HOUSTON – Theater and rap fans in Houston are in for a treat as Stages in Houston is presenting a reimagined take on Othello, the classic tale by William Shakespeare.
For those unfamiliar with the story, it’s a tragic tale about romance combined with betrayal and manipulation.
On May 10, two stars stopped by “Houston Life” breaking down the classic tale. They chatted with Lauren Kelly and Tessa Barrera the fusion of hip-hop and classic theater is sure to captivate the audience. Watch their full interview in the video above.
The latter themes are arguably synonymous with hip-hop, which is why it warrants an ideal reimagined re-telling of the Shakespearean classic through a modern-day rap opera.
Here’s what Eboni Bell Darcy, who is directing the production of Othello: Remix, and serves as Stages’ Associate Artistic Director of Inclusion, Engagement, and Training had to say about the production:
“We have our Othello character who is, like a ‘Jay-Z’ type of character who has come from nothing to make himself into a hip-hop mogul,” she explained. “And he has, who he thinks is the perfect wife in Desdemona, but there are folks who are jealous of him for that and his rap label. And his best friend, Lago, who’s going to remind us of Eminem, comes after him with a plot of deceit in order to get his way at the record label and to bring Othello’s rap career down.”
Having a reimagined take on the play, Darcy continued, gives the audience a chance to see just how timeless the story of Othello truly is.
“What Shakespeare was trying to do in his time as far as tell stories that speak truth to power, that allow the common person to make fun a little bit of their leaders of the ruling class, of those folks who are making decisions, set things in a little bit of parody, and do it with rhythm, with poetry, that’s what modern-day rappers and hip hop artists are doing,” she said. “That’s what they do with their music. They use, rhyme and poetry in order to spin a story and tell the story of a group of people that have been pushed to the margins.”
The play first opened its curtains at Stages, located on Rosine St. near W. Dallas St. on May 3 and will continue to run through June 9, 2024.
However, Othello: Remix first premiered in Chicago, where writers The Q Brothers, originally hail from, around 2016, which Darcy says was around the same time Hamilton made its Broadway debut.
“So, we see kind of like this, this moment of time where people were really leaning into rap as a vehicle for storytelling,” she said. “It had a group of folks who did it, including the writers, the Q Brothers, and two other actors who joined them to do the show when it premiered in Chicago.”
However, it won’t look much like it did in Chicago when audiences see it in the Space City.
“Here in Houston, what we’re putting on is a brand-new production; the first time it’s ever been put on,” Darcy said. “And we’re working with new actors, two stages; so new actors to Houston, new actors to Stages to put on the show and to take on these characters.”
And while it’s all new work, the people acting in the play are not new to Houston.
“They’re all local,” Darcy said. “So, we have Cameron Nunley, who’s actually, been in Houston for a while. He will be taking the lead as Othello in this show. And then joining him are Gabe Mullins and Isaac Lopez, who are both recent graduates of college, coming back home, to Houston, and making their professional debut on our stage. So, everyone you’re going to see is local.”
Unlike the original play, Othello: Remix will be told in contemporary English, as this story will be set in the early 2000s. However, context is extremely important, Darcy warns, as there may be some dialogue or language that might not seem suitable in our current atmosphere.
“I do think that context matters for people,” she said. “And that’s why setting it in the early 2000s might make audiences feel more comfortable viewing a story like this versus if they were watching this story and it was set in 2023, they’d be like, ‘oh my gosh, you know, why haven’t they just called HR?’”
The play runs about 80 minutes long with no intermission, but Darcy says it will have audiences at the edge of their seats. Ultimately, she hopes audiences are entertained, as well as informed.
“You’re going to get on a rollercoaster and you’re going to have a good time the entire time,” she concluded. “We need to walk out of this play with the kind of renewed sense of the beauty that every single person brings into a space, and with the knowledge that our relationships cannot be transactional. And when they are transactional, danger follows.”
Othello: Remix is now playing at Stages in Houston through June 9, 2024. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.