For Immediate Release: Press Contact: Liza HoltmeierAugust 1, 2005 202.608.6302

lizah@shakespearedc.org

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY’S 2005-2006 SEASON OPENS WITHOthello

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEAREDirected by Michael Kahn

Featuring Avery Brooks and Patrick Page

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Shakespeare Theatre Company opens its 2005-2006

season with Artistic Director Michael Kahn directing a production of Othello from August 30 to

October 30, 2005. With poetry rivaling King Lear and with the psychological depth of Hamlet,

Shakespeare’s Othello is a highly charged tale of jealousy, prejudice, revenge and the destruction

of innocence. For the production, Kahn directs a cast that includes Avery Brooks as Othello,

Patrick Page as Iago, Colleen Delany as Desdemona, Lise Bruneau as Emilia and Company

Member David Sabin as Brabantio.

Media partner The Washingtonian magazine provides promotional supportthroughout the run.

Passed over for the position of Othello’s lieutenant, Iago begins to plot his revenge

against the Moor. Believing his wife, Emilia, has been unfaithful with Othello, Iago plans to

poison Othello’s marriage with jealousy. As Iago’s lies begin to take hold, Othello questions

more and more the fidelity of his new bride, eventually destroying his once-happy marriage.

“Othello is extraordinary in its psychological complexities, and I think it is a reduction of

the play to say it is simply a study of jealousy,” says Michael Kahn. “It’s a study of a great man,

the world around him and his destruction. And although the play deals with jealousy – and, to an

even greater extent, obsession – it doesn’t start out as a play about jealousy. It starts out as a play

about love. I am interested in exploring the psychologies of Othello and Iago. What is it in Iago

that drives him to do what he does, and what is it in Othello that leaves him vulnerable to Iago’s

machinations?”

THE CAST

Avery Brooks returns to play Othello, a role he first performed for the Theatre during the 1990-

91 season. Brooks last appeared at the Theatre in the title role of The Oedipus Plays, a production that

traveled to the 2003 Athens Festival in Greece. Recently, he played the title role in King Lear at Yale

Repertory Theatre. An accomplished actor, director, musician and educator, Brooks has performed to

critical acclaim the title role in the Phillip Hayes Dean play Paul Robeson since 1982. He has sung opera

and performed vocals with numerous jazz artists, most recently at the Paris Banlieues Bleues Festival in

2005. His film credits include Solomon Northrup’s Odyssey, American History: X and Fifteen Minutes.

His television credits include the role of Hawk in A Man Called Hawk and Spenser: for Hire, and Captain

Sisko in the Star Trek series Deep Space Nine. In 1994, he was inducted into the College of Fellows of

the American Theatre. For 34 years, Brooks has been affiliated with Rutgers University, where he was

the first black MFA graduate in acting and directing. He is currently a tenured professor of theatre at

Rutgers’ Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Patrick Page returns to play Iago after making his Shakespeare Theatre Company debut last

season as Macbeth. A veteran Broadway actor, Page has appeared in Julius Caesar, The Lion King,

Beauty and the Beast, The Kentucky Cycle and A Christmas Carol. Off-Broadway, he has performed in

Rex and as the title role in Richard II. Regional productions include roles as Cyrano, Hamlet, Macbeth,

Iago, Anthony, Richard II, Henry V and Richard III at such theatres as Long Wharf Theatre, ACT,

Missouri Repertory, Indiana Repertory, Seattle Repertory, Pioneer Theater, Cincinnati Playhouse,

Arizona Theatre and the New York, Oregon, Utah and Alabama Shakespeare festivals.

Colleen Delany returns to play Desdemona, Othello’s wife. Delany appeared in two of the

Theatre’s production last season, playing Louisa Strozzi in Lorenzaccio and Thaisa in Pericles. Delany is

well-known to Washington audiences, having performed at Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Folger

Theatre, Studio Theatre and Woolly Mammoth, among others. She recently made her Chicago stage debut

in Mary Zimmerman’s production of Silk at the Goodman Theatre.

Lise Bruneau returns to play Emilia, Iago’s wife. Bruneau made her Shakespeare Theatre

Company debut as Hermione in The Winter’s Tale in 2002. She most recently appeared in Misalliance at

the Old Globe. Bruneau has appeared in many regional theatres across the country, including Center

Stage, ACT, Seattle Repertory, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Repertory, Wilma Theater and

Shakespeare Santa Cruz.

