I really enjoyed reading the interview with Kent Thompson because I feel like it really brought to light a lot of answers to questions about the play and touches on a lot of themes that should be important to the audience/reader. Right off the bat, Thompson says that he does not produce Othello often, and he only did so in 1994 under very specific conditions.

He said that he only produces the play in ASF's octagon theatre, which lends itself to a psychological clausterphobia that enhances the feeling of tension in the play. He states "when the play becomes grandiose or exaggerated, it deflates the actual pain of its tragedy". Immediately I thought of our class discussions of Medea, where

we believed that the spectacle of the fire dragon chariot and the bloody bodies of Medea's children was so ridiculous it was almost humor.

Thompson also gave some insight into the casting of Othello. He commented that most directors will not produce Othello unless they already have their Othello in mind. He doesn't believe that in this day and age Othello can be played by a caucasian actor.Thompson quotes "the challenge in casting Othello is to find an actor who can believably portray an extrordinary warrior-hero yet still be an outsider." Thompson's title character, played by Derrick Lee Weeden is handsome, warm and appealing. 6'3' broad and masculine, he exudes an aura of leadership and bravery. I think this is important for cultivating the image of Othello as a mislead hero, instead of a murderer.

{ photo from Alabama Shakespeare Festival}