Shakespeare's dramas stand tall on their own, but it is fascinating when performers and directors give us new perspectives on the Bard, and, in turn, the theater medium itself. Such is the case with the USF theater and dance departments, who bring us the fruits of their collaboration with members of the British International Theatre program. The result: dynamically different approaches to a famous Shakespeare tragedy Othello: The Moor of Venice. The Othello Project: The Moor of Venice, Wound-Up and Unwound not only adds contemporary touches but also integrates students' own life experiences and diverse settings. In addition, a staged reading from veteran London director Paul Miller provides a nicely traditional counterpoint and unlocks clues to the more conceptual performance pieces. 8 p.m. Feb. 22-26 and 3 p.m. on Feb. 27 in Theatre 2 of USF's Tampa campus. $8-$15. 813-974-2323, visit arts.usf.edu.
The bay area's homegrown comedy company, Coconuts Comedy Clubs, presents national and local entertainers in a weeklong Tampa Bay Comedy Fest at Tradewinds Sandpiper Resort and other venues on St. Pete Beach. In conjunction with the event, see the premiere of Weintraub Films'Uncle Melvin's Apartment at Beach Theatre tonight at 8 p.m. The movie stars Mitchell Walters and Jimmy Shubert and centers on Danny, a germaphobe from Chicago, who travels to New York to meet with publishers about his new novel. A rejection, a fall and a broken leg land Danny in the care of his scam-artist uncle, whom he hasn't seen in almost 10 years — it's also been about that long since his Uncle Melvin's apartment has last been cleaned. After the film, at 9:30 p.m., Swigwam Beach Bar hosts the Comedy Fest kickoff party. Click here for Tampa Bay Comedy Fest's event schedule.
This article appears in Feb 17-23, 2011.