Staging Act 2 Scene 1Opening this scene would be the sound of thunder, which in Jacobean times would have been created from the wobbling a of sheet of metal and rolling of a cannonball underneath the stage, as this would clearly demonstrate to the audience how there is a storm around where the scene is being set, as it plays a key role in the scene. It is a high-wrought flood. There may have also been pots of water that were sloshed around to imply that the scene was set near/ at sea, as there would have been no set to tell the audience where the actors were meant to be.As the stages in outdoor theatres were thrust, the actors would have to be in place such that the whole audience would be able to see something of what was going on to make them feel involved. When Montano and two gentlemen enter I would expect them to start their conversation close centre stage, but the longer chunks of text can be used for a character to break away and address the audience more directly especially since the first page is describing what has happened since travelling to Cyprus. A segregation of the Turkish fleet: /For do but stand upon the banning shore. The Jacobean audience, particularly in outdoor theatres would be very vocal about what they were watching so it would be important to make sure they knew what was going on. To further this later on when Cassio enters I would expect to see Montano take Cassio up stage as the y talk leaving the three gentlemen to move to another part of the stage to allow the audience to see better.The cry of a sail that is heard within would no doubt be said by the messenger about to enter. I would think that the messenger would come out on the balcony so that he can announce his message as if the entire audience were in the scene. Though in the script he is not mentioned as exiting until everyone exits except Iago and Roderigo (after line 205), I think it would be best if he were to exit as the second gentlemen goes when Cassio says I pray you sir go forth. Most theatres, outdoor and indoor would have had a balcony on the back wall of the stage, normally this would be where any musicians might be but also actors use it to represent them coming out of a building to talk before returning (e.g. Brantano at the start of the play). The shot mentioned could be either two things: if it is indoor then the shot would have most likely been a pistol backstage, if an outdoor theatre then the cannon in the heavens of the stage may have been used. The shot would have represented a signal from an approaching ship that they were friendly, so the audience would know that here would be a boat approaching nearby and that a new character was most likely about to join the scene.At this point there are 9 people on stage so it would be fairly easy for the characters to break up into separate groups for different parts of the audience to see. With two pillars on either corner of the stage there would be few people that would be able to see everything that was happening, which is why it would be important for the characters to be spread out. Because of how big the theatres were, the actors would have to use very large gestures to makes sure that those far away would still be able to understand what was happening, this naturally helped the actors stand further apart as the actors would need more space to move. I would expect Desdemona, Iago, Emilia and Cassio to be downstage as they talk with everyone else, particularly Roderigo to hang back. Cassio would most likely be stood between Iago and Emilia to add a bit of comic value to when Iago and Emilia have their little spat (line 103) and Cassio would be stuck between the two of them not sure what to do.To herald the entrance of important and powerful characters (normally a king or leader) a fanfare would play and sometimes even the cannon would be fired. For the entrance of Othello is is noted that there are trumpets within signalling that something would play as he enters. The musicians themselves are normally on the balcony, but as Othello is followed by attendants the musicians could enter with him (or enter before to play the fanfare while he enters). He is now the governor of Cyprus and this is arrival on the island so it would certainly be an important moment. For the final section of the scene where Iago and Roderigo are talking alone he starts off saying Come hither I would expect them to then move downstage near one of the pillars, as if Iago is taking Roderigo as far away from where they can be heard so that they can talk in secret. Iago is explaining his plan to Roderigo so it is important for the audience to know what he is saying. It is highly likely that in fact the audience will be shouting stuff at the pair of them possibly telling Roderigo not to go along with it or be persuaded by them the audience would very rarely be quiet when going to see a Jacobean play and would often discuss what was going on throughout the scenes.