The UofL Department of Theatre Arts will present 鈥淥thello鈥 Feb. 4-8 at The Playhouse, 1911 S. Fourth St. Directed by assistant professor Daniel R. Hill, the production stars graduate student Shaleen Cholera as Othello.
鈥淭his play has been produced for more than 400 years and these themes of power, greed, racism and the manipulation behind it are just as prevalent today,鈥 Hill said.
The tragic tale of Othello as general, his new bride, his traitorous friend and his fellow officers and kinsmen will stick to its traditional roots in the UofL production, but the actors stray from typical casting.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e trying to do is look at it from a slightly different lens,鈥 Hill said. 鈥淲hat would it look like if Othello鈥檚 army was representative of the diversity of America鈥檚 army today, with diverse cultures in higher ranks like general?
For photos of the performance, .
Cholera, who is of Indian and Malawian descent, provided a unique appearance for Othello, a character who is often portrayed as black while the rest of the cast is portrayed by white actors. He also brought a strong background in dramatic theater after performing with Tennessee Shakespeare Company before his time at UofL.聽鈥淥ur casting for this show celebrates the diversity of our program and updates the look of the typical American production of Othello to represent many people and many races,鈥 Hill said.
Performances are 8 p.m., Feb. 4-8 with a matinee 3 p.m., Feb. 8. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $12 for students. To order tickets or for more information, call the box office at (502) 852-6814 or visit .
听痴颈蝉颈迟听迟丑别 channel to see a trailer for the production.聽聽