I was not expecting to enjoy the Opera as much as I did. When I learned that I was going to spend three hours of my Tuesday evening watching a performance in a foreign language, I was not thrilled. When I reached the Opera House, I almost felt out of place. I was surrounded by many older individuals who were dressed in black dresses and suits. The décor was very lavish and elegant and I felt I wasn’t properly dressed for the occasion. However, once I got to my seat and was able to experience my favorite Shakespearean play with an orchestra, the language barrier and lavish surroundings did not seem to matter anymore. The orchestra definitely enhanced the experience for me. I was never musically inclined- never played an instrument nor have I ever taken a music class, but being able to see a team of musicians playing various instruments to create the suspenseful background music has made me appreciate the Opera even more. The orchestra set the mood for each scene of the play contributing to the overall experience.
My favorite theme of the play was Desdemona’s innocence. She continues to pester Othello to consider pardoning Cassio without realizing that her request is contributing to Othello’s suspicions. After Iago planted the idea of Desdemona’s infidelity into Othello’s mind, Othello has been observing Desdemona’s behavior very closely. Desdemona’s request could not have been made at a more inappropriate time. She continues to make the same request on behalf of Cassio not knowing that it would contribute to her downfall. I wanted to project myself onto the scene to inform Desdemona of her actions. It was definitely frustrating to watch but it helped the audience obtain a better understand of Iago’s manipulative and evil nature as well as Othello’s foolishness. Another scene I enjoyed was when Othello was eavesdropping on the conversation between Cassio and Iago. While reading it, I wasn’t able to fully grasp how cunning Iago really was with his plan. However, I understood it to a different extent when it was performed in the play. The way he tricked Othello to believe that Cassio was speaking of his affair with Desdemona made me realize how deceptive Iago could be for revenge.
Aside from the actual content of the play, I also enjoyed the set design and costumes of the characters. Desdemona wore beautiful, elegant dresses throughout the play. She wore a white dress in the first and last scene which could symbolize her purity and innocence. It was as if Desdemona was always standing out amongst the cast with her elegant attire. The set design was also very unique. The moving walls did not seem to be very unique at first but as the play progressed I was able to understand the role of these walls. I liked how we could see the cast move around the walls when the setting has changed. It was interesting that it was translucent and the audience could see those behind it, especially in the scene when Othello was eavesdropping on Iago and Cassio.
