Review: Chukwudi Iwuji and Corey Stoll Give Memorable Turns in Director Ruben Santiago-Hudson's OTHELLO

From the very beginning, one of the most important tenants of Joseph Papp's vision of free Shakespeare in Central Park has been the insistence that the company of actors audiences see on stage will always reflect the extraordinary and powerful cultural diversity of New York City.

This was radical thinking back then in the late 1950s, when productions of Othello would often feature a white actor in dark make-up playing the title character, a general in the Venetian army who is of Moorish descent. Sometimes a sole actor of color would play the role amidst a sea of white faces.

The racial "otherness" of the character has been the focus for much of the play's existence, particularly as seen by the jealous Iago who plots his downfall. But attitudes change for the better and these days productions are more likely to be inclusively cast, challenging directors to find substitute motivations, rather than simple racism.

A contrast in acting styles helps that surface in director Ruben Santiago-Hudson's rather straightforwardly traditional production, which is played primarily on a bare floor, accented by set designer Rachel Hauck with rows of arches, by a company clad in 1600s Venetian garb, accented by costume designer Toni-Leslie James with sexy leather pants.

Shakespeare's English sounds absolutely gorgeous when emitted from Nigerian-born British actor Chukwudi Iwuji, an Olivier Award winner for playing the title character in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Henry VI trilogy. As Othello, he is a man of war whose strength is conveyed through elegance. There's authority in his poetic voice and graceful stride.

No stranger to Shakespeare, Upper West Side-born American actor Corey Stoll (terrific as Brutus in last summer's JULIUS CAESAR), matches him with a Iago that forgoes any classical stylings. An ensign who is furious at the general for snubbing him for a promotion in favor of the younger and less-qualified Cassio (Babak Tafti), Stoll's Iago is of a contemporary, streetwise variety who pours on the charm to others and reveals his vicious, darkly comic side to the audience.

The Bard's references to Othello's dark skin remain, and do have an impact, but the multi-cultural makeup of the company allows for more focus on the contrast between the mannered sophistication of Othello and Iago's unadorned roguishness.

Unwittingly assisted by his wife Emilia (Alison Wright), maid to Othello's bride Desdemona (Heather Lind), Iago sets up the appearance that the general's wife is having an affair with Cassio. As effectively played by Iwuji, Othello's jealous reaction is at war with his own insistence on civility and when he reacts with fury towards his wife, it comes with the appearance of a loving gesture.

A Tony Award-winning actor for August Wilson's SEVEN GUITARS, in the past dozen years Santiago-Hudson has establish himself as one of the New York stage's strongest directors, mounting plays like August Wilson's JITNEY and Dominique Morisseau's SKELETON CREW and PARADISE BLUE with thickly engaging atmospheres that find musicality in all varieties of speech.

But aside from the performances of its two leading men, this Othello tends to lie flat. While the supporting company seems perfectly capable, the excitement generated by the finely nuanced performances of Iwuji and Stoll is never approached, making this night in the park both a memorable event and a bit of a disappointment.