Join us May 2 or 3 as BJU presents the final production in this year’s Concert, Opera & Drama Series: Shakespeare’s Othello.
A Cautionary Tale
Othello: The Moor of Venice has been called the greatest study of jealousy ever penned. Though Othello is among the noblest of men, his suspicion and jealousy lead him to murder his own wife. Not until it is too late does Othello realize that he is at fault and has caused his own suffering. Seeing his error, he takes full responsibility for his plight, which enables him to regain a measure of his former stature.
Othello contains a serious message for the modern audiences, and especially the Christian. “It’s a cautionary tale,” says director Paul Radford, a member of BJU’s speech faculty. “If you always assume the worst of people, you’ll always see the worst in people.”
The Cast, Set and Music
Because of the weightiness of the theme, Othello is often problematic for a younger cast. “It takes mature actors to understand the multiple meanings of what is going on onstage,” Paul says. “Thankfully, I have a veteran cast that is very experienced.”
Whereas many sets are more elaborate and rely on special effects, this year’s set is quite minimal, says Paul. It is designed to focus the audience’s attention on the telling of the story on stage.
This year’s production is the thirteenth performance of Othello at Bob Jones University. Unique to this year’s production is a new original musical score composed by Soundforth’s Brian Buda.
Fine Arts at BJU
The fine arts play a large part in the BJU experience. Students interested in drama, whether they’re majoring in it or not, can audition to be part of a student-led play or of one of the Concert, Opera & Drama Series performances.
Published April 26, 2012