Dr. Gail Kern Paster, Folger Shakespeare Library Director Emeritus and Dr. Leslie King-Hammond, Founding Director of the Center for Race and Culture at MICA, will come together for a lively discussion of the representation of the black Moor, Othello.  Audience members will be invited to join in this open-ended dialogue about issues of color, race, identity and the representation of the black by Shakespeare. The evening’s conversation will consider the following questions: what were Shakespeare’s intentions in creating Othello? Was he acquainted with Africans? Are there differences in staging Othello today? Is Othello a stereotype?  Does Othello as a fictional character provide interpretive latitude to directors, actors, and audiences? How do staged and filmed productions differ? If you do not know the story of Othello before this evening, you will now!