MOOR IS NOT ENOUGH IN WILL GEER'S 'OTHELLO'.Byline: Katherine Karlin Correspondent TO WATCH a Shakespearean tragedy <includeonly> |Shakespearean tragedy]] </includeonly> Shakespeare wrote tragedies from the beginning of his career. One of his earliest plays was the Roman tragedy Titus Andronicus, which he followed a few years later with like ``Othello'' at the Will Geer Will Geer (born 9 March 1902 in Frankfort, Indiana – died 22 April 1978 in Los Angeles) was an American actor. Geer's real name was William Auge Ghere. He is best known for his portrayal of the character Grandpa Walton, in the popular 1970s TV series Theatricum Botanicum The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, named for the English botanist John Parkinson's herbal, Theatrum Botanicum (1640), is an open-air theater founded in Topanga Canyon, near Santa Monica, California by Will Geer in 1973. is to let the chirping chirp n. A short, high-pitched sound, such as that made by a small bird or an insect. intr.v. chirped, chirp·ing, chirps To make a short, high-pitched sound. birds, the Birds, The Hitchcock film in which birds turn on the human race and terrorize a town. [Am. Cinema: Halliwell, 51] See : Birds knocking wind and even the occasional anachronistic a·nach·ro·nism n. 1. The representation of someone as existing or something as happening in other than chronological, proper, or historical order. 2. rumble of an airplane incorporate themselves into the production. In this venue, nestled into a glen in Topanga Canyon, actors emerge from the forest and exit by crossing stream beds. The organic integrity of the experience helps to compensate for the unevenness of this staging. James Avery James Avery may refer to:
The critical role here is that of Iago, one of Shakespeare's great villains. ``Honest Iago,'' as everyone knows him, is what we today would call a sociopath so·ci·o·path n. A person affected with an antisocial personality disorder. so  ci·o·path . He lacks a moral compass, and when he asks,``What's he then that says I play the villain?'' he truly wonders. In Iago's twisted imagination, all his machinations and double-crosses are justifiable. Jim LeFave, however, plays an Iago you wouldn't trust to carry your luggage. Even if he unconvincingly wins the trust of his friends, his constant grimaces broadcast his evil to the audience a little too transparently. Ellen Geer's direction is steeped in tradition and includes scenes to warm a Renaissance Faire-goer's heart: a couple of all-out sword fights, a boisterous drinking song (an embellishment on the original) and a skirt-lifting wench. These are entertaining, but less successful than the more intimate scenes, particularly when Avery commands the stage. Elizabeth Huffman designed the costumes that cleverly incorporate Eastern and Western traditions (the play, after all, takes place in Cyprus, and we are subtly reminded of Othello's Moorish roots). The dramatic lighting is orchestrated by the setting sun, which, in one critical scene, lights up Desdemona as if she were on fire. OTHELLO - Two stars Where: Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga. When: 3 p.m. Sundays; through Sept. 25. Tickets: $15 to $25. Call (310) 455-3723 or visit www.theatricum.com.In a nutshell: An impressive James Avery in the title role and lush surroundings don't quite make up for the weak spots. |
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