Centuries ago, William Shakespeare wrote Othello, a play about betrayal, jealousy and hatred. This week, the Guthrie Theater brings these issues to Penn State's stage as part of a project to interest and educate communities about Shakespeare. The group will perform the play at 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday at Eisenhower Auditorium.

The play is coming to Penn State as part of a nationwide initiative called Shakespeare in American Communities, said Laura Sullivan, spokeswoman for the Center for the Performing Arts.

"The Guthrie Theater is trying to bring an appreciation for Shakespeare to small and mid-size communities," she said.

In order to do this, members of the company will visit various classes and groups at Penn State, ranging from a women's studies course to Phi Chi Theta, a business fraternity.

"We want to help people make the connection between art and their own lives," said Beth Burns, director of education and community partnerships for the Guthrie Theater. "For a women's studies class, we might discuss Shakespeare's portrayal of women, while for a business class, we might discuss the leadership roles of different characters."

The Guthrie Theater, which is led by director Joe Dowling, is a major theater group from Minnesota.

With Othello, the company provides opportunities to help students and other community members make connections between the play and their own lives.

"It's a truly timeless play," Burns said. "There are thematic tensions, ideas and characters that could easily occur today. Othello deals a lot with hatred, love, racism and jealousy, all of which we still see in society."

Othello is the story of an army general who is tricked by his ensign, Iago, into believing that his wife has been unfaithful. Othello murders his wife, and when he realizes he has killed her for a crime she did not commit, he takes his own life as well.

Although hosted primarily by universities, Shakespeare in American Communities seeks to interest the entire community, not just college students. While in town, members of the company will also visit the thespian clubs of Bellefonte Area High School and State College Area High School.

"Shakespeare was not written to be read, but to be experienced," Burns said. "It's unfortunate that so many high school students think of it only as inaccessible words on a page."

Amy Vashaw, audience and program development director for Penn State's Center for the Performing Arts, said the university is very happy to assist the Guthrie Theater in its work throughout the community.

"We feel it also expands Penn State's reach into the community," she said.

Members of the Guthrie Theater company will also be participating in Artistic Viewpoints, a program sponsored by the university, that will provide an informal discussion between the audience members and the performers an hour before each show.

"We feel very privileged to be able to bring Shakespeare into the State College community, and all of the communities that we reach," Burns said.