Company Member David Sabin plays Brabantio, Desdemona’s father. Sabin was last seen as

Lord Augustus Lorton in the Theatre’s production of Lady Windermere’s Fan. Sabin has appeared in

numerous productions at the Theatre, including Lorenzaccio, Cyrano, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The

Rivals, Richard III, The Silent Woman, The Winter’s Tale, The Little Foxes, Hamlet, A Woman of No

Importance, Richard II, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Camino Real and The Country Wife. On Broadway, Sabin

has appeared in Slapstick Tragedy, The Threepenny Opera, Miss Moffat, Gabrielle, Ambassador!, The

Water Engine and Othello. He also has appeared off-Broadway and in regional productions at such

theatres as Studio Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Steppenwolf, Yale Repertory and Seattle Repertory.

Gregory Wooddell returns to play Cassio, a lieutenant serving under Othello. Wooddell was

last seen at the Theatre as Cecil Graham in Lady Windermere’s Fan. Other Shakespeare Theatre

Company credits include Cyrano, The Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Free For All, The Merchant of

Venice, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999), Richard II, The Country Wife and Don Carlos. Regional

credits include productions with the Alley Theatre and Juilliard Theatre. He also has appeared in the films

Paradise Virus, Lost in Yonkers, Airbourne and Dial 911.

The production also features Andrea Cirie as Bianca, Michael John Casey as a Venetian

Senator, Ralph Cosham as the Duke of Venice, Laurence Drozd as Lodovico, W. Alan Nebelthau as

Gratiano and a Venetian Senator, Erik Steele as Roderigo, Joris Stuyck as Montano, and ensemble

members Dacyl Acevedo, Jordan Coughtree, Blake Ellis, Stephen Graybill, Tony Nam, Nicholas

Urda and Ryan Young.

THE DESIGNERS

For the production, Kahn has assembled a team of noted designers to create the contrasted worlds

of Venice and Cyprus. Set Designer James Noone has designed a simple, wooden set with moving wall

panels to represent both strict, masculine Venice and freer, warmer Cyprus. Noone made his Shakespeare

Theatre Company debut designing the set for Cyrano, for which he won a Helen Hayes Award. His

Broadway credits include Match, Urban Cowboy, A Class Act, Judgment at Nuremberg, Jekyll and Hyde,

Night Must Fall, The Rainmaker, Getting and Spending, The Gin Game, The Sunshine Boys and Inherit

the Wind. He also has designed for numerous opera companies, regional theatres and Off-Broadway

productions. Costume Designer Jess Goldstein has designed costumes with the silhouettes of 1600s

clothes but with more contemporary fabrics and details. Venice and Cyprus are differentiated by their

respective color palettes: cold blues and purples for Venice and warm reds and oranges for Cyprus.

Goldstein’s credits for the Theatre include The Little Foxes, Coriolanus (2000) and Love’s Labor’s Lost

(1987). Goldstein’s numerous Broadway credits include Proof, The Rainmaker, Judgment at Nuremberg,

Inherit the Wind and The Rivals, for which he won a Tony Award. Regionally his work has been seen at

Guthrie Theater, Hartford Stage, Long Wharf Theatre and Arena Stage. Lighting Designer Charlie

Morrison returns to create the lighting design for the production. Morrison designed the lights for last

season’s production of The Tempest and served as associate lighting designer for A Midsummer Night’s

Dream and Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2. Composer Adam Wernick’s music has been heard in the

Theatre’s productions of Cyrano, Five by Tenn, Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2, The Winter’s Tale, Hamlet,

Hedda Gabler, Camino Real, The Merchant of Venice and King John, among others. The design team

also includes Sound Designer Martin Desjardins, Fight Director Paul Dennhardt, and Voice and Text

Coach Ralph Zito.

MEDIA PARTNER

The Shakespeare Theatre Company is pleased to welcome the return of The Washingtonian

magazine as Media Partner. Since 1999, The Washingtonian has been a consistent and valued resource for

the Theatre’s efforts to increase promotional and advertising support while reaching an expanded

audience. For Michael Kahn’s production of King Lear (1999), The Washingtonian became the Theatre’s

first Media Partner ever. Since then, they have supported Timon of Athens (2000), Hamlet (2001), Much

Ado About Nothing (2002) A Midsummer Night’s Dream and last season’s Macbeth.

Founded in 1965, The Washingtonian is the monthly magazine of the nation’s capital and is

known as “The Magazine Washington Lives By.” The Washingtonian has won five prestigious National

Magazine Awards and rates number one in market penetration of all city and regional magazines.

