FRONTLINE

I missed the documentary because I already had tickets to see D.C.’s Shakespeare Theater’s production of “Othello.” But there are some useful links here and here. The Othello, by the way, was marvelous. When you see the play again, you realize just how great Shakespeare’s ambition was. The emotional arc of each character, if followed, forces the audience to endure acute emotional distress and psychological extremity – of a depth and nuance that few contemporary plays or movies even aim at. Just absorbing the play is physically draining, if you can find the acting credible. In this case, the acting was more than credible; it was real. And so the grief you feel lingers in the heart and soul long after you leave the theater. This Michael Kahn production also brought out the extraordinary role of Amelia, Iago’s wife, in ways I hadn’t fully seen before. It was hard to unwind afterwards. So we watched a DVD of “Futurama.” The DP has insisted I watch it – I never really got the show before – and he’s right: it’s really under-estimated. I don’t mean in any profound way. But there are some things so light and yet engaging that they are the only antidote to tragedy. And a perfect thing to watch before you hit the sack.