Shakespeare without words.
The very idea sounds scandalous. How can a work of Shakespeare, the greatest playwright in the English language, be done without words?
Synetic Theater aims to answer this question with its production of “Othello,” part of their season entitled “Sleep No More,” that also includes “Macbeth” and “Romeo and Juliet.”
Synetic’s answer to the question is simple: spectacle.
True to Synetic Theater’s mission statement, “Othello” replaces the rich language of the original play entirely with dance and movement.
Every plot point and every scene are translated to sumptuous displays of acrobatics and seemingly impossible feats of agility and strength.
The effect is somewhat overwhelming at first, and a prior knowledge of the show is definitely recommended, but the basic plot is communicated aptly.
Synetic’s players are at the absolute height of physical fitness, and their laser-precise choreography is able to translate, if not outright replace, the language of Shakespeare.
Movement alone can only do so much, however. The set and costumes need to be equally as sensational as the dance if the cavernous void left by the removal of the words is to be filled, and Synetic is clearly aware of this.
The set is minimalist on the surface, composed mostly of slight inclines and triangular pillars set at angles just askew enough to be jarring. The show makes full use of it, however, using the pillars as projection surfaces and fight pieces.
The costumes and props, too, are vibrant and extravagant, catching the eye and filling the required gaps.
The lack of words is not the only innovation present in the production, however.
Shortly after his introduction, Iago splits himself into two more reflections of himself in a cleverly choreographed sequence that has him breaking sheets of mirrored foil. For the remainder of the show, the Iago reflections are present whenever the original is, contributing to his scheming and sometimes directly mirroring his movements.
In the final act fight between Rodrigo and Cassio, having three Iagos allows for Iago to provide a knife to both combatants. Overall, the split gave the character a sense of oppressive omnipresence, a laudable holdover from an original text in which he has more lines than the titular protagonist.
Although “Othello” does an admirable job of bridging the gap of wordlessness with spectacle, the tone it creates with that spectacle is sometimes inconsistent.
While the fight scenes are brutal and the reveals suitably tragic, certain moments in the show end up looking too comedic. Part of this stems from certain gestures and movements crossing the line from expressive to cartoonish in the constant attempt to capture the gravity of the story.
Those instances are forgivable, but more troubling is the overall characterization of Rodrigo.
He is portrayed as a bumbling fool and an idiot, and many scenes in which he is present devolve into downright slapstick comedy. These moments and some scattered others feel like forced attempts at comic relief when none is necessary or advisable given the source material.
The moments of ill-advised levity do not undo the rest of the good work the Synetic players have done reconstructing “Othello,” but their presence creates just a bit too much potential for distraction.
While there is no replacement for the words of Shakespeare, it is the stories they tell that are most important.
Synetic Theater recognizes this, and, whether or not Shakespeare should be done without its characteristically beautiful language, the company has proven once again with “Othello” that it can be done, and masterfully at that.
srose@theeagleonline.com
