Mn-prog-events Mailing List: PRESS RELEASE -- Gadfly Theatre Presents Othello, The Classic Drama gets a Gadfly Twist this Fall

[Gadfly Theatre (gadflytheatre]

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Cassandra Snow

TELEPHONE: 612-607-3791

Email: gadflytheatre [at] gmail.com


Gadfly Theatre Productions Presents Othello

The classic drama gets a Gadfly twist this fall

September 5, 2013 (Minneapolis/St. Paul) -- Gadfly Theatre Productions
presents a gender-bending production of Othello from September 20-29, 2013
at the People's Center Theater in Minneapolis. Shakespeare’s classic drama
of love & lust gets a Gadfly twist this fall as director Cassandra Snow
reimagines Othello as a modern-day lesbian head over heels for bisexual
femme Desdemona. Still relevant politics of the piece are examined
including issues like racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia, and what
happens not only to minorities but to the innocent bystanders when
patriarchal zealots refuse to let go.

Director and Gadfly Co-Founder Cassandra Snow has assembled a cast that is
committed to bringing attention to why a text written hundreds of years ago
rings eerily relevant today. “Othello forces us to confront the fact that
things may not have changed much since the Bard's time, and casting Othello
as a woman forces us to examine the intersection between race, sexuality,
and gender,” says Snow. Cast in the titular role, Siddeeqah Shabazz returns
to the stage with Gadfly after a successful run in QUEER! this past summer.
“Othello is relevant today in regards to racial issues. It shows how the
character Othello is not fully accepted due to her ethnicity and no matter
what she does her ethnicity is always a factor.“

And revising the role of Desdemona is Rebecca Hanson (last seen with Gadfly
as Mitzi in Mitzi’s Abortion) who is happy return to Gadfly. “There is an
openness, and always a welcoming feeling in any working environment with
Gadfly.” Professionally, this will be Hanson’s first public performance
featuring fight choreography at a professional theatre, “When art is
passion driven, and excites the artist as they are creating, I believe it
shows up in the finished product.” Another creative force behind Gadfly,
Co-Founder Immanuel Elliott, takes on the role of antagonist  Iago. “O,
beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock
the meat it feeds on.” Elliott encourages both lovers of Shakespeare and
those who prefer modern dramas to take in this fresh take on Othello this
fall.


About Gadfly Theatre Productions

Gadfly Theatre Productions is currently producing their fourth season of
queer, feminist, and experimental art. The troupe provides an artistic
haven for audiences and artists alike, a place to explore, create, and open
safe dialogues about LGBTQIA and feminist issues. Gadfly breaks binaries
and establishes community, seeking to prove that all persons on the
spectrum deserve a voice, a stage, and a story they can relate to. Gadfly
Theatre Productions, rooted in Minneapolis and led by Cassandra Snow and
Immanuel Elliott, produces three–four shows per year, with audiences coming
from all walks of life to see the company's work.

Performance Dates:

Friday, 9/20 @ 7:30pm* (Opening)

Saturday, 9/21 @ 7:30pm

Sunday, 9/22 @ 3:00pm (Pay-What-You-Can Performance)

Monday, 9/23 @ 7:30pm (Pay-What-You-Can Performance)

Thursday, 9/26 @ 7:30pm

Friday, 9/27 @ 7:30pm*

Saturday, 9/28 @ 7:30pm

Sunday, 9/29 @ 3:00pm (Pay-What-You-Can Performance)

*Friday nights feature a post-show discussion with the cast & Gadfly
company members

Location:

Cedar Riverside People’s Center Theater (Third Floor)

425 20th Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN 55454

Tickets:

Sliding Scale of $12-$27 cash or check at the door

Pay-What-You-Can on Sunday, September 22 at 3:00 pm; Monday, September 22
at 7:30 pm; and Sunday, September 29 at 3:00pm.

Tickets can be purchased online: http://www.gadflytheatre.org/tickets.htmlor
call Brown Paper Tickets at at: 1-800-838-3006 and reference event 45197:
Othello.

Group organizers can contact Cassandra Snow at 612-607-3791 to inquire
about tickets.

TRIGGER WARNING: This production of Othello contains scenes of violence and
violence against women.


More Information:

Our Website:http://gadflytheatre.org <http://gadflytheatre.wix.com/gadfly>

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gadflytheatre

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gadflytheatreproductions



 Othello Press 
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