Q & A with Othello’s Cara Reichel
High 5 sat down with director Cara Reichel about her latest directorial effort, Othello, from Oberon Theatre Ensemble and talked about what drew her to the play.
High 5: On the show’s website, you say the goal is to create a
“fast-moving, high-octane production.” What directorial choices have you made to achieve this goal?
Cara Reichel: I’ve worked with the actors to make the most dramatic and interesting choices for the characters, and to keep the pace of the show quick (even though it’s still a Shakespeare-length production) and the storytelling clear. In many cases the transitions from scene to scene overlap, hopefully keeping audiences engaged. We also have some thrilling fight choreography!
H5: How do you plan to make the language and action of
Othello accessible to modern audiences, particularly teens?
CR: For me, the key is a focus on character and story. If audiences understand the dramatic moment of a scene, they will better understand the language because the context of the words, even if they are unfamiliar and heightened, is clear. This play has some of Shakespeare’s most fascinating and well-known characters, and that alone is compelling to audiences of all ages!
H5: How does your background in musical theater facilitate your creative process when directing Shakespeare?
CR: I think there are a lot of similarities between working on staging the lyrics of a song and working on Shakespearean verse and monologues. There is a similar actor / audience relationship. When originally performed, I think Shakespearean actors were always very aware of their audience, in much the same way that musical theater performers still are today. There is no “fourth wall”! This open acknowledgement of the theatrical experience we are sharing makes the performances different each time, since the audience response is a crucial component. So, when directing, I’m always very aware of the experience I think the audience will be having, and take that into account as we work on the play.
H5: The choice to marry the music of Vivaldi and djembe rhythms to
Othello is an interesting one. What inspired this choice?
CR: When I read a play, I always start to hear the “music” of the world in my head. For Othello, especially as there are some songs in the play, it’s a big directorial question to be answered. To me, these two instruments represent different characters in the play: the violin is the ordered and rational world of Venice, which belongs to Desdemona and Iago, and the djembe is more tied to Othello’s emotions and his African heritage. Most of the music in the show is improvisational, with the musicians basing their choices off the movement and choices of the actors.
H5: Of all Shakespeare’s tragedies, what drew you to direct Othello?
Is there something about the piece that you find particularly
relevant to our current cultural and/or political climate?
CR: Oberon decided to produce Othello, and I was thrilled to accept the challenge of serving as director! I was excited to work on such a great play — it’s my first time working on one of the Bard’s tragedies (although I’ve done many comedies before). So, my decision was based primarily on wanting a new artistic and personal challenge. It’s interesting, however, since there have been several NYC productions of Othello recently. Perhaps there’s something about the Obama presidency and how it has once again brought to the forefront of our country’s attention a discussion of racial identity? My production doesn’t attempt to make any political statement — I was more drawn to the overarching human conflict of the piece: the ongoing battle between the rational and the animal in each of us. How, in one moment, human beings can be brilliantly rational, and the next moment consumed by a very irrational emotional response, which overpowers them.
High 5 tickets to Othello are still available — to purchase tix, please visit the show’s event page on the High 5 site!
