A Double Life

Max Lasker offers Tony the lead in a new Othello, with Brita set to co-star as Desdemona. Tony initially declines the offer, which relieves director Victor Donlan who fears he overinvests in his roles. Brita and Donlan warn Bill Friend that Tony is charming in comedy but terrifying in drama because he can blur the line between stage and life.

Brita reluctantly accepts the Desdemona role, and rehearsals begin. Donlan is satisfied, while Brita warns Bill that Tony's immersion in the character risks merging performance with reality. The warning hints at the danger that Tony's mood can seize control when he performs drama.

While contemplating the role, Tony meets waitress Pat Kroll and they begin a casual affair, stepping outside his marriage. The affair deepens Tony's distance from Brita and intensifies the personal stakes surrounding the production. Pat becomes a mirror for Tony’s blurred boundaries between stage life and real life.

Rehearsals commence and Tony becomes increasingly absorbed in Othello, allowing jealousy and menace to guide his performance. The line between actor and character begins to blur for him, troubling those around him. Brita and Donlan grow concerned as his intensity deepens.

The production opens to rave reviews, yet Tony fixates on jealousy as the key to his interpretation of Othello. His intense focus complicates his perception of reality and makes those around him uneasy. The audience buys into the performance, while Tony's inner world grows darker.

Brita shows Tony a locket that Bill gave her for her birthday, triggering a fierce jealousy in him. The moment marks a turning point where his rage begins to bleed into his performance and real life. He becomes more volatile, especially around Bill and Pat.

During Othello's 'kiss of death' scene with Desdemona, Tony is overwhelmed by the character and nearly chokes Brita to death. The line between stage and life blurs as his aggression spills into reality. The incident foreshadows the tragedy looming in their lives.

At the start of the production's second year, Tony asks Brita to remarry, but she refuses. Tony then suspects Brita is involved with Bill, deepening his paranoia and misreading the people closest to him. The tension tightens around the relationships in the company.

Tony visits Pat's apartment, where the boundary between theatre and reality collapses; in a deranged moment, he kills Pat with Othello's 'kiss of death.' The act brutalizes his relationships and solidifies his downward spiral. He then returns to Brita's house, exhausted and silent.

Tony returns to Brita's house and falls asleep on her couch, haunted by what he's done and what the play has become. The quiet moment contrasts with the violence that has erupted in his life. The production's world and his real life are now irreversibly intertwined.

Reporter Al Cooley offers Bill front-page publicity by highlighting the similarities between Pat's murder and Othello's 'kiss of death.' Tony erupts in rage and physically attacks Bill after seeing the story. The media angle further destabilizes the already fragile situation.

Bill suspects Tony is Pat's killer and reports his suspicion to the police, only to discover that Pat's drunken neighbor has already been arrested for the murder. The accusation against Tony grows more dangerous as the investigation unfolds. Bill's attempts to protect Brita become a tangled plot point.

Bill hires an actress to dress as Pat and places her as a waitress in the restaurant where Pat worked. He arranges Tony's invitation to dine there, with Captain Pete Bonner watching the setup. The staged encounter is meant to provoke a response from Tony.

Tony spots the Pat look-alike and becomes distraught, rushing from the restaurant. Bill and the police tail him to the theater and observe from the wings as he staggers through the performance. The pursuit culminates in a confrontation between Tony's reality and the staged deceit.

In the climactic moment of the play, Tony stabs himself with a real dagger. Backstage, bleeding, he confesses everything and dies, leaving Brita and the others to confront the wreckage of the life that mirrored Othello. The tragedy resolves with his death and the revelation of truth.