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Javier La Rosa
Professor Gorelick
IDH 1001- Design Project Paper
October 27, 2021
The part of the play that we’ve sought to design is a specific section of Act 4 Scene 1.
This small portion of the play is the moment that Cassio and Iago are having a conversation and
joking around about the prostitute Bianca. They discuss Cassio’s shenanigans with Bianca and
Cassio even uses sexual gestures that portray Bianca’s pursuit of him. At the same time,
however, Othello is hiding nearby, observing the entire conversation. Othello takes this
conversation as irrefutable “visual evidence” that Desdemona is indeed unfaithful and cheating
on him with Cassio. Therefore, this scene serves to send Othello further down a dark path that he
won’t be able to come back from.
The general theme behind this scene of the play is one of deception, jealousy, and
ignorance. Iago masterfully used his skills as an experienced manipulator to set up this meeting
with Cassio. He somehow knew that Othello wouldn’t think to question what Cassio was talking
about with Iago, and that all that was needed was a compelling appearance. While Iago’s talent
for deceit is a notable one, I would say that the blame here mostly lies on Othello’s blind trust in
Iago’s word. Othello’s jealousy is what is driving him to believe Iago and distrust Cassio. Also,
this part of the play is a huge indicator of Othello’s compromised mental state.
Jordan and I’s thought process for our design for this scene started with one simple
question that we would soon find out may be a difficult one to answer: how do we translate this
scene of Othello into a modern setting? There were many were many different aspects to
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consider. For example, what would the characters wear, what location would Iago’s hilariously
deceptive plan play out, and were there any places that we could draw inspiration from that could
perhaps assist us in our endeavor?
First, we drew our inspiration for the setting from somewhere close to home: the fountain
on FIU’s campus nearby the Green Library and Graham Center. This location was ultimately the
most ideal because of its potential to disguise a third party who is prowling over a conversation.
However, we kept drawing blanks on how to design the costumes for the modern setting, so we
sought out some inspiration. Luckily, we found “Beautiful Devils”: a modern retelling of Othello
set in London. The movie proved to be instrumental in inspiring our designs for the costumes.
Let’s begin with Iago, who is undoubtedly the star of the show here. We wanted him to
be dressed in black to represent his villainous nature, but also to be wearing something that
embraced his bold and cocky character. Thus, we gave him a dark outfit with a loose buttoned-up
shirt and a considerable amount of jewelry.
Next, we have Othello, who we gave a hoodie to help him stay inconspicuous amongst
the greenery. However, the color of his outfit is not only suitable camouflage, but also an
indicator of him growing “green with envy.” The cuckhold horns growing out of his head is
another indicator his growing jealousy, and a callback to moments earlier in the play where the
thought of confronting his wife with his suspicions was too painful for him to bear.
Lastly, we have Cassio. Cassio is wearing a red sweater vest; the color portrays a
foreshadow of his death caused by blood loss later in the play. The nature of Cassio’s character,
however, was a bit more difficult to pin down than Iago’s or Othello’s. Jordan and I both agreed
that we saw Cassio as a character who is normally more reserved and orderly, so we gave him
some khakis and a tie to make seem as such.
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