Otherllo at San Diego's Globe Theater

I've seen some powerful productions of Othello. It's a play that's as incendiary today as when it was written all those years ago. This production from this year's Globe Summer Festival stars Blair Underwood in the title role and Richard Thomas as Iago. The last thing I saw down there was Neil Patrick Harris and Emmy Rossum in Romeo & Juliet, and I'm way overdue for a return trip. This production tempts me to take the drive.

Adventures in Shakespeare--San Diego's Old Globe Theater

Neil Patrick Harris & Emily Bergl; photo by Ken Howard

I used to drive down to San Diego's Old Globe Theater pretty regularly to get my Shakespeare fix. (This season they're doing As You Like It, Richard III in rep with Inherit the Wind.) The last play I saw there (in 1998!) was Romeo and Juliet starring Emily Bergl and Neil Patrick Harris, who was very good in the role. The play was performed on the theater's outside stage, which was fine until... the seals at the zoo next door started barking during some of the play's most intense moments.
The actors stayed in character, the play went on, but the seals did not shut up. 
Not your usual audience participation moment.