I would say that the action of this play occurs within a two or three day period. The action goes from the secret marriage of Othello and Desdemona, to the trip on the ship to Cyprus, to the fight between Cassio and Roderigo, to the handkerchief being planted by Iago, to the revenge planned by Othello, and finally to the death and destruction that occurs in Act V of the play.
I think that the action of the play is mostly dramatized on stage. The only part of the play that we don't see are the boat trips or the Turkish ships at battle ("The Turkish preparation makes for Rhodes,So was I bid report here to the state by Signior Angelo" I.iii.17-19).
We don't see the action of the storm. The storm is only described to the audience. Other than those few exception, the action occurs on stage. For me, the events that are reported are the small events that don't really have a huge or substaintial impact on the plot or the main point of the story. If every little detail was shown with action, the play would be way too long. Cutting out that action allows the audience to stay focused on the plot and the significant characters. The play feels tight, because each action that is shown on stage has a role. All of the actions lead to the dramatic finish of uncovering Iago's evil plan to take down Othello.
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