Sunday, September 20, 2009
Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Ortiz - Friends Play Enemies in ‘Othello’
NYTimes.com: "JOHN ORTIZ and Philip Seymour Hoffman have been close friends for 15 years, both off stage and on. They played best buddies in the 2007 production of “Jack Goes Boating” at the Public Theater, and Mr. Hoffman directed Mr. Ortiz to rave reviews in “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” in 2005. They were co-artistic directors of a downtown theater company, LAByrinth Theater, for more than a decade; during that time they celebrated the births of each other’s children and commiserated over the highs and lows of their beloved New York sports teams."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
I am so excited to see the reviews for this show. I have never been too big on Othello, but I can't wait to see what Hoffman does with Iago. Given Hoffman and Ortiz's history, I would say taking on the two roles is a dangerous proposition, particularly for Hoffman, as Iago is a pretty gruesome character to sink one’s teeth into. Playing opposite your best friend would seem so strange. The direction is an intriguing one though, I have to say. I hate portrayals of Iago as the typical Machiavellian, because I do not think he was intended to be so simplistic. I'm partial to the idea of Iago truly loving Othello, and the concept this production is reinforcing is pretty similar, so I am looking forward to it.
I agree with Sharisse. Playing these roles while opposite a very close friend is a strange concept. There are things to be gained from this relationship but I also feel that it poses a risk for the actors. Because these two men have this history between them, their characters' relationship will no doubt have a deeper connection onstage. However because of the nature of these roles, I hope that the actors' friendship does not suffer as a result. Hopefully they are skilled enough in their craft that they can separate their roles from themselves.
Mr. Sellers sounds awesome. I would have loved to see "Anthony and CLeopatra" in one of the Harvard swimming pools. I agree with his original view of Othello because it really wasn't my favorite Shakespeare play in my seminar last year. I always did find the character Iago intriguing. Last year my class went to the Shakespeare Festival to see a production of "Othello." To me it really dragged out and could have been done better. This production that Mr. Sellers is doing seems so awesome. I love the connection with what is going on in our country at this time and also with the race issue I completely agree with the article in that race should not matter and this play is just about a man. Philip Seymour Hoffman is an amazing actor and he will bring so much to the character of Iago. Anything he does is so great because he approaches his characters in a way some would never think of. Can't wait to read the reviews to see how it all turns out because it sounds brilliant.
I believe that any good actor is capable of portraying their character's personality regardless of what it is they actually feel. Perhaps the friendship of these two actors will create a more intense chemistry onstage, but it will be for the good of the production. As actors, I can't see these two letting this stand in the way of their performance.
It's an interesting idea to take inspiration from a real-life relationship and apply it to an interpretation of a show that's been done a million times. Since Hoffman and Ortiz are such good friends in real life, their onstage chemistry should be pretty phenomenal, and it adds a new twist to the story. However, it might have been a more interesting challenge for the actors to play the roles traditionally, as two bitter enemies.
Post a Comment