SHAKSPER 2001: Modern Othello on Masterpiece Theatre

From: Hardy M. Cook (editor@ws.bowiestate.edu)
Date: 12/11/01 

The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 12.2814  Tuesday, 11 December 2001

From:           Joanne Gates <jgates@jsucc.jsu.edu>
Date:           Monday, 10 Dec 2001 22:44:21 -0600 (CST)
Subject:        Modern Othello on Masterpiece Theatre

Here's what WGBH lists for their Current Season Masterpiece Theatre
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/schedule/index.html>

"Othello   TV 14, L, S, V
Monday, January 28, 2002
A twenty-first century rendition, written by Andrew Davies (Take a Girl
Like You, Wives and Daughters) and based on the tragedy by William
Shakespeare.  Othello has all the sex, corruption, and betrayal of the
original, translated to a completely convincing modern setting -- New
Scotland Yard in the era of race riots, neo-Nazis, and political spin.”

The teacher’s guide for this and for Trevor Nunn’s Merchant of Venice
arrived this week. It states that “Davies played freely with characters
and plot,” and lists details where we should notice his changes.  The
one-page plot summary matches the basic plot of Shakespeare, but also
states that he “set aside traditional Shakespearean language.”

Joanne Gates

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