Tall in stature and regally dressed (Costume Design: Lydia Houston), we feel John Nyrere Frazier’s magnetic pull every time he long strides into a scene. Even from high up on the grassy hill of Raleigh’s Fletcher Park where this play is staged, Frazier telegraphs the complexity of this Shakespeare work’s title character, Othello. On the one hand, he often rests in a commander warrior stance. But when he is near his beloved Desdemona, wearing his heart on his sleeve, he seems like he might melt in tenderness.
The cunning manipulation of Othello’s vulnerability by his not-so-loyal lieutenant Iago (Patrick Lescarbeau) is the crux of this Shakespearean tale. Seemingly blind to his own jealousy that sets him on the path of causing both his own and Othello’s ruin, Iago says—-
"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on."
Switch Theatre Company Makes Shakespeare Accessible to All
Your immersion in the theme of Othello starts at the ticket taker desk, where greeneyed pins, green eyed tote bags and similar merch brands the classic for theatergoers of all ages. There are many children sprawling on family blankets on the grass who likely are hearing the story for the first time.
As you sit on your lawn chair in the park and scan your neighbors you feel community.
Switch Theatre’s performance is above all —accessible.
The script is edited to a reasonable length but never feels dumbed down bowdlerized. That we follow the story so well is — in this reviewer’s opinion—all the more amazing given the bad luck of the weekend performances —weather and tech glitch-wise.
On Saturday this most able cast had to contend with their stage literally blowing away in gusts of wind—until the managers took to microphone to apologize for canceling the performance mid-way due to safety concerns. Sunday was calmer wind-wise but plagued the actors with mic glitches galore. A few— like Frazier— seemed to be more than able to project to the wide open park space even when his mic was lagging. The actresses playing Desdemonda (Marissa Joy on Saturday; Taylor Cashion on Sunday) were not so lucky— their voices reduced to alternating mumblings and squeaks. But like other mic-challenged cast members, they soldiered on. Lucky for us that they did— because even with tech glitches galore this was a quality time. Better yet, this reviewer expects all the tech demons to be chased far away by next weekend’s staging.
RECOMMENDED
WHEN &WHERE:
May 31, 2025
Southern Village Amphitheatre
400 Market St.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
June 8, 2025
Nature Park Amphitheatre
2600 Evans Rd
Apex, NC 27502
June 14-15, 2025
Sertoma Amphitheatre, Bond Park
801 High House Rd
Cary, NC 27513
TICKETS:
General Admission: Free to the public
VIP Reserved seating: $50
For more information and tickets visit the Switch Theater Company website.
CAST:
Othello ……………………….. John Frazier
Iago ……………………….. Patrick Lescarbeau
Desdemona ……………………….. Marissa Joy
Cassio ……………………….. Aryan Anil Kale
Emilia ……………………….. Catherine Kelly Johnson
Brabantio/Montano ……………………….. Drew Gulino
Roderigo ……………………….. Dylan Atwood
Lodovico ……………………….. Quinn Rollar
Gentleman ……………………….. Bryan Squires
Emilia/Desdemona u/s ……………………….. Taylor Cashion
CREATIVE TEAM:
Director: Asia Mark
Stage Manager: Akili Holder-Cozart
Fight/Intimacy: Montgomery Davis
Costume Design: Lydia Houston
Technical Director: John Paul Middlesworth
Sound Design: Brooks Fredrickson
About the Author: Amy Munice
Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.
