A second, passionate dose of ‘Othello’

Orange County is inadvertently playing host to a little “Othello” festival this summer, with two productions of Shakespeare’s tragedy. In both, the soldiers wear modern fatigues.

Shakespeare Orange County’s vibrant “Othello” opened in Orange on the same weekend that the Grove Theater Center’s closed in Garden Grove.

Comparisons are inevitable. And Thomas F. Bradac’s staging for Shakespeare Orange County, in the Waltmar Theatre on the campus of Chapman University, gets the nod.

The most important qualitative difference lies in the arc of the two Othellos’ performances. It takes a scene or two to get used to the clipped, careful enunciation that Dwight Bacquie, in Orange, brings to the role. This is a character who says “rude am I in my speech,” but Bacquie’s speech sounds twice as polished as anyone else’s.

Nevertheless, Bacquie marshals a mighty passion when it counts, and his vocal mastery enables him to clearly express every word, even at the height of his fury and remorse. His performance grows steadily, in contrast to Bacquie’s younger and hunkier counterpart in Garden Grove, who became less effective in the home stretch.

The Iagos in both productions are excellent but very different. While Garden Grove’s was played by an African American, Orange’s is not only cast white, in the form of Michael Nehring, but also presented with a skinhead look, a way of emphasizing Iago’s racism.

Furthermore, Nehring’s haircut and overall look resemble those of Jeremy Scheag’s Roderigo, Iago’s henchman. Iago and Roderigo look as if they could be brothers, in spirit as well as in blood.

Nehring’s monologues are nasty speeches to himself more than to the audience, with an agitated hum on the soundtrack helping sustain the tension. The first act ends with a red-lighted scene that suggests a Faustian ritual, as the devilish Iago claims Othello’s soul. It packs a powerful punch, stopping just short of going too far over the top.

Katie Johnson’s formidable Desdemona struts around in tight bluejeans, skimpy red top and high heels, and is assisted by the strong opinions and sympathetic ear of Elizabeth Taheri’s Emilia. Donald Sage Mackay’s Cassio betrays his failings more clearly than usual, when his thoughtless slight of Iago gets special emphasis.

The only weak link in Bradac’s casting is Raymond Lynch as an awkwardly distracted Brabantio and as a Lodovico who isn’t very well delineated.

Chuck Davis’ set is rudimentary and abstract, but William Georges’ lights compensate by working overtime, carving up the space into patterns and pieces, occasionally straying into hyperactivity.

Next summer, it’s quite possible that the producers of these two “Othellos” will stage shows literally next door to each other. Shakespeare Orange County might very well become the new occupant of the amphitheater that’s adjacent to the Gem Theater in which the Grove Theater Center performs.

So it’s better that the two companies produce the same play now, while they’re a few miles apart from each other, than next year. And if we must have concurrent productions of the same play, certainly “Othello” is a more unusual and therefore refreshing choice than, say, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

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‘Othello’

Where: Waltmar Theatre, Chapman University, 301 E. Palm Ave., Orange

When: Tonight, July 10-12, 16, 8 p.m.; Saturday, July 19, 20, 3 p.m.

Ends: July 20

Price: $28

Contact: (714) 744-7016

Running Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes

Dwight Bacquie...Othello

Michael Nehring...Iago

Katie Johnson...Desdemona

Donald Sage Mackay...Cassio

Elizabeth Taheri...Emilia

Jeremy Scheag...Roderigo

Amanda Zarr...Bianca

Raymond Lynch...Brabantio/Lodovico

Carl Kline...Duke of Venice/Gratiano

By William Shakespeare. Directed by Thomas F. Bradac. Costumes by Wilma Mickler-Sears. Lighting and sound by William Georges. Set by Chuck Davis. Production stage manager Monica Cde Baca.