Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ receives outdoor production in Yellow Springs
Shakespeare’s epic tragedy “Othello,” a dramatic tale of power, prejudice, jealousy, romance and murder, will be presented July 12-13 and 19-20 courtesy of the Yellow Springs Theater Company on the back lawn of Mills Lawn Elementary School, 200 S. Walnut St., Yellow Springs.
In the play, the marriage of the titular Moorish general in the Venetian army to Desdemona, daughter of Senator Brabantio, produces shockwaves and suspicion, heightened by the manipulative instincts of Iago, Othello’s resentful friend.
The play “is possibly the most forward and progressive of all of Shakespeare’s plays — one that takes on societal and personal racism and misogyny that seems ripped straight from our current headlines,” said director Lorrie SparrowKnapp, who staged “The Christians” for Dayton Theatre Guild in 2017. “This play could not be more current. Every rehearsal we’ve found something in the text — a phrase, an action, a scene arc — and have had to step back and breathe because it (seemed) like that happened yesterday (or) happened 10 minutes ago (or) is happening somewhere now.”
Notable for the casting of Paul Robeson as one of the first African-American actors to portray Othello, the groundbreaking play’s insightful look at race remains significant. Sparrow-Knapp acknowledges its thought-provoking relevancy.
“Othello” is about having to “constantly have the color of your skin or your gender identity define you over and above one’s own personal excellence and experience,” she said. “It’s also about how that makes you a target to those who would keep power and how hard they’ll fight for it, all with a sense of moral certitude because their way, the dominant narrative, is obviously the ‘right’ way. It shows the audience how entitlement, both overt and whispered, destroys the idea of acceptance and equality in our societies.”
The cast consists of Elias Kelley in the title role, Garrett Young as Iago, Kayla Graham as Emilia, Anna Knippling as Desdemona, Chelsey Hall as Bianca, Franco Villongco as Cassio, Jeremy Holtgrave as Gratiano, Ed Knapp as Brabantio, Alisa Meier as Duke of Venice, Jonah Trillana as Roderigo, David Walker as Clown or Servant to Othello, and Emily Parsons, Lucas Sansom and John Wysong as Citizens, Senators and Soldiers of Venice and Cyprus.
Performances begin at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, rain or shine. Pre-show music begins at 7:30 p.m. The production is free and open to the public but donations will be gladly accepted. Visit ystheater. org for more details.
‘Mamma Mia!’ in Versailles
The Towne and Country Players in Versailles presents the ABBA-friendly blockbuster “Mamma Mia!” July 16-20 at the Versailles Performing Arts Center, 280 Marker Road, Versailles. Set on a tiny Greek island, the story concerns single mother Donna Sheridan, who carefully balances the exciting upcoming nuptials of her only daughter, Sophie, with the shock and awe of being reunited with her three former lovers. The show features more than 20 hits written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, including “Dancing Queen,” “Super Trouper,” “The Winner Takes It All,” and the title tune. Performances are 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are available online at towneandcountryplayers.com.
‘Best Little Whorehouse’ auditions at Dayton Playhouse
A large ensemble cast of 13 men and 14 women are needed for the Dayton Playhouse’s production of Carol Hall, Larry L. King and Peter Masterson’s 1979 Tony Award-nominated musical “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” slated Sept. 13-29. Auditions will be held Monday, July 8 and Tuesday, July 9 at 8 p.m. at the Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton. Those auditioning must bring sheet music and be prepared to sing up to 32 bars, but no more than one minute, of a fully memorized Broadway-style song that showcases vocal range and a vocal style consistent with the character they are auditioning for. An accompanist will be provided. Those auditioning will also perform a brief dance combination taught at the audition. Some will also perform cold readings from the script. For a complete character breakdown, visit daytonplayhouse.com.
DPAA receives grant from National Endowment for the Arts
An Art Works grant of $10,000 will be awarded to Dayton Performing Arts Alliance for support of the Stained Glass community concert series. Art Works is the Arts Endowment’s principal grant making program. The agency notably received 1,592 Art Works applications for this round of grant making and will award 977 grants in this category.
“These awards, reaching every corner of the United States, are a testament to the artistic richness and diversity in our country,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “Organizations such as Dayton Performing Arts Alliance are giving people in their community the opportunity to learn, create and be inspired.”
“We are honored to receive this prestigious grant from the National Endowment for the Arts,” said Paul Helfrich, President and CEO of the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance. “This grant helps us support our key strategic goal of mattering to Dayton by being a vital part of the community.”
The Stained Glass Series, part of the Norma Ross Memorial Community Concerts, is a series of free, diverse Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra concerts in local churches. Nearly 9,000 people have attended the series since its inception during the 2006-2007 season.
Contact this contributing writer at rflorence2@gmail.com.