Othello Reviews

MetroWeekly- Recommended

"...All that said, these impressions don’t detract from what else commends the production, foremost among them several stellar performances. Interestingly, Cygan’s Desdemona is more tomboy than damsel, and it nicely suits the contemporary setting. Her suggestion of inner strength mixed with hopefulness and foreboding rather poignantly touches on our modern understanding of why some women don’t or can’t leave dangerous men."

Talkin Broadway- Recommended

"...The production of Othello now in the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Harman Hall space in Washington is gripping and immediate, beginning with director Simon Godwin's decision to place the drama in a contemporary setting. Susan Hilferty, scenic designer and co-costume designer with Sarita P. Fellows, uses familiar images of Army barracks and khaki-camouflage uniforms to draw the audience into a uniquely intimate version of William Shakespeare's tragedy."

Washington City Paper- Recommended

"...Shakespeare Theatre Company’s new production, anchored by a magnificent Wendell Pierce, avoids those pitfalls by focusing on the characters’ shared impulses: their aspiration for power, anxiety over losing it, and how they both channel those tendencies into military life."

Stage and Cinema- Highly Recommended

"...Shakespeare Theatre Company’s current rendition of Othello is a bone-chilling, goosebump-worthy success, largely due to the Bard’s poetry and the acting chops of Ben Turner, who plays the antagonist Iago. Although Wendell Pierce stars expertly in the title role, this is really a play centered on the evil machinations of Othello’s ensign, whose goal is to bring down his commander at all costs."

MD Theatre Guide- Highly Recommended

"...One of Shakespeare’s most iconic plays has now become what is sure to be one of STC’s biggest hits. The combination of Tony- and Laurence Olivier-nominated actor Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Elsbeth) as Othello and acclaimed actor Ben Turner as “honest Iago” makes for an explosive evening of revelation and revenge. A play historically charged with such controversy, “Othello” is also one that offers actors stunningly complex emotional moments from which to mine the essence of their characters. The cast that STC and director Simon Godwin have put together for this production deftly intuits the many moods and often surprising incarnations of the likes of Othello, Iago, Desdemona, Emilia, and company."

Morris Theatre DC- Recommended

"...Othello at STC is a wrought, exciting production, with plenty of great performances in a staging that could stand to hold more physical importance."

The Georgetown Dish- Highly Recommended

"...Othello is one of Shakespeare’s most loved plays. A brilliant production of Othello is now at the Shakespeare Theatre. Directed by the superbly talented Simon Godwin, also the theatre’s Artistic Director, it is in the square, meaning the seats are around three quarters of the stage, just as Shakespeare would have done it."

BroadwayWorld- Highly Recommended

"...Artistic Director Simon Godwin’s fresh staging has a contemporary setting — rock guitars between scenes, and guns rather than swords, yes, but once in uniform, soldiers can be soldiers in any era. And at its heart, “Othello” is a soldier’s tale about upending a leader though dark lies and deception in order to get ahead."

Hill Rag- Highly Recommended

"...Simon Godwin’s sexy and horrifying production of Shakespeare’s Othello is a gasp-inducing roller coaster that hurtles towards its inescapable “tragic” end at a brisk, thrilling pace."

A Theatre-Goer's Thoughts- Highly Recommended

"...Othello is not produced as often as some of Shakespeare’s other plays. According to an up-to-date web site titled “Shakespeare Plays Popularity Index,” Othello currently sits in 14th place. Because it is not produced as often as “bigger” names (A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet lead the list), and especially due to the excellence of the performers, especially Pierce and Turner, and the laser-focused production concept, beautifully executed, audiences should take advantage of this production, which has already been extended through June 28."

DC Theater Arts- Recommended

"...Othello isn’t a tragedy because Desdemona gets murdered — that’s just, you know, awful. Shakespeare’s drama is a full-on tragedy, at least formally speaking, because it’s Othello — exceptional soldier, civic hero, raconteur, leader of men — who murders her."