Othello: Inappropriate for School?

Question

Hey guys,

My school drama club really wants to do Othello for this upcoming year's Shakespeare production. However, our teacher represenitive (you know, the teacher who oversees everything) says that it is inappropriate for school.

We just read the play not 2 months ago and Ithe only thing i can find wrong with it are the death's that occur throughout. However, we've done Romeo and Juliet and there are death's in that show also.

Just wonering if anyone can think of anything else that the could be considered offensive. I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Well, there are the racist themes, graphic sexual terminology (look up "the beast with two backs"), and derogatory commentary of women. Just like we have today.

Still, I think your school is being needlessly over-cautious. I saw it at the Globe last summer and school children of all ages were in attendance.

Answer 2

The appropriateness of any play depends on three factors: the cultural sensibilities and sophistication of your community; whether or not the play will help build or take away from your audience base; and whether or not your Drama group is up to the demands of the script.

No one likes to have a form of entertainment preach at them. Messages for growth are good but a poke in the eye is not. If you live in a community where people have yet to really accept biracial couples, this is probably not the right play to accomplish that goal. A better choice in that regards would be the musical South Pacific.

Would a lot of people who normally support high school Drama in your community want to sit through a very dark and grim Shakespeare tragedy? If not, do not dry up your audience base with a play they will not support and will not buy tickets to go see.

Finally, acting Shakespeare is very demanding, even from the very best stage actors. Othello has deep emotions and internal conflicts that are difficult for adults to deal with, much less successfully portray. Also, you have to do a lot of physical acting to help the audience  to break through the language barrier of words that were brand new more than 400 years ago.

Answer 3

Oh, the Powers Above preserve us from the specter of "someone may be offended"!

OF COURSE it is inappropriate for school! Racism, s*x, betrayal, jealousy? These have no place in schools. Schools should be places of playing it safe rather than confronting ugly truths. Or actually learning.

OF COURSE it is Racist. Do you not know ANYTHING about Elizabethan England? At least Othello was a Tragic Hero. Contrast Shylock. You wanna talk about ill-done-to.......?

And all that fancy talk, like rhymes and stuff. Why can't they just speak English?

OOops! My bad. That is yet another hot-button issue.

Yes, High School Teacher Representatives: continue to rail at the possible "contamination of our Youth" by the truisms that Shakespeare addresses, without teaching your students how to spell ( cf: "represenitive", "death's" and "wonering" in the above question).

Heaven Forfend that a solid background in Basic English should have precedence over the chance that someone, somewhere, MIGHT be offended.

oooOOOOOoohhhh

Where would the World be? I shudder to think.

Answer 4

Congratulations on wanting to tackle this show.

Romeo and Juliet is a ye olde standby that high schools produce all the time, and yet, is rife with sexual innuendos. Read into about 90% of Mercutio's lines -- most of what he speaks can be considered "offensive" depending on who your audience is and how graphic your actor is when delivering them.

And thus is the challenge with many of Shakespeare's works when translating them to a high school setting.  

As for the race issue...what does it matter if x% of your audience is anti mixed-race couples.  If it exists in our society, why shouldn't it be present on stage.



I studied the play in high school -- twice, in fact in 2 different classes.  And theatres that I've worked for in the past have not only toured the show to high schools, but held school matinee performances.

I say go for it.  Do your research, decide, as a group, why you all want to do Othello (the story, the poetry, the lessons...), plead your case and make the teacher plead his or hers -- find out what she finds so offensive and stand your ground.  

And don't fall back on Midsummer Night's Dream or South Pacific. Good luck.