Brazilian Othello

January 10, 2014 — Brazil, creativity, dance, England, performance, Shakespeare

In Shakespeare’s Othello the protagonist Moor is a military commander and the action takes place during a time of war.  The twists and turns of the story are typical of a tragedy written by The Bard.  There is much misunderstanding and treachery leading to the deeply tragic ending.  The play has been performed in all kinds of settings and time frames because it has eternal themes that work well for any time or place in history.  Racism, betrayal, jealousy, and war are always in style, sadly enough.  It has been adapted into movie and opera in the past, and now it is being presented as a modern fusion of the latest technology possible combined with an ancient story.

The star and creator in this new production is from Salvador do Bahia, Brazil and has deep cultural and artistic roots in that city.  He has been fascinated with this play for many years.  Elisio Pitta wanted to use his talent and experience as a dancer and artist to produce a sharp protest against domestic violence, a worldwide problem. He  created a working collaboration of the most artistically gifted people he knew for this project.  Working as a team, they focused on the ideas they wanted to portray.   This new version of Othello has been merged with the cultural treasures and foundations of  Bahia.  Slavery, racism, liberation, and natural magic are strong themes in the artistic backgrounds of these artists.  They intentionally explored the similarities and dramatic meaning present in Shakespeare’s drama, and adapted it to their own time and place to send a message and make an emphatic statement.  They worked on it for over 3 years, and were ironically interrupted during rehearsal when Mr Pitta was badly injured in an incident of violence last August in his home city.  Elisio is a master martial artist in capoeira, but 10 large young angry men were more than he could handle.  This attack only strengthened his resolve to present his artistic response to violence, which is too common today.  In this show, since it is based on modern issues, Othello kills himself  in the end with a gun rather than a sword.  It is fortunate for everyone that the young punks who beat him up did not have  guns during that fight.

Now the show has opened in Brazil to sold out theaters and will be opening next week in Liverpool, England for an engagement.  A giant celebration is planned all year for the 450th anniversary of the birth of the most famous poet of all time.  I believe that William Shakespeare will be impressed with all the creative energy honoring his work and keeping it alive.  If you want to know more the largest festival ever honoring him, check out The Year of Shakespeare.  You can follow it on twitter and like it on Facebook to read and write reviews all year.  Enjoy!