The University Players, a student theater group, presents “Othello” as part of its 2008-09 Mainstage season. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Ticket price is $20 for the general public, $15 for senior citizens and WCU faculty and staff; and $5 for students.

“Othello,” among Shakespeare’s greatest works, is the dramatic unfolding of love, jealousy and betrayal. This production is set in 1962, with Othello as a colonel in the Army. Desdemona, from an elite, white family, is his wife, who shocks many by marrying Othello, who is black. Othello’s colleague Iago, resentful at being passed over for a promotion, plants the seeds of marital doubt in Othello’s mind.

Many themes of “Othello,” such as race, war, and the treatment of women, are relevant to the later setting, said director Claire Eye, an instructor with the department of stage and screen, part of the College of Fine and Performing Arts. The play does retain the Elizabethan dialogue, but the actors are “wearing ties, smoking cigarettes and listening to Frank Sinatra,” Eye said.

The 26-member cast includes sophomore musical theater major Desmond Anthony as Othello; junior theater major Dayna Damron as Desdemona; and senior theater major Anthony Giordano (above) as Iago. Cast members worked extensively on combat scenes and in analyzing Shakespeare’s script, Eye said.

To purchase tickets, visit the Fine and Performing Arts box office, or call the box office at (828) 227-2479 for Visa and MasterCard orders. To order online, go to www.ticketreturn.com and select “need tickets” on the left-hand side. Select the “arts & entertainment” tab, and then find “Mainstage” under the “Western Carolina University” heading. For more information, call the department of stage and screen at (828) 227- 7491.

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Last modified Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008.