Ellen Dostal – BroadwayWorld
Never has the relationship between Iago and Roderigo in Shakespeare’s OTHELLO stolen the show like it does in the current A Noise Within production, directed by Jessica Kubzansky. With an outwardly nonchalant Michael Manuel as the revenge seeking villain, and Jeremy Rabb, an actor who knows comedy like the back of his hand, as his unsuspecting lackey, the situational humor in Shakespeare’s tragedy comes front and center. That’s right, humor.
It’s all there in the text and these two veteran actors play it so realistically in Kubzansky’s modern day setting that the found humor comes as a complete surprise. Don’t get me wrong, dead bodies will still litter the stage by the end of the play but, in this context, an audience gets the unexpected release of tension that comes with comedy as part of the journey. It is a wonderful juxtaposition of tones that serves the play’s vision remarkably well. Read more…
Now running through April 28