Fortunes of the Moor

SYNOPSIS

Shakespeare’s Othello concludes as Desdemona’s cousin Lodovico urges his uncle Gratiano to “seize upon the fortunes of the Moor.” Fortunes of the Moor, once described in The New York Times as “a sequel to Othello,” asks “What if, after Othello leaves to wage war against the Cypriots, Desdemona, disowned by her father, moves into a convent, discovers she is pregnant, and gives birth to a son?” After the Venetian victory in Cyprus under Othello’s command, Desdemona leaves their infant son at the Venetian convent and joins Othello in Cyprus. After Desdemona’s and Othello’s tragic demise, both families learn the couple is survived by an infant son.

Conflict arises as each family seeks to claim the child and raise him as their own. Each family presumes its cultural identity, heritage, and rights of inheritance exceeds the other family’s and asserts the right and the obligation to instill its values in and through this child with one Venetian parent and one African parent. Hassan, Othello’s uncle, his wife, Elissa, and Othello’s sister Somaia journey to Venice to claim the child and take him back to Africa. Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, wants to raise his grandson as a Venetian. Each side defends its claim for custody of the child by asserting its right– its obligation– to determine the child’s cultural identity, heritage and values.

But there is a third side. Gratiano and Lodovico, recognizing the infant son is the legitimate heir to Othello’s fortunes, must remove him as an obstacle in order to purloin Othello’s sizeable wealth. Othello’s kinsmen learned that Othello is survived by a son because Gratiano sent Lodovico off to Africa to find and tell them. Gratiano’s initial goal was to get the Moors to take the child but not the child’s inheritance. Gratiano believed he could convince Brabantio to disavow his grandson with such innuendos as “What if the savage disposition of the father simmers in the son?” But, by the time Othello’s family arrives in Venice, Gratiano has realized his innuendos about the child, whom neither has ever seen, will not convince Brabantio to abandon his only grandson. Brabantio’s resolve to claim the child provokes Gratiano to gratify his greed by weaving a web of deceit, kidnapping, and murder. Gratiano then implements his plan by persuading Lodovico to do the dastardly deeds.

The story takes place in Venice in 1565 as wealthy locals seek to invest in and profit from the rapidly-growing Atlantic slave trade; but the play is set in Africa. Othello’s African kinsmen and neighbors enter the stage with costumes and masks, welcome the audience and introduce the griot– the oral historian and story teller who is responsible for perpetuating and celebrating the history of Othello’s African home. The griot pours a libation and begins to narrate the story of a family’s voyage to Venice in search of the son born to the Venetian Desdemona and their kinsman Othello. The griot assumes the role of Hassan. Others assume the roles of Elissa, Somaia and the Venetian characters. Still others form a chorus of African townspeople who comment on the action as it unfolds.

In the African theatrical style known as abibigoro, actors may speak directly to the audience and masks may enable actors to portray more than one character. Hassan is both the story teller(griot) and the character from whose point of view the story is told. The play may use masks to represent characters and to transcend “racial” physiognomy by using “White” masks to portray Venetian characters, and “African” masks to portray Moors. The use of masks enables as few as eight actors to portray eleven characters.

The play is readily adaptable to thrust or arena stages and theatres with no fly system. Continuous action is essential and can be accomplished with scenery that eschews realistic depiction of various locales which require time for shifting scenery or properties. Unit set, 125 minutes, 6 men, 5 women (with doubling– 4 men, 4 women).

While Drama Critic Christopher Rawson’s March 31, 2001review in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (p. C-8) mostly focused (as it should) on Kuntu Repertory Theatre’s production values, he said this about the script:

    “Fortunes of the Moor” (1995) operates on many levels–testing the claims of Othello’s and Desdemona’s relatives; exploring a clash between 17th-century cultures (Venetian commercialism and African communalism); indicting the racism of the church; and raising the larger issue of rights parental, familial, social and financial.

The springboard is at the end of Shakespeare’s play, where,... her kinsman, Lodovico, tells her paternal uncle, Gratiano, to “seize upon the fortunes of the Moor, for they succeed on you.”

Note that this disinherits Othello’s own family. And how characteristic of a 17th-century Venetian (not to mention an Englishman) to think of booty even in the presence of tragedy! As a much-honored general, Othello’s assets must be huge.

Then the Molettes add one asset more: A baby, left by Desdemona at a Venetian convent.