Desdemona: A Play About A Handkerchief

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
545 7th Street, SE Washington

The three female characters from Shakespeare's Othello tackle friendship, relationships, sex, and liberation in the back room of the castle while the story of Othello (and its dire consequences) unfolds around them. Told through a third-wave feminist lens, this raunchy romp through feminism is a hilarious and poignant delight.

Presented by We Happy Few Productions

Thru - Jun 11, 2022

Desdemona: A Play About A Handkerchief Reviews

Average Rating based on 2 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
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DC Theater Arts - Recommended

"...Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief, written nearly 30 years ago, is predominantly women talking about men, so it would not do well on the Bechdel test. Nevertheless, a provocative theme running throughout the play is whether women can be friends. Emilia says they can't - in particular, she says, there can be "no friendship between ladies of leisure and ladies of the night." But that view is dramaturgically countered when Bianca - in a sassy and savvy performance by Gabby Wolfe - turns out to be Desdemona's new BFF. Theirs is not a friendship without kinks, though, as we see when Bianca demonstrates with a crop on Desdemona's backside some best S&M practices from work."

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- John Stoltenberg

BroadwayWorld - Somewhat Recommended

"...Overall, though, Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief is a lackluster production. With so many better and more thoughtful options out there, this production doesn't meet the standard I've come to expect of the DC theater scene's forays into the Bard."

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- Rachael F. Goldberg

Desdemona: A Play About A Handkerchief presented by We Happy Few Productions at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop