With stars like Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, it may not be surprising that “Othello” has become the best-selling Broadway play ever.
Washington said, “It’s the most exciting thing I’ve been this century. Seriously. I wasn’t so excited about what I did about this.”
It says something that comes from Washington. Known for his film roles such as “Glory” and “Training Day” (both won him an Oscar), he is known as a great actor of the 21st century. But be careful before you call him a “Hollywood actor.”
“What is the definition of a Hollywood actor?” he said. “I myself am the ‘Actor of Mount Vernon’ because I am from Mount Vernon.’ I don’t understand what “Hollywood” means. ”
“A famous person in films? A film actor, a huge success in films?”
“I’m a stage actor who films, and that’s not the other way around,” Washington said. “I first went on stage. I learned how to act on stage, not film. Film is the medium of the filmmakers. You shoot it, you leave, they cut together and add music and do it all. Theatre is the medium of the actors. The curtains don’t go up.
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“Othello” is Tony Winner’s sixth Broadway show. He plays the character of the title, Othello. Othello is caught up in the rage of murder after his wife Desdemona is dishonest and his minor sign.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays a deceitful Iago, who seeks revenge from his longtime comrades and commander because he was taken over for promotion.
Shakespeare wrote “Othello” around 1604. However, the production will set the play in “The near future” with modern themes like service members suffering from PTSD.
Washington said, “People, you know, they usually think, ‘Oh, that’s about jeal. And he betrays him.’ No, it’s about two soldiers who trust each other in their lives. ”
“Well, then…” Gyllenhaal laughed.
“Yeah, what are you upset about? What did I do to you?” Washington laughed.
“What you know, you know!” replied Gyllenhaal. “But I mean what’s shared is theirs, and it’s something that’s shared beyond what they share with others. That’s what makes their bond so strong.”
At the age of 44, Gyllenhaal has been widely praised for the emotional scope and strength he brings to his role in films such as Brokeback Mountain, Zodiac, and Nightcrawler. And like Washington, he is a theatre veteran, with “Othello” marking his fourth appearance on Broadway. However, this is the first time he has played Shakespeare (almost). “Do you know what I noticed? I did something I had ‘don’t do anything’ in high school,” he said. “And I realized that this morning.”
“Did you forget?” Washington laughed, surprised.
“Perhaps the audience and I would like to forget!”
We visited Gyllenhaal before our performance at Barrymore Theatre this week. Standing on stage, the actor said, “It’s my favorite place.”
He explained that his character was feeding him from the audience.
Washington, now 70, is not a stranger to Shakespeare. On stage, he plays Richard III and Julius Caesar, and appears in the film versions of “Much Ado About Nothing” and “MacBeth” adaptations. He first played Othello as a student at Fordham University in New York City.
Washington asked how he relate to the play and its language in a different way when he was 22 years old. “I knew everything now. I thought I knew everything! I wasn’t smart enough to understand that, so I really understand about bonding.
“Othello” has been performed on Broadway more than 20 times. In most of these performances, Othello was played by a blackface white actor. That changed in 1943 when Paul Robeson made a legendary performance in the role. The last actor to play him on Broadway was James Earl Jones in 1982.
“When I was in college, James Earl Jones was my North Star,” Washington said. “He was the person I wanted to be. I couldn’t see his Othello, but I know it wasn’t as good as the 22-year-old’s interpretation!
And what a turn it was. The show is already at box office. But record-breaking sales drive prices to sky heights. The prime sheet is given for almost $1,000, and there have been criticism.
But the audience is appearing, and enjoying themselves by the sounds – so is the stars.
Gyllenhaal said, “You say, ‘Oh, I’ve been working my entire career at this moment.”
“I feel that for me too,” Washington said. “I was working my entire career at this moment, and this is a 48-year journey for me. It’s fascinating to be too young for that part, and some people say I’m older now.
Gyllenhaal said, “I feel an incredible gratitude, and he makes me feel that as I walk through that rehearsal room every day.”
Web-only: Check out our expanded interview with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal (video)
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A story created by Wonbo Woo and Sara Kugel. Editor: Remington Korper.
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