Othello marks the first of Shakespeare’s tragedies to be performed on Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s new stage at The Otto M. Budig Theater.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 8, 2018 – Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues the Debut Season at The Otto M. Budig Theater with William Shakespeare’s Othello. The production will be directed by Christopher V. Williams, who also directed last season’s highly-praised A Raisin in the Sun at CSC, and will feature founding company member Nicholas Rose at Iago, as well as newcomer to CSC William Oliver Watkins as Othello, and CSC Resident Ensemble Member Courtney Lucien as Desdemona. Othello is generously sponsored by Matson Money and Pete Strange Family.
Othello (William Oliver Watkins), a Moor, has won fame and glory for his many victories leading the Venetian army, but tensions spark when he elopes with the wealthy Desdemona (Courtney Lucien). Othello’s scheming underling, Iago (Nicholas Rose) is bitterly jealous of Othello’s successes and launches a series of plots and snares to bring ruin to Othello and Desdemona. Through whispers, innuendoes, and a deception involving a purloined handkerchief, Iago sets out to ruin Desdemona’s reputation and drive Othello to wild fits of jealousy.
The production is part of an exciting collaboration between Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. These neighboring local theaters are collaborating to present William Shakespeare’s “Othello” and Lola Chakrabarti’s “Red Velvet” simultaneously only blocks apart in OTR! Cincinnati audiences will have a rare opportunity to experience both Shakespeare’s searing tragedy of deception and betrayal and see Chakrabarti’s telling of the little-known but true story of Ira Aldridge, the first African-American actor to play Othello.
Othello runs March 2-24 with performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM, as well as Saturday March 24 at 2:00 PM. Preview performances are February 28 and March 1 at 7:30 PM. Red Velvet runs March 6- 31 at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati.
The theater is now located at The Otto M. Budig Theater at 1195 Elm Street in OTR, adjacent to Washington Park. Single ticket prices range from $14-$52. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the CSC Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273) ext. 1, or go online at www.cincyshakes.com.
