...um. I missed a lot of days.

[lareinenoire]

So, I am very glad I am assuming the 30 days of Shakespeare are not consecutive because I just missed roughly...eleven. My apologies. I was shuttling my way round the Midwest to visit various family members and only got back home last night. I love my family and my in-laws-to-be, but it is so nice to have all family obligations finished until the

Comments

[17catherines]

I read Desdemona when our Shakespeare reading group did Othello. It's a really disturbing and scary part to read, and probably even more so to play (especially since Othello was read by a very good friend of mine who is also a sort-of-ex). I felt really strange and off-balance for hours afterward.

To my mind, Desdemona certainly sees her death coming - that whole scene where she is folding things away and singing and talking to Emilia was heavy with the knowledge that Othello had turned on her and it was only a matter of time (though she still can't quite believe what she knows, I think). But it does take her a long time to get to that point - she is so very innocent that until Othello becomes quite direct in his accusations, it simply never occurs to her that it could be anything other than a joke - adultery is utterly unthinkable to her.

[angevin2]

I would love to play Desdemona, though I'm sure I will never get to -- she is probably the best example in Shakespeare of a female adult character who is both genuinely good but also very human in a warm sort of way (like, Cordelia is also both good and human but she is much pricklier, because she's Lear's daughter and all three of his daughters take after him).

I did get to do the "Willow" scene in two different Shakespeare classes, though, because Dr. M asked me to do it on the grounds that I was willing to sing a capella in class. It's just absolutely amazing even in that kind of context.

[lareinenoire]

Okay, I am rather jealous of you for getting to read her at all. ;)

And, yes, there is something wonderful about Desdemona's goodness. Even Iago admits to it, which I do love in my own bizarre way.

[17catherines]

That's pretty much why I got to be Desdemona in our group, too!

[tiggerbone]

I would sell the souls of several questionable characters in order to see you play Cleopatra. What? My own soul? Don't be absurd. ;)

I would love to see you do Desdemona in a version of Othello similar to the one where Patrick Stewart played the title character ... but mainly if I got to be your Iago. insert evil grin here

[kerrypolka]

I really, really, REALLY wish I'd been able to see the Donmar production with Chiwetel Ejiofor as Othello because the audio version is marvellous and stupid Donmar for having a tiny performance space.

IT WAS AWESOME AND I SAW IT TWICE NEENER NEENER NEENER

um, it is also available as a CD recording?

NEEEEEEEEENER NEENER NEENER