British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

"Is This the Noble Moor?"

Alternative title
American Moor
Synopsis
Podcast from the Folger Shakespeare Library. Othello is the story of a tragic murder and suicide involving a dark-skinned general and his aristocratic, white-skinned bride. Who should direct it? Who is "allowed" to? What if a white director and the actor he’s cast as Othello simply do not see eye-to-eye on the play’s subtext, the Moor’s motivations, and what the audience is supposed to take away from the production? That conflict is at the heart of a one-man show currently (April 2016) being performed around the country called ‘American Moor’. In it, a black actor - the play’s author, Keith Hamilton Cobb - stands on stage and addresses an invisible, white director who simply does not "get" Othello. Their disagreement allows for a searing exploration of the gulf between black and white Americans that some like to believe simply does not exist. Cobb is interviewed by Barbara Bogaev.
Series
Shakespeare Unlimited
Language
English
Country
United States
Medium
Audio
Recording date
9 Aug 2016
Duration
25 mins

Credits

Producer
Richard Paul
Contributor
Barbara Bogaev; Keith Hamilton Cobb

Additional Details

Production type
Documentary/Educational/News
Plays
Othello
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Auditions; black Americans; racism; Othello (character)

Notes

Notes
Podcast: http://www.folger.edu/shakespeare-unlimited-episode-54 (accessed 8/2016).

Online Availability

Online URL
http://www.folger.edu/shakespeare-unlimited-episode-54

Production Company

Name

R.L. Paul Productions

Record Stats

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