The San Francisco Ballet's "Othello" is a spectacular
production, rich in symbolism and loaded with drama. Choreographer
Lar Lubovitch mixes classical ballet with a lot of Eastern influenced
ritualistic modern dance. We open with a scrim with pagan symbols on
it. Othello is visible in a haze behind it. There are mirrored glass
panels that move from side to side and break up the space. He is
reflected in one of these as he rises up to the musical crescendo.
The haze clears and we move into the ballroom for the wedding. The
ceiling is like Eugene Delacroix's "Gallery of Apollo" with
an ornate gold frame enclosing the sweeping mural. The wall in the
background is painted with figures. Desdemona dances with Cassio, and
they are joined by several other couples. Even here Othello is
mildly, but obviously disturbed, and the seed of jealousy is planted.
He then dances with her in a beautifully sensuous pas de deux. Yuan
Yuan Tan is like liquid as she reacts to Yuri Possokhov's Othello.
She's almost Zen like in her reactions. She seems to have no mind of
her own as she just follows his lead. There are a lot of upside down
lifts and circles. He holds her and spins her around, It's some of
the smoothest and most beautiful dancing I've ever seen, and has a
remarkable freedom of movement. The corps de ballet enters from the
rear in the ritualistic wedding scene. They have a big glowing cross,
with the set turning into the interior of a cathedral. It's a somber
wedding as all goes dark, except the cross, then it disappears.
Nothing is smooth with Damian Smith's Iago. He's dressed in black
with red and silver trim. His presence is sneering, his movements are
rough and jerky. He's similar to a character from "The
Cage," but more purely evil. The first act ends with a great
centrally lit effect of dual couples, Othello and Desdemona in love
in the rear, against Iago and Emilia in hate in the foreground.
The second act opens against a dark stormy sky. As dark clouds sweep
across the back, dancers in gray flimsy dresses become almost like
waves on the sea against it. Cassio and Desdemona dance as the ship
pulls into port. Othello and Iago make their grand entrance and do a
pas de cinque, with Othello and Desdemona, Iago and Emilia, and
Cassio. The background turns blood red, with a full moon and dark
clouds in a richly textured Middle- Eastern flavored ensemble. All
scatter as Iago cuts an evil figure in his pas de deux with Emilia,
to predominantly bassoons, oboes, and a contrabass clarinet. Iago
gets Desdemona's handkerchief, with help from Bianca and plants it on
Cassio. Othello pushes Desdemona away when she doesn't have the
handkerchief. It's a dark and brooding but fluid ensemble as the
corps becomes waves. Black clouds once again roll across the back,
and Othello sees Bianca take the handkerchief from Cassio.
Othello sits on a glass throne to open Act 3, but the glass is
cracked.Cassio dances in supplication, while Iago struts. Desdemona
pleads for Casio. Othello twists convulsively, and Iago whispers more
poison to him. A steaming platform appears beside the throne, as
Desdemona and Cassio appear on it, as in a dream. This is a very
stunning effect, and is repeated three or four times, to drive home
the jealousy of Othello.
The background becomes rays of light for the bedroom scene. Emilia
gives Desdemona a cross. They do a delicately sensitive pas de deux.
Othello swings the nurse around and casts her out. He lifts Desdemona
in a sensuously ecstatic dance. He lifts her, spins her around, holds
her high in upside down, lifts and tightly embraces her as he draws
his knife. It's not death, but the ritualistic culmination of his
jealously and her devotion as we're swept to the devastating climax.
This becomes almost like Siegfried and Brunnhilde as the world is too
harsh of a place to hold their love, and they have to move to another
level. The deception is revealed, and their love triumphs in death.
Scott Speck leads the orchestra in this riveting production of
"Othello" at The San Francisco Ballet.