Othello in mask presented by Polarity Ensemble Theatre at The Side Project

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...Mason Hill's eager Iago, with his trickster persona, is almost a commedia villain, while Cliff London's Othello is nobly trusting and Leah Morrow's Desdemona is Kabuki-sly. Abigail Trabue's anguished but stalwart Emilia holds her own well against the jealousy that infects more characters than Othello."

Windy City Times - Somewhat Recommended

"...the scholarly value of this sort of adrenaline-fueled exercise has diminished since the heyday of the Living Theatre—or the Wooster Group, for that matter. Producer Abigail Trabue and director Zack Brenner, in their efforts to “incorporate a variety of international techniques” into their show—because, they claim, Othello is about “a clash in foreign identities” as well as about “what goes skin deep”—have instead created a hodgepodge of exotic poses grounded in a plethora of nebulous precepts no less incoherent for the intensity of their execution by a band of dedicated players."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...All around, the acting was passionate and energized; it was evident that a great deal of time had been spent with the text. In contrast to the massive budgeted interpretations of Shakespeare, with grand sets and costumes I have seen in recent times in downtown Chicago, I was excited to see a production that was determined to focus on the text."