In eighth grade, Eboni Bell Darcy’s love for theater was sparked during her first starring role as Golde in “The Fiddler on The Roof.” Now, Darcy serves as Stages’ Associate Artistic Director of Inclusion, Engagement and Training, and is the director of their current production, “Othello: The Remix,” a hip hop reinvention of the Shakespeare classic.
What memories stand out from the first show you ever starred in?
“I remember when I went to the audition, I sang my song for the music director and he stopped playing the piano when I was done. He said, ‘Where have you been?!’ The theater bug bit me at that moment and I’ve never looked back.”
What has been the hardest part of being director of ‘Othello: The Remix’?
“I was challenged by the content. Othello, this Shakespearian play, this tragedy, is about a Black man who is weaved into a web of deceit and jealousy until he commits violence against the woman that he loves. Just like you see back in Shakespearian times, the men are going to play every single character on stage. Upon reading the script, I was pretty challenged that there were no women present though violence was visited upon them. To overcome that challenge, and to really lean in the truth of these characters, we balanced out the show by putting a team of women on the other side (creatively we have a female director, choreographer, etc). I think I’ve found in rehearsal that there’s no need to fear, because the cast is freaking fantastic. We’re all on the same page about delivering a story where the women are honored.”
What is one of your favorite moments in ‘Othello’? Why?
“There’s a scene at the top of the show called, “Why I Hate The Moor.” In that song, we meet a bunch of the characters. They’re hopping in costumes, playing different folks, rapping different ways and different tempos. That’s going to be some really fun stuff for folks to watch. There are several scenes where that happens, and as the show progresses, it gets more and more furious, with the changing and the speed with which they’re switching from character to character.”
