David Hou/HandoutIn contemporary times. It’s now. I just didn’t want to put it far away and at arm’s distance … There’s a political leader right next door to us who is very, very culpable to the way we are right now. Lies and misinformation have been normalized. We’re in a dangerous time.I find actors, Stratford actors in particular, are sometimes more conservative than directors in terms of this stuff.
I know what you mean. But, [being wary of] ascending to Othello … I’m just wondering, was it because it was expected of us, as black actors?Story continues below advertisementYeah. But then, you know, you read [the play] and it’s just a passionate guy. The first time I did it I remember finding a book about the history ofand Ben Kingsley, who’s, like, 5 foot 4, played it. [Note: Kingsley is around 5 foot 7.