Oakton examines Othello’s motives in Shakespeare Festival
The timeless play “Othello” is the focus of this summer’s popular Shakespeare Festival, an eight-session lecture offered by the Emeritus Program at Oakton Community College.
Othello: An Ageless Story: Jealousy? Racism? Ambition? Revenge? begins Monday, Aug. 1, and concludes Monday, Aug. 29. Weekly lectures explore the many operatic, film and literary versions of the great tragedy. Topics will include:
Ÿ Who Was Othello? Explore the origins of the plots and characters from Othello. Enjoy film clips of historic productions starring Paul Robeson, Laurence Olivier and Orson Welles (10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday, Aug. 1).
Ÿ Laurence Fishburne’s Othello. Learn why Shakespearean scholar Tricia Kessie considers the 1995 cinematic version of “Othello” as one of the most beautiful productions of the Bard’s tale (1-4 p.m., Monday, August 1).
Ÿ “O:” Othello As a Teen. Jealousy takes a poisonous toll in the film “O,” where Othello comes to life in a contemporary American high school filled with basketball players, winsome cheerleaders, and racial tension. This R-rated film delivers a punch not soon forgotten (10 a.m.-12 p.m., Monday, Aug. 8).
Ÿ BBC “Othello.” View the 2001 Masterpiece Theater tour de force penned by BBC veteran Andrew Davies (10 a.m.-12 p.m., Monday, Aug. 15).
Ÿ “Othello” at the Globe. At the end of “Othello,” viewers see a bed with three corpses on it. Gain insight into whether their hearts were broken (1-4 p.m., Monday, Aug. 15).
Ÿ Verdi’s “Otello.” Discover why some critics believe Verdi’s opera surpasses Shakespeare’s original work. Review Verdi’s life and enjoy audio and DVD clips from his opera (10-11:30 a.m., Monday, Aug. 22).
Ÿ Zeiffirelli’s “Otello.” Enjoy a presentation of the cinematic masterpiece directed by Franco Zeffirelli that stars Plácido Domingo. Learn how transforming Shakespeare’s play into an opera affects characters and action (12:30-3 p.m., Monday, Aug. 22).
Ÿ Beyond “Othello:” Jealousy in Literature. Examine the rampant theme of jealousy and its aftermath in literature and culture (10-11:30 a.m., Monday, Aug. 29).
All sessions take place at Oakton’s Skokie campus, 7701 N. Lincoln Ave. The fee is $18 per lecture, or $80 for the series. Half-price tuition does not apply. For a list of emeritus offerings, visit www.oakton.edu/emeritus.