MHCC’s theater presents: Othello

“I’m the best!” shouted Hunter McAndrew, playfully discussing his role as Roderigo in the MHCC Theater department’s spring quarter rendition of “Othello.”

 

McAndrews’ character, Roderigo, is a Venetian nobleman madly in love with Desdemona, played by Melanie Steere. The actor describes his role as being “very youthful, outspoken, outward, and outgoing. I think I bring a lot of energy, excitement, and joy to the play,” he said.

 

McAndrew explained that the play starts “hot.” Act 1 is a chain reaction of events: It reveals that Othello – played by Ian Booth – and Desdemona have eloped, then shows the information reaching Desdemona’s father, followed by the Duke.

 

Sparks ensue. Quincy Smith, the play’s stage director, relayed it as, “Shit hits the fan.”

 

Smith shared her thoughts on McAndrew playing Roderigo.

 

“I think that Roderigo is the one that really gets the play started,” she said. Without Roderigo in Act 1 going to Desdemona’s father with Iago (played by London Bauman) the play wouldn’t have happened, she said.

 

“I think I bring a lot of energy to Roderigo,” McAndrew said. He came into “Othello” not really knowing what to expect but found himself having a lot of fun playing his part. “I wouldn’t see this show (cast) any other way. I think all of our ensemble does a really great job,” said McAndrew, speaking highly of the group and Mace Archer, MHCC theater artistic director.

 

Smith explained that “it’s always a challenge to get a bunch of young new actors to do Shakespeare well.” Both she and McAndrew commend Archer for the direction he’s taking the play.

 

“It’s risky anytime you’re directing a show,” said McAndrew. Usually Othello is cast as darker-skinned (most often, played by a black actor), plus masked acting – the technique used in this production – is more difficult, Smith said.

 

“Mace’s direction is definitely speeding up the process,” said McAndrew. With the introduction of masks each character gets a sense of having two identities. “The mask is what the characters want to be seen as, outwardly; without it you (the audience) see the true character,” he explained. “Iago is a really good example of what happens when there’s a smart villain.”

 

Iago especially uses the masks well, taking his mask off for monologues and telling the audience his true plans, said Archer.

 

There is even a “part that isn’t actually written into the (original) scripts, it’s like a little taste of what the play is about,” said McAndrew.

 

“The technique is amazing. It’s a very interesting process learning how to act with a mask,” he said. “It’s something you really don’t get to experience in basic acting classes.” Usually the use of masks would be taught further down the road, but with Archer directing the play, everyone is thankful for the learning experience of masked acting, the actor said.

 

“Using his mask, Iago, kind of just uses everybody in the show to get what he wants and it doesn’t really end well for them,” said McAndrew. Roderigo pays the ultimate price late in the play, but more characters also experience Iago’s self-benefiting plans.

 

In Smith’s words, “Act 1 is when a little bit of shit hits the fan, but by Act 5, the whole fan is covered in shit.”

 

The play starts hot, ends hot, and opens May 21 in the Studio Theater.

 

Advance tickets are $5. At the door, tickets are $10 for adults, and $7 for students, seniors and MHCC staff.