From Social Justice to Metaphor: The Whitening of Othello in the Russian Imagination

Othello was the most often-staged Shakespeare play on early Soviet stages, to a large extent because of its ideological utility. Interpreted with close attention racial conflict, this came symbolize, for theatres and audiences, destructive racism West in contrast egalitarianism. In first decades twenty-first century, however, it is not unusual Russian stage as white character, thus eliminating theme race from productions. To make sense change tradition staging Othello, article traces interpretations metatheatrical uses character period present day. I argue that blackface effectively prevented use exploring tensions within Union itself, gradually transformed protagonist’s blackness into generalized metaphor oppression. As post-collapse Russia embraced whiteness category, Othello’s became prop entirely decoupled made available appropriation by ethnically Slavic actors characters. The case demonstrates blackface, even when initial stated goals are those equality, can serve cultural fantasy versatile disposable mask placed over face.