![]() As in my review heading, I'll go out on another musical theatre reference: in the words of Rogers and Hammerstein, "You've got to be carefully taught.Adaptive_ocr true Addeddate 21:50:19 Betterpdf true Bookreader-defaults mode/1up Boxid IA1195012 Catalog_time 1783 Country US Derive_submittime 17:01:56 Disccount 4 External-identifier Even in the "liberal" world of the theatre, these issues are still woefully behind the times, and theatre students (perhaps ALL students) need to learn to think carefully and critically when it comes to race on the stage. In my opinion as an educator, history is only valuable if we can use it to explore, understand, and better the world we live in today a world that is viewing and interpreting race more closely than ever before. ![]() ![]() The film can be a powerful way to approach the subject of race in the classroom when accompanied by current (and historical) performances by African American actors of the same role, and can give way to other meaningful conversations that include contemporary professional theatre issues that also pertain to race (color-blind casting, "problem plays", and so on). As an educator, it is important to make the distinction. This film is a time capsule, and should be regarded as such rather than esteemed as the definitive Othello performance. While Olivier's performance is and always will be iconic and masterful, in today's age we can no longer overlook the fact that he is in blackface. I show part of Olivier's Othello and part of Branagh's more recent 1995 version, and encourage my classes to discuss the pros and cons of each. I teach Theatre History, and I intentionally use Othello as an example of Shakespeare's work when we get to the English Renaissance. There really is no further need ever to make another version of this great play, since Olivier seems certain to dwarf any other version. One cannot exhaust the superlatives necessary to describe Olivier's performance-there are moments when one is inclined to avert one's gaze, as it is like watching an animal caught in a trap to witness the helplessness of a formerly great soldier caught in the fatal throes of jealousy. He has surrounded himself with the same superb cast that were in the National Theatre production on the London stage for years before the play was committed to film. Olivier is at the peak of his immense powers of interpretation and brings a physicality and athleticism to the role that only a few years later would not have been possible for him, given the problems with his health that were soon virtually to overwhelm him. I never tire of recommending this version of Shakespeare's tragic portrayal of the consequences of jealous passion pushed to the breaking point as the greatest production of Shakespeare ever put on film.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |