Desdemona

Othello’s Desdemona is no exception. It is for this reason she claims such a strong hold as the title character in Toni Morrison’s reimagining of the play.

Part monologue, part musical experience, this emotionally honest female-heavy performance gives voice to Shakespeare’s more silent, though no less important, characters – Desdemona and her African-American maid, Barbary – by adopting the female perspective.

Inspired by the Willow Song that was taught to Desdemona by Barbary and sung in the fourth act of Othello, Morrison’s interpretation upholds all the Bard’s vital themes and more, discussing love, friendship, oppression, powerplay, racism and the oppression of women through the dialogue of Desdemona (Tina Benko) and the song of Barbary (Rokia Traoré).

Accompanied by two string musicians and two vocalists from Mali, they trace Desdemona’s life from being raised by Barbary and laying eyes on Othello to entering the afterlife, where she is forced to confront the racism that has been woven into her soul’s tapestry.

Benko’s command of the stage is commendable; she not only carries Desdemona’s character in her bag of tricks, but also the lives and words of others (Othello, Emilia, Desdemona’s mother, Othello’s mother), adopting accents and gender-based movements to transition between each as dialogue is exchanged. It’s a feat she undertakes well, though at times, strains her, Benko falling privy to some vocal confusion and inconsistencies during this performance.

But despite its strong sense of dialogue, Desdemona’s beauty lies not in its story, but in its musical accompaniment. Sung for the most part in the native Malian language, Traoré’s mesmerising vocals bring beauty and spirit to the show. Burned with a sense of sorrow and warning, they sing like a folk tale, spilling out messages and retellings of lore and drawing one’s mind to quiet, as the ghosts of past and future whistle through in an eerie reminder of the oppression and racism that still plagues our world today.

Photo: Jim Lee

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.

Subscribe to Rolling Stone magazine

Subscribe to Rolling Stone magazine