Good Intentions Aside, ‘Othello’ Takes a Tumble

Ben Donenberg, founder and artistic director of Shakespeare Festival / LA, took the stage on Saturday night to tell the audience of the festival’s good works, among them taking Shakespeare to the schools and canned goods to the poor.

The festival’s good works, however, did not extend to putting on a credible play. Its “Othello” at the Japanese Gardens in Westwood starts out wobbly and then spirals out of control, a sort of “Noises Off” of outdoor Shakespeare. The production will travel to three other locations in and around Los Angeles.

“Othello” lost credibility bit by bit. Inept staging, terrible amplification and bizarre costumes contributed (the duke of Venice looked like he came from a lost episode of “Star Trek”), but there was bad luck too. In a heated scene near the end, a soldier flew out a door only to have the door fly off after him. At the end, poor Emilia (Kate Fuglei) was murdered and put to her rest on Desdemona’s bed, apparently no more to be heard from. When she suddenly popped up to say something else, whole sections of the audience burst out in church giggles.

The problem started at the top with Jason Bernard’s disastrously pixilated Othello. At first, he seems like an old uncle of Desdemona, chuckling warmly and muttering low like an FM disc jockey late at night.

Things get worse when he gets angry. When he yells--which hurts, thanks to the unmodulated sound system--he is all bluster. The minute he stops yelling, he is over it. Aside from forgetting to provide continuity in Othello’s emotional life, Bernard swallowed words and otherwise spoke in a singsong rhythm that was difficult to hear. I could swear I heard him say, “Come hither, Chuck,” at one point.

Joseph Urla’s Iago starts out nicely astringent, with his clipped beard, shrill sarcasm and “Hooray for Captain Spaulding” outfit. But he was loud and pushy and never subtle, so that he began to seem more like an unctuous car salesman rather than one of literature’s greatest villains. His Iago seems to suffer a bout of real conscience when confronted with a crying, begging Desdemona--an interesting take, but one that also unfortunately reinforced his lack of pure evil.

As Desdemona, Rene Augesen retains her dignity. Simon Billig’s Cassio is solid.

Christopher J. Markle directs with no shrewdness. Whenever Iago makes any kind of sexual reference, he has the character grind his hips or glance down at his groin. When Emilia finds Desdemona’s handkerchief, a big plot twist in the middle of the third act, a bell goes off, literally, as if to say, “Listen up, people.” At the next instant, it’s intermission, never mind that we’re smack in the middle of a scene.

Taking Shakespeare to schoolchildren is indeed good works, and the festival deserves applause for its ongoing efforts. Taking Shakespeare to adults is another thing entirely.

* “Othello,” Shakespeare Festival / LA, Japanese Gardens, grounds of the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration, Tuesday-Saturday, 8:15 p.m. Picnickers welcome at 6 p.m.; pre-sold picnic dinner packages available. (213) 489-4127. Also at Citicorp Plaza, downtown L.A. (July 24-27); South Coast Botanic Garden, Palos Verdes, (310) 265-1217 (July 31-Aug. 4); grounds of the Ambassador Auditorium, Pasadena, (Aug. 7-8, 10-11). Curtain, 8:15 p.m. West L.A. and downtown shows, free with food donations for needy; Palos Verdes, $12.50-$15; Pasadena, $15-$25. Running time: 3 hours.

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Othello

Rene Augesen: Desdemona

Jason Bernard: Othello

Simon Billig: Cassio

Ross Bolen: Clown

Ryan Cutrona: Brabantio

Kate Fuglei: Emilia

Christopher Paul Hart: Lodovico

Joe Hulser: Montana

Brian Joseph: Roderigo

Sarah Khambatta: Bianca

Patrick Thomas O’Brien: Duke of Venice/Gratiano

Joseph Urla: Iago

A Shakespeare Festival / LA production. By William Shakespeare. Directed by Christopher J. Markle. Sets Douglas R. Rogers. Costumes Todd Roehrman. Lighting Stephen Bennett. Sound Peter Roy. Fight director Randy Kovitz. Production manager Laurie Ann Kincman.