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TASK TWO: LISTENING |
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"It is the disease of not listening, the malady of not marking, that I am troubled withal." |
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Your Task: |
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Go to npr.org and listen to an excerpt from "The Tavis Smiley Show" from February, 2002, a discussion of black actors portraying Othello. Take copious notes and then incorporate your responses to the questions below into a unified piece of writing and e-mail me the result. |
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This is Paul Robeson playing Othello. He was the first black actor allowed to portray Othello on an American stage, in 1942. If you are interested, click on his image for a brief biography.
(Who remembers him from our study of
The Crucible and McCarthyism?) |
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After having listened to the NPR discussion, write 1 - 2 pages in a response which incorporates thoughts on the following questions (and other thoughts that you have) and e-mail it to me. |
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1. Are you surprised to learn that it was not until the 1940s that a black actor was allowed to play the role of Othello?
2. In what ways did Robeson's portrayal of Othello on stage affect race in America? How important was Robeson's insistance on not playing to segregated audiences?
3. What is your impression of the importance of Othello's race to the play? Do you think race should be of primary importance to a casting director trying to cast the part of Othello? What other qualities are important for a casting director to look for? Aside from race, what other issues is Shakespeare exploring in this play? |
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E-MAIL YOUR RESPONSE HERE |
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Believe it or not, there is an Othello rap, written and performed by the Reduced Shakespeare Company. If you're interested, check out this site. Halfway down the page, you can listen (and read the lyrics). |
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