The Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA presents a refreshing twist on Shakespeare’s “Othello” in a retelling of the tragic tale from the perspective of the play’s female characters. "Desdemona," written by Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison and directed by Peter Sellars, professor of World Arts and Cultures, opens at UCLA's Freud Playhouse at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 8 and runs through Oct. 11.
The play transports audiences across continents and centuries, connecting Elizabethan England to the Courts of Timbuktu to the future of the human race. Desdemona is recognized as Shakespeare’s most radical woman of independence, courage and love. Morrison's Desdemona, portrayed by Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traore, expresses her bold character with a far more provocative voice. Greater significance is also given to the character of Barbary, who raised Desdemona on African stories and songs.
“Desdemona” has been praised by the Guardian as “a remarkable, challenging and bravely original work.”
For more information and tickets online, visit the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA. Faculty and staff tickets are $25.