Shakespeare On The Common 2010: Othello

On Wednesday afternoon I packed up a bunch of snacks, blankets, and some reading material, and headed to The Common. I got there around 5:15 to reserve a spot for the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's free summer production. This year they put on Othello. Most of the good spaces were taken by 5:45. It was 95 degrees out, and super humid; I was glad that all I had to do was sit.  

These were the people to my left. They used their bikes to hold space for their friends who were coming later. I held space with my two blankets; I laid on them while I read, took pictures, and waited for my friends to arrive.

Everybody loved this dog.

Seriously. The owner couldn't go two feet without somebody stopping to ask him about it and pet it. 

My friends started arriving around 7:15. By the time the show started there were nine of us! Some of the girls brought their dinner and we also had some snacks for sharing. That's my blue bag and green backpack right in the center. 

Here's our view of the stage. You could pay $25 and get one of the blue chairs reserved for you. Since the chairs were being held, all of the occupants showed up much closer to show-time, which was 8:00.

I had never read or seen Othello, so I was really excited. Luckily, before the show started, Lindsey gave us a little synopsis (she's a high school English teacher). That was so incredibly helpful! 

Even after hearing the details of the story, I found the first half sort of difficult to follow. After sitting on the ground for almost 3 hours by the time it started, I wasn't especially comfortable. I think that may have had something to do with my confusion. But maybe not.

After half time (aka intermission), I got more comfortable and the play seemed to make a lot more sense. The second half is also more exciting than the first.

I had a lot of fun. There's something so awesome about being in a big crowd of people who are all doing the exact same thing. Plus, there's nothing better than enjoying a gorgeous summer night with a bunch of friends. The show ended late, and with train ride + walk I didn't get home until midnight! That's pretty late for a work night, but totally worth it. And now I know the story of Othello.

P.S. I wasn't about to lug a tripod to the play in addition to all the other stuff, so I'm really pleased with how well these long distance nighttime pictures came out. I've got a pretty steady hand!