Treat Yourself to Riverside's Othello

Kelly Gibson, Tim Budd, Daver Morrison

By James E. Trainor III
Photo by Bob Goodfellow

There's no pleasure quite so simple and magical as sitting in the park by the river on a lovely summer night, where a cool breeze cuts the heat and the sun slowly recedes to reveal a beautiful night sky. Such a night in the park would be refreshing enough without a company of skilled actors performing an Elizabethan bedtime story for the crowd. This weekend, the beautiful language of Shakespeare's Othello combined with a beautiful night to make magic happen, reminding one why we still do outdoor Shakespeare after all these years. Sometimes, when the company does its work and the stars are aligned, art and nature coincide, and magic happens. Such is the case with this production, due partly to the incredible piece of literature that is the text, but owing no small sum to Theodore Swetz's focused directorial eye and Tim Budd's captivating performance as Iago.

Riverside Theatre in the Park

Iowa City – Riverside Theatre in the Park returns to the Riverside Festival Stage in Iowa City’s Lower City Park this summer, June 20 – July 13 with Shakespeare’s drama Othello, directed by Theodore Swetz, and the contemporary comedy The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, directed by Ron Clark.

Full details at riversidetheatre.org or 319-338-7672.

Lecture on Othello

Iowa City - "Shakespearean scholar Miriam Gilbert presents a lecture and presentation entitled, “The Noble Moor and Honest Iago: Image and Identity in Othello” for Riverside Theatre in the Park on Thursday, May 8, 7:00PM at the Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A. The event is free and open to the public and will be broadcast live on The Library Channel, Iowa City cable channel 10.

Riverside Announces "Theatre in the Park" Selections

Iowa City – Riverside Theatre in the Park returns to the Riverside Festival Stage in Iowa City’s Lower City Park this summer, June 20 – July 13 with Shakespeare’s drama Othello, directed by Theodore Swetz, and the modern comedy The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, directed by Ron Clark.

Tickets go on sale this April. More information at riversidetheatre.org, or 319-338-7672.