The mission of the magazine is to make the Washington area a better place for all who live here.

One goal is to help its readers understand this dynamic and complicated city. To help its readers live

better, the magazine publishes many service stories, such as guides to the area’s best restaurants, top

doctors, and great weekend getaways. Washingtonian Online, the magazine’s website,

www.washingtonian.com, offers features on restaurants, schools, medicine, travel, business, shopping, the

arts and theatre reviews. It was designed so that residents and visitors can tailor the website to match their

needs and interests.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS

• On Sunday, September 4 at 1 p.m., the Shakespeare Theatre Company continues Windows, a lively

discussion and introduction to Othello with local scholars and members of the artistic staff. All are

welcome. Call 202.547.1122 and press 4 to reserve a space.

• Following the evening performance of Othello on Wednesday, September 7, all are welcome for a

post-show discussion with members of the cast. Those attending the evening’s performance are

guaranteed seats. Limited additional seating is available on a first-come basis. Call 202.547.1122 for

the approximate start time. No reservations required.

• On Saturday, October 22, following the 2 p.m. matinee, the Shakespeare Theatre Company sponsors

Classics in Context. This lively discussion features scholars and artists discussing their connection to

the play. Call 202.547.1122 and press 4 to reserve a space.

• There will be audio-described performances of Othello on Saturday, September 24 at 2 p.m. and

Thursday, September 29 at 8 p.m. Sign-interpreted performances are Tuesday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m.

and Saturday, October 8 at 2 p.m.

FACT SHEET: Othello by William ShakespeareDirected by Michael Kahn

Featuring Avery Brooks and Patrick Page

The Shakespeare Theatre Company begins its 2005-2006 season with Artistic Director Michael Kahndirecting Othello, which runs from August 30 to October 30, 2005. With poetry rivaling King Lear and with thepsychological depth of Hamlet, Shakespeare’s Othello is a highly charged tale of jealousy, prejudice, revenge andthe destruction of innocence. For the production, Kahn directs a cast that includes Avery Brooks as Othello, PatrickPage as Iago, Colleen Delany as Desdemona, Lise Bruneau as Emilia and Company Member David Sabin asBrabantio.

DATES: August 30 to October 30, 2005Press Night: Sunday, September 4, 2005Opening Night: Tuesday, September 6, 2005

LOCATION: Shakespeare Theatre Company, 450 7th St. NW, between D and E streets, just off PennsylvaniaAvenue, between the Capitol and the White House.

TIMES: Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 7:30 p.m.;matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. (except September 4); matinees at noon on Wednesday, September 21and October 26

TICKETS: $14.25-$71.25 with discounts available for groups, senior citizens and students.

ACCESSIBILITY: The Theatre is accessible to persons with disabilities, offering wheelchair accessible seatingand restrooms, audio enhancement at every performance, and Braille and large print programs.• On Sunday, September 4 at 1 p.m., the Shakespeare Theatre Company continues Windows, a lively discussion

and introduction to Othello with local scholars and members of the artistic staff. All are welcome. Call202.547.1122 and press 4 to reserve a space.

• Following the evening performance of Othello on Wednesday, September 7, all are welcome for a post-showdiscussion with members of the cast. Those attending the evening’s performance are guaranteed seats. Limitedadditional seating is available on a first-come basis. Call 202.547.1122 for the approximate start time. Noreservations required.

• On Saturday, October 22, following the 2 p.m. matinee, the Shakespeare Theatre Company sponsors Classics inContext. This lively discussion features scholars and artists discussing their connection to the play. Call202.547.1122 and press 4 to reserve a space.

• There will be audio-described performances of Othello on Saturday, September 24 at 2 p.m. and Thursday,September 29 at 8 p.m. Sign-interpreted performances are Tuesday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday,October 8 at 2 p.m.

PARKING: Paid parking is available in the PMI parking garage on D Street, between Eighth and Ninth streets, andthe Colonial Parking garage in the Lansburgh building (enter on Eighth Street between D and E streets).

METRO: Archives-Navy Mem'l- Penn Quarter station (Yellow and Green Lines) is one and one-half blocks southof the Theatre. Gallery Pl-Chinatown station (Red, Yellow and Green Lines) is one block north of the Theatre at theMCI Center. For further information, call Metro at 202.637.7000.

Box Office: 202.547.1122 (voice) TTY: 202.638.3863 Toll Free: 877.487.8849ShakespeareTheatre.org