[OTHELLO] DESDEMONA

Morrison’s response to Shakespeare’s Othello is an intimate dialogue of words and music between Desdemona and her African nurse Barbary, giving voice and depth to the female characters of the play. Toni Morrison transports one of the most iconic, central, and disturbing treatments of race in Western culture into the new realities and potential outcomes facing a rising generation of the 21st century.

In it’s second-ever staging, Barbary will be brought to life by renowned DC-based singer-songwriter BE STEADWELL (Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center), whose blend of soul, a cappella, and folk comes together to create her own unique sound she calls “Queer Pop.” In this live performance, she will use looping, vocal layering, and beatboxing to compose multilayered songs live on stage.

The performance will be introduced by a panel discussion featuring philosopher, political activist, social critic, and public intellectual Prof. CORNEL WEST.

This event has been made possible through the generous support of the Office for the Arts, Sanders Theater, the COOP, the Harvard Center for African Studies, the Harvard English Department, the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, and the Harvard Undergraduate Council, the Harvard African Student Association, the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club, and the Hyperion Shakespeare Company.