Othello -- AK Native-Style

David Edgecombe’s Othello: An Instant Alaskan Classic
By Don J. Rearden

David Edgecombe’s powerful adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, set in Russian period Alaska, establishes itself as an instant Alaskan classic from the opening scenes. The gut-wrenching impact from the original story of jealousy and racism transfers to 1840’s Alaska with alarming ease.
Allan Hayton embodies a convincing and memorable Othello. Hayton’s portrayal of Othello, an Aleut in command of Russian troops, and married to a Russian lord’s daughter (Desdemona – smartly played by Tamara Rothman Miller), reveals the complicated machinations of an Aleut torn between his culture, his duties as commander, and his wife. Hayton manages to deliver Othello’s torment of jealousy and rage with a stage presence that makes his character and the awful situation he confronts all too real.
As a stageplay, the success of any reenactment of Othello hinges on Iago, the ever devious and divisive villain. Edgecombe’s choice in casting Paul Schweigert was as flawless as his adaptation of the play itself. Schweigert’s delivery of an almost-likeable Iago, as a Russian soldier capable of being anything but honest, makes this inescapable tragedy almost fun to watch.
The secondary characters add life and humor to a play wrought with turmoil. Mark Stoneburner delivers a convincing Cassio, and Tim Tucker’s singing and jesting as the Slavic Clown is simply hilarious.
The costumes and the characters transport theatergoers back to early Russian Alaska. The colorful, yet simplistic set-design allows the audience to imagine the setting for themselves, while the story and the acting make this a drama that reveals an untold and important facet of Alaskan history.
Shakespeare’s plays delve into the complexity of human nature in ways that continue to touch and inspire us all. Hayton’s Othello, and Schweigert’s Iago, force us to question our own motives, desires, biases, and loyalties. David Edgecombe’s adaptation begs viewers to consider the matters of heart, but also of our Alaskan history and heritage.