American Moor at ArtsEmerson

Emerson Paramount Center - Robert J. Orchard Stage:

Keith Hamilton Cobb; dir: Kim Wield.

Authors

• Keith Hamilton Cobb

An indomitable African-American actor auditioning for the role of Othello must respond to the dictates of a younger, white director who presumes to better understand Shakespeare's iconic black character. What could possibly go wrong? In this 90-minute, multi-award winning play, this fraught audition turns into an exploration of Shakespeare, race, and America (not necessarily in that order). Fueled by humor and passion, American Moor paints an essential portrait of an American theater unaware of its failures, and of the culture that supports it. You will "never see black characters in the same way again." (Washington Post)