It was important to director Tanisha Taitt that the University Players’ first-ever production of Othello, opening Sept. 27 in the Essex Hall Theatre, present the play in its entirety.

“Not only is it very important in a university setting to have the students experience the complete story arc, but to remove portions of text is to decide which parts of a story I will deny the audience,” she says.

Theatre companies commonly abridge William Shakespeare’s original, says Taitt, but this production preserves its epic runtime of almost four hours.

“It is rare to be able to see this piece in all of its glory,” she says. “The U.P. audience will have that opportunity, and that really excites me.”

An opening-night reception at 7 p.m. will precede the 8 p.m. performance. Othello continues through Oct. 6. Tickets are available for purchase at www.universityplayers.com or by calling the box office: 519-253-3000, ext. 2808.