text! So why do we gloss over it so often? Why do we ignore the abuse and violence (physical, mental, sexual) of a woman who is simply trying to survive? Why don’t we want to stand up to protect Amelia? Is domestic abuse/violence so common that we have grown numb and are unable to see it? I ached watching Amelia be torn apart as she is forced to fight for her own survival and fight for her human sanity in doing the “right” thing. In other productions, I hated Amelia. I thought “What the hell is this dumb bitch doing? She’s gonna mess it all up and get everyone killed.” And I am so mad and ashamed at myself, as a survivor of sexual abuse, for not going deeper. For not comprehending the depth of her pain. For not advocating for her and thinking “This poor woman. What a terrible thing that she can see no other choice but to obey in order to save her own life.” I left the theatre exhausted and wanting nothing more than to see a change in our world. To see a world where abuse and violence is so rare that it can sicken someone at the mere mention of it, let alone seeing it staged. To see a world where we cry out for justice for women. To see a world where the abused female character is applauded as just as important as the male character who does the abusing. To see a different world, a better world.

You can see Dark Lady Shakespeare Company’s production of Mad Othello at the Salt Lake Fringe Festival.

8/6/16 at 9:30pm

8/7/16 at 12:30pm

2234 Highland Dr.

Salt Lake City, UT

#lovetrumpshate

I have so many friends that share my beliefs that I often forget that I have friends who have radically different views from me. Sometimes it makes me angry. Sometimes it makes me sad. But more often than not it breaks my heart. Because aside from the larger consequences that will come from this election, there are smaller, more immediate consequences that I feel like people—people who say they care about me—forget. 

We have fought so hard in this country for centuries. We have fought for equality. That is number one. The first thing we as an American people ever wanted. To be treated equally. Unfortunately, we aren’t there yet. There are still thousands of people in this country who are treated like second class citizens in one way or another. And all the fear and hate I have seen spouted throughout this election process has only propagated this insane idea that some people are inherently “better” than others. That I am inherently less than someone else because I am a woman. Because I am gay. Because I am a survivor of sexual abuse. Because, somehow, someone decided that those labels make me less of a human being.  I am not considered equal. And as a result of that inequality placed on me suddenly I don’t deserve access to affordable health care, my marriage is not as “real” as someone else’s and may be dissolved altogether, I no longer have the right to decide what happens to my body, I don’t have the right to get a degree without putting myself into crippling debt, debt which I may never fully get out of because I am unable to get paid the same as everyone else. That is what will happen to me. Not to someone else. Not to a mystery human that you have never met. Me. This is real. It is personal. And by standing by, or worse, supporting it then you are a part of the problem. You are hurting me and my family. You. Not someone else I’ve never met. You. My friend.

We can no longer stand around and say, “Well, I didn’t want this” or “It won’t happen to me” or “I’m not a part of the problem.” We are all a part of the problem if we continue to support hate. If we continue to let our deeply rooted party alliances govern our actions. If we continue to ignore the cries of justice and equality from those citizens who so desperately need it.

I look around and I know that there is so much good in the world. There is such an incredible capacity for love and acceptance and we have the opportunity to pick that. To pick love and acceptance and equality and compassion rather than hate and fear and discrimination and disregard. This is not about parties anymore. It is not about religion or sexual orientation or race or class or any other label. It is about being a decent human being. It is time we stopped thinking about our own selfish prejudices and started thinking about what our actions mean to everyone else around us.

This is not an invitation for debate or fighting. This is simply meant as a plea, a cry, for a return to human decency. I don’t want to argue. I don’t want to fight. I want to say I love you and I respect your right to choose, but please consider love first. Choose love first. Fight for love first. Let love be what shines through in this election, not hate. #lovetrumpshate