Othello
“After 14 productions of Othello this is the one I've enjoyed the most…Immediacy was so wonderful...Conor Andrew Hall he would have kept you guessing, you could understand why Othello would believe him...Eliott Johnson is very very fine, so human it is the best thing about him."
— Peter Filichia, Broadway Radio
“New Place Players’ Othello offers a captivating, close-up, fully realized production of an iconic Shakespearean tragedy enriched with a complex interplay of elements that immerses us in both history and a timeless human theme. It’s what makes a classic a classic and what makes this an experience that shouldn’t be missed.”
— Deb Miller, DC Metro Arts
“The closeness between the actors, who are trained in the Lecoq movements, and the audience created an unspoken camaraderie, as if we were fellow citizens familiar with the characters and setting. The story unfolded with a clear, precise progression, the misogyny, classism, and racism unmistakable but not heavy-handed.”
“Director Makenna Masenheimer has created a topical and relevant story of Othello. Not just by narrowing the focus more towards the Black Moor Othello, but by opening his story to all people that are judged as “the other”. The underling dynamic is emphasized in this production. Neither has the Shakespeare dialog changed but emphasized a bit differently to pull the “otherness” front and center. It is a great show and event and night out.”
Written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Directed by MAKENNA MASENHEIMER
A searing & intimate look at a powerful and timeless story
LIMITED OFF-BROADWAY ENGAGEMENT EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 25, 2023
After the long pandemic hiatus, NEW PLACE PLAYERS returns to New York City with a production of OTHELLO, directed by Makenna Masenheimer, combining their signature original live chamber music, and acting which celebrates language, action, and deeply human storytelling. OTHELLO will play a limited engagement at Casa Clara (218 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010).
OTHELLO will be performed for an intimate audience of fifty people in the round, immersed in a former foundry with a rich collection of statuary, featuring both skylights and balconies. As one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, this production of OTHELLO will be a searing & intimate look at shame, manipulation, and the devastation it provokes. It will bring New Place Player’s signature dynamic interplay of music, Lecoq movement, swordplay, and language to a new level — with musicians and actors collaborating with one another to inspire an extraordinarily fresh take on Shakespeare’s powerful and timeless story.
The production stars Alanah Allen (Spite, Single Asian Female) as Desdemona, Matthew Appleby as Officer/Gentleman/Herald, Matthew Dudley (Director of Voice and Speech at Terry Knickerbocker Studio) as Brabantio, Conor Andrew Hall as Iago, Helen Herbert (National Tour: A Christmas Carol) as Emilia, Matthew Iannone as Cassio, Eliott Johnson (Lombardi) as Othello, Rose Kanj as Bianca, Nathan Krasner as Roderigo, Topher Kielbasa as Lodovico, Ryan Joseph Swartz (Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me) as Duke of Venice/1st Gentleman. Understudies Megan Gaber for Desdemona/Bianca, Jason Nadal for Othello, and Mike McNulty for Roderigo/Duke of Venice/Lodovico/Officer/Gentleman.
The musicians include Anna Bikales (harpist), Flavio Gaete (music director, composition & sound design), and Daniel Keene (lutenist).
The production features scenic design by Shawn Lewis (set), costume design by Jennifer Paar (costumes), Chelsea Bryn Lockie (executive producer), Erick Alonso (production assistant) and lighting design by Ethan Steimel (lights), .
Artistic Director is Craig Bacon.
OTHELLO plays the following regular schedule through Saturday, February 25th:
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.
Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sundays at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $99, $79, $29
Running Time: 2 hrs and 45 minutes with an intermission.
“Talk about immersive!”
—Brooklyn Magazine
