If he wants to do legitimate theater, Mike might want to get his feet wet before diving headfirst in Shakespearean waters?
?Then must you speak Of one that loved not wisely but too well.? ― William Shakespeare, Othello
Mike Tyson?s ambitions runneth over.
The former heavyweight champion of the world is proof that there are second acts in American lives. His autobiography, radio and TV appearances, his one-man show, as well as supporting roles in ?The Hangover? and ?Scary Movie 5? have convinced the former baddest man on the planet that he needs to step it up, all the way up as it turns out, by appearing in William Shakespeare?s The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice.
It?s easy to understand why Tyson is attracted to Othello. But following in the footsteps of such towering stage presences as Richard Burbage (for whom the role was created), Edwin Booth (John Wilkes Booth?s brother), Paul Robson, Orson Welles, Stanislavksi, Richard Burton, and Laurence Olivier suggests that the champ has some stiff competition.
?I absolutely want to do Shakespeare,? Tyson told the Daily Mirror. ?I was just talking to somebody and he quoted ?First thing we do, let?s kill all the lawyers?, and we laughed and then he said that came from Shakespeare?s Henry VI, all the lawyers. Shakespeare said that. He had such powerful insights. I don?t know which exact role I would want, but I know it would be challenging to do Othello. I couldn?t do a performance on the stage as it would be mortifying and the camera filming a show would be easier for me. The role is very complex and would need a lot of studying. I would need to work on my linguistics. Wouldn?t Shakespeare be awesome? That black guy? could you imagine me in Othello??
If he wants to do legitimate theater, Mike might want to get his feet wet before diving headfirst in Shakespearean waters. He might consider Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams? Streetcar Named Desire, or possibly taking a shot at Lennie Small in John Steinbeck?s Of Mice and Men. They are challenging roles, but can?t hold a candle to Othello in terms of difficulty.
Insofar as imagining Mike Tyson as ?that black guy? Othello,? I?m not sure that?s possible.
