A small round spotlight shines on the front center of the stage. All that’s revealed to the audience is a white handkerchief, crumpled on the floor. A woman rushes to the cloth, picks it up and stuffs it into her bosom. The spotlight disappears, and this is how “Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief” begins.
Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel, the play’s title is misleading. Desdemona is about more than a handkerchief; it examines what the women of Shakespeare’s Othello might have been like, had the characters been written with more depth.
So Desdemona is not just a doomed wife, she is a mischievous woman who desperately needs independence. Emilia, Desdemona’s scullery maid, is no longer just a tool for her conniving husband, Lago. Instead, she’s a devoted but occasionally disgruntled servant. Lieutenant Cassio’s lover Bianca serves as a good friend and inspiration to Desdemona.
Although all these women care for and rely on one another, they are trapped by the male-dominated society in which they live. This causes jealousy and fighting between the characters, making their relationships constant battles for control and honesty.
The University Theatre’s production of Desdemona is directed by Stephen Rupsch with Parisse Boothe playing the role of the title character.
The play is comprised from their short scenes, which last anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Desdemona will show on Nov. 6, 7 and 8 at the University’s Arena Theatre in 104 Villard Hall. All shows begin at 8 p.m. with no late seating. Tickets are $4 for University students, $5 for seniors, University staff and faculty, and $6 for the general public. They can be purchased at the EMU Ticket Office or the University Theatre box office, located in the lobby of the Robinson Theatre.