Trinity Repertory Company's OTHELLO Begins February 15

Trinity Repertory Company will open William Shakespeare's Othello in February. This production continues Trinity Rep's long tradition of generating productions of Shakespearean plays that are relevant and accessible to adult and student audiences throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Under the direction of Brown/Trinity Rep MFA alumna Whitney White '15, the powerful play will explore military themes, as well as the friendships and relationships that form the basis for the legendary story of betrayal and jealousy. The play runs approximately two hours and 20 minutes with one 15 minute intermission. Othello runs February 15 through March 18, with press opening on Monday, February 19 at 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $25. More information can be found at www.trinityrep.com/othello.

According to Curt Columbus, the Arthur P. Solomon and Sally E. Lapides Artistic Director, "This unparalleled play has long been on our list of fascinating projects, not only due to its popularity among high school students, but also because it is a story that speaks to audiences of an age who grapple with military power and political intrigue. With its nearly operatic depictions of love, deception, honor, and betrayal, it is also a thrilling challenge for theater artists like the Trinity Rep company."

Friendship and betrayal, love and jealousy. Once Othello's most trusted confidante, Iago's envy-fueled passions unleash a betrayal with catastrophic results for Othello and his beloved bride Desdemona. Shakespeare's profound tragedy is an enduring story of race, love, envy, and repentance. This stripped-down retelling is the portrait of an unraveling mind amid a society engulfing and destroying its very best.

Whitney White is best known as a director, actor, and musician based out of New York. She received her MFA in Acting at the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA program in 2015. She recently was Assistant Director for Sam Gold's Othello at the New York Theatre Workshop starring Daniel Craig and David Oyelowo. Her Trinity Rep acting credits include Charlotte in Oliver! and the Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol. Her film and television credits include: Claire, Ocean's 8 (2018); Louie (FX); and The Playboy Club (NBC). This is Whitney's directing debut at Trinity Rep and believes this show will be truly original. She said, "What I want for this production of Othello is for it to have a sense of exploration and for the company to make their mark on a timeless text. We are going to make something bold, something new and something totally unique to Trinity Rep."

Joining director Whitney White on the creative team are Daniel Soule (set design), Andrew Jean (costume design), Amith Chandrashaker (lighting design), and Mikaal Sulaiman (sound design). The cast features Trinity Rep company members Jude Sandy (Othello), Stephen Thorne (Iago), Rebecca Gibel (Desdemona), Charlie Thurston (Cassio), Angela Brazil (Emilia), Mauro Hantman (Roderigo), Brian McEleney (Brabantio), Ryan Joseph Broussard '19 (Montano), Fred Sullivan, Jr. (Duke) as well as current Trinity Rep/Brown University MFA students L'Oreal Lampley '19 (Bianca), Brendan Hickey '19 (Ensemble) and alumnus Daniel Duque-Estrada '13 (Lodovico)

Continuing Trinity Rep's tradition of offering affordable tickets for all, the theater will have discounted previews of Othello. Thursday, February 15 is a Pay What You Canperformance. Tickets go on sale at 6:30 pm that evening, and are limited to one per person.

There will be a Military Weekend for Othello during the last weekend in February. Veterans and active service members will be able to receive $10 off tickets with the code MIL10. The code is good for main and prime seating in the performances on Friday, February 23 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, February 24 at 2:00 and 7:30 pm and Sunday, February 25 at 2:00 pm. After these performances, there will be a free special talk back.

Other special performances for this production include an Open Captioned performance for the show on Sunday, February 18 at 2:00 pm. The Next Generation Night will be held on Thursday, February 22 and includes a pre-show reception for the next generation of theater-goers. The Teens Talk Back performance will be held on Friday, February 23. Trinity Rep's Teen Ambassadors will lead a discussion with the audience following the 7:30 performance that evening. Context and Conversations will be held on Monday, March 5 at 6:00 pm at the Providence Public Library. More information about all of these events can be found at www.trinityrep.com/othello.

Educational programming surrounding this production of Othello is funded in part by Shakespeare in American Communities: National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. The Murray Family Charitable Foundation is a sponsor of the Project Discovery performances of Othello. The 2017-18 Season Sponsors are Ocean State Job Lot and Rhode Island Council on the Arts. Southwest Airlines is the official airline of Trinity Rep.

Trinity Rep is one of 40 professional theater companies selected to participate in bringing the finest productions of Shakespeare to middle- and high-school students in communities across the United States. Executive Director Tom Parrish said,"The Shakespeare production each season is always an important centerpiece of our educational offerings, and this year is no exception. Through Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's signature education program, over 3,000 students will experience this production, along with comprehensive standards-based study guides, classroom residencies, workshops, and post-performance discussions with the actors and artistic team. Since its inception in 1966, Project Discovery has introduced over 1.4 million young people to the power of live theater."

Rhode Island's Tony Award-winning theater, Trinity Rep has created unparalleled professional theater for and with its community since its founding in 1963. Trinity Rep strives to facilitate human connection and has been a driving force behind the creativity that fuels and defines the region for more than 50 years.

Trinity Rep is committed to reinventing the public square and inspiring dialogue by creating emotionally-stimulating live productions that range from classical to contemporary and innovative education programs for all ages and abilities. Its annual production of A Christmas Carol has brought families together for 40 years and made memories for over a million audience members.

Subscriptions for the 2017-18 season are now on sale. The season includes Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau, Into the Breeches! by George Brant, Othello by William Shakespeare, Native Gardens by Karen Zacarías, and Ragtime by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow. For more information and to purchase tickets, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit Trinity Rep's website at www.TrinityRep.com.

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