Synetic Theater’s Non-spoken Version of Othello Leaves Audience Speechless

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Othello (Payano) and Desdemona (Shaw) in Synetic Theater Company's Production of "Othello"

Adaptations of Shakespeare seem to be a theme at the Kennedy Center this month. Last week I reviewed the Washington National Opera’s production of “Hamlet” and this week I was treated to the Synetic Theater Company’s abstract production of “Othello”. For those of you who are not familiar with the Synetic Theater, it is a physical theater company founded in 2001 by the husband and wife team of Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili who are natives of the Republic of Georgia. Synetic Theater explores non-realistic theater through movement, mime, dance and drama. The non-spoken version of “Othello” directed by Paata Tsikurishvili and choreographed by Irinia embodies these elements in an infusion of powerful choreography, original music by Konstantine Lortkipanidze and video production.

I have to admit, I was skeptical when I first heard about this wordless production. Spoken dialogue is crucial to the action of any Shakespearean play. But by removing all dialogue, the production is stripped raw of only the most important themes: rage, lust, greed and power. The drama is driven by the actors, who use their bodies to express the emotion behind the tragic story of a Moor in Venice who allows his jealousy to spin violently out of control.

One of the most enduring and poignant themes in “Othello” is that of racism. The audience is made painfully aware of this in an opening sequence portraying the brutality of the slave trade. Roger Payano’s understated but powerful performance as the title character compliments Salma Shaw’s portrayal of the doomed Desdemona. Together they create a ”beauty and the beast” dynamic which tethers along a shaky line as Iago, the villain that surrounds the couple, attempts to bring Othello down.

Iago is one of the most debated characters in all of literature. In this production, the character is so enigmatic that he must be explored by three actors, Philip Fletcher, Alex Mills and Irina Tsikurishvili. Together, they function as one multi-dimensional unit that delves into Othello’s paranoid mind, ultimately driving him to murder. The production utilizes visual techniques that suspend a viewer’s sense of reality. Iago captures video footage with a digital camera and then diabolically projects the images of a purported love affair between Desdemona and Cassio (Scott Brown) across the fragments of the relentlessly jagged set. From the mesmerizing choreography to the innovative set, Synetic Theater’s “Othello” is a feast for the mind.

For more information, check out the Synetic Theater’s website: http://www.synetictheater.org/season_0910_othello.html.

Discounted tickets are also available for students. Tickets are $20 Wed – Thurs, $25 – Fri – Sun. Only 20 student tickets per night are released but can be purchased at the Kennedy Center box office with a student id. There are also student group discounts for 20+ students and they can receive 25% off student prices.

If you are interested in these discounts, you can call 202-467-4600 to get more information.

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