Shakespeare's 'Othello' opens Wednesday at SE River Campus

Southeast Missouri State University theater students are set to deliver Shakespeare’s “Othello” — the classic 1599 chronicle of love, entitlement and murder — from the streets of Venice to Cape Girardeau as the conservatory of theatre and dance series finale.

The story focuses on two main characters — Othello and Iago — while racism, love, jealousy, betrayal, revenge and repentance run rampant to the death. “Othello” traces the downfall of Othello, a Moor and a mercenary who becomes a general of the Venetian armies during the time of the Italian Renaissance.

Bart Williams, assistant professor of acting/movement/stage combat at Southeast, said the play “always will be one that resonates” with those who see it.

“We’ve been doing Shakespeare every other year; it seems to be going tragedy, comedy, tragedy,” he said, “So this just fit at this time.”

Twenty-five cast members — with mainly seniors in key roles — and 15 crew members have invested time and energy since before spring break, Williams said.

Gabe White pokes his head through the wardrobe rack in the middle of the dressing room backstage before a dress rehearsal of "Othello" on Monday at the River Campus in Cape Girardeau.KASSI JACKSON

Table work came first, he said, which included vast amounts of laying down the required historical groundwork and fully understanding Shakespearean verse structure.

Williams noted one slight change: The show will be presented as an abbreviated version of the original, in an effort to remove anything repetitive.

“We do not have the budget to do the period specific of the time, but we can be influenced by it. ... All of the characters that are in the folio are on stage in some form,” he said, adding the original script will still be respected.

St. Louis native and Southeast junior Trenden Everett portrays the older and war hardened Othello.

Finding out where he and his character mesh was at first a struggle, Everett said.

Dempsey Hankins sorts through the wardrobe rack as she gets in character of Desdemona backstage before a dress rehearsal of "Othello" on Monday at the River Campus in Cape Girardeau.KASSI JACKSON

“Because Othello is an older character, there’s always going to be that air of gravitas that I can’t latch onto yet, because I don’t have that age,” he said.

And, “I never had been a character that’s killed somebody, so that’s a big thing,” he added.

To pull it off, Everett tapped into the head space of vulnerability he obtained from being part of the previous River Campus production, “Our Town,” he said.

“You’re really feeling those emotions; you’re really crying. In your mind, it becomes a marker for those emotions,” Everett said, recalling certain points within the show his character portrays openness.

And portraying one of the lead characters isn’t something that overwhelms him, he said.

Trenden Everett, left, holds hands with Dempsey Hankins as they portray their respective roles of Othello and Desdemona during a dress rehearsal of "Othello" on Monday at the River Campus in Cape Girardeau.KASSI JACKSON

“Any character you are, you’re driving the show forward,” he said. “Of course, there’s a different weight to it, but at the end of the day, we’re all telling the story as one big unit.”

Senior Alex Burke, though female, portrays male character (Michael) Cassio.

Burke said she was comfortable being a woman “hiding in drag, almost Mulan-esque.”

Though not unheard of for a female to play a male character in theater, Burke said Williams went with the idea because of her energy and “the difference that I brought to it.”

And since rehearsals began, her role was afforded open interpretation, she said.

“We sat down and really talked about it, how it can still happen; I can still be this woman portraying a man, and it changes all the context of the story just a little bit,” Burke said.

She portrays Cassio with extreme masculinity, she said, but still allows him to possess his distinguishing “soft qualities.”

Junior Hollyn St. Claire is not new to productions at the River Campus. She also has appeared in “Dracula” and “Mary Poppins.”

Her character is Iago’s wife, Emilia — the show’s antihero.

St. Claire has the lines down, she said, but next is learning how to take care of herself vocally and how to take her character “to the next level.”

Jay Wade of St. Louis portrays Iago.

“When you’re practicing it, it’s hard to become the character in that moment,” he said. “But I feel like once we get on stage and have the audience there to enjoy it, that’s when it all hits you. You’re able to be in the moment fully.”

Wade added, “I’m not sure if I was scared in tackling this character, I just knew it was going to take a lot of time. As much work as I’ve done so far, I think we’re getting there.”

Performances of “Othello” will be at 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Southeast River Campus in Cape Girardeau.

Tickets may be purchased by contacting the River Campus box office (573) 651-2265 or online at www.RiverCampus.org.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632