GO OTHELLO Shakespeare must've been orchestrating from his grave: Three times during Independent Shakespeare Company's production of Othello in Griffith Park, a pack of coyotes burst into laughter. Fitting that nature should interject its opinion on that most futile of human emotions that motorizes the action of Shakespeare's tragedy. "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on ..." the kingpin Iago ironically warns Othello. Director Melissa Chalsma has elicited smart, sharp, funny interpretations from her cast, notably Cameron Knight, Andre Martin, David Melville and Bernadette Sullivan; and even with the distractions that accompany an outdoor performance (bring blankets and sweaters), the audience was rapt throughout. As Othello, Knight precisely navigates the slippery slope into paranoia, gradually unraveling until he becomes near-primal, the "black ram" Iago first described him as and now has led him to be. Melville, a charismatic villain, transforms physically as Iago, bounding confidently at Act 1 opens, only to become hunched and shuffling as if shackled by mid-play. Shakespeare proves to have been a cultural seer — he set an African as commander-in-chief long before we even considered the idea — commenting on interracial marriage ages before Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and promoting feminist ideology centuries before Gloria Steinem became a Playboy Bunny. Universal truths keep him relevant; here, it's how susceptible we are to doubt and how jealousy erects a steel coffin around the mind. The desire to exact justice after being provoked by senseless injustices keeps Shakespeare satisfying, despite the inevitable high body count that revenge can accrue. Here, justice is served by a woman choosing truth over matrimonial obedience, while the revenge is as misguided as it is pointless. Independent Shakespeare Co. and Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, Griffith Park, Old Zoo Picnic Area, 4730 Crystal Springs Dr.; Thurs.-Sun., 7 p.m.; through August 1. (818) 710-6306 or iscla.org (Rebecca Haithcoat)
REDHEAD CUBAN HAUSFRAU HUSBAND Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were pioneer celebrities who set the standard for clean, white-bread television comedy. They also were one of Hollywood's original power couples amassing a fortune from ownership of their own studios. But in his self-described musical homage to the I Love Lucy show, writer-director Fletcher Rhoden fall short of telling their story or of telling any story that's the least bit compelling. The herky-jerky script contains no semblance of narrative cohesiveness or flow, though it comes spiced here and there with historic details about Ms. Ball's life. Performer Joan Elizabeth Kennedy fails to channel Lucy convincingly, and is consistent only in singing off-key. Ditto for Derek Rubiano, whose Cuban accent wobbles in a remedial performance. Rhoden's music and lyrics are competent though without a hint of any Latin-American origins or influence in the music. Rhoden's direction does little to shore up the holes in his script. Jodi Skeris and Michael Anthony Nozzi are presumably standing in for other actors as the zany neighbors, but that's hard to tell from the program. Mount Hollywood Theater, 4607 Prospect Ave., Hollywood: Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; through Sept 4. (323) 667-9113. (Lovell Estell III)
PHOTO BY MICHAEL B. HARRINGTON
Songs And Dances Of Imaginary Lands
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1776 When composer-lyricist Sherman Edwards and librettist Peter Stone's feel-good, cartoon history became the surprise hit of the 1968-69 Broadway season, the country was mired in an unpopular war, riven by social discord and rocked by the suspicion that maybe we weren't the moral leaders of "the free world" after all. Forty years later, surprisingly little has changed, so what better time to roll out this amiable, musical reminder of our erstwhile nobility? And if the tone seems a bit self-congratulatory or historically reductive for some tastes, credit director Nick DeGruccio's impeccable production and a flawless ensemble for so ably selling Stone's long-winded book and Edward's mostly undistinguished songs. The story is, of course, the debates leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, wherein we learn that the Founding Fathers liked to have sex but didn't necessarily like one another, and that they sold out the rights of African-Americans for the sake of consensus. Steven Glaudini delivers an uncanny impersonation of William Daniels as John Adams; Stephen Vinovich is appropriately bawdy and avuncular as scene-stealer Benjamin Franklin; and Robert J. Townsend, as South Carolina slaver Edward Rutledge, electrifies the house with his stirring rendition of "Molasses to Rum." Costumer Yolanda Rowell provides the eye candy with her sumptuous collection of frock coats and lace; Steven Young's lights lend it all a John Trumbull elegance; and Musical Director Matthew Smedal tops it off with admirable pitch-perfection. Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 Atherton St., Long Beach; Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., July 18, 2 & 7 p.m.; Sun., July 25, 2 p.m.; through July 25. (562) 985-7000. A Musical Theatre West production. (Bill Raden)
GO SONGS AND DANCES OF IMAGINARY LANDS Pretend that you are a 5-year-old at an art museum: The concepts of line, perspective, medium and tone mean nothing to you. In fact, if imposed on your experience, they would only detract from it. But despite your age, on a visceral level you are seduced by the vibrancy of color and the familiarity of shape. In the same way, this site-specific contemporary opera, developed by director and co-choreographer O-Lan Jones, resonates with sight, sound and spectacle, despite the difficulty in imposing traditional meaning on it. Where once Mazdas were sold, now theater is happening, and Jones serves up a feast for the senses, along with musical director David O, set and costume designer Snezana Petrovic, and a cast and crew of dozens of artists. The feast consists of a series of songs, dances, short scenes and videos that thematically interweave elements of both human history and the stages of our lives. Depending on the price of their tickets, audience members can either ride in "trains" or walk and carry their folding chairs between performance venues in the 25,000-square-foot space. In addition to the obvious commentary on social class, this unique seating arrangement never lets you become restless. And though the vignettes are uneven, what impresses most are Petrovic's imaginative use of the space and the coordination required to keep so many moving parts working together harmoniously. 8810 Washington Blvd., Culver City; Thurs.-Sun., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; through July 18. (323) 655-2410, overtoneindustries.org. (Mayank Keshaviah)
