About This Show
Written at the height of Shakespeare’s creativity, Othello explores the tragedy of a love destroyed by jealousy. Provoked by the treacherous Iago’s lies, Othello begins to mistrust his loyal bride, Desdemona. As his suspicions rise, Othello collapses under the weight of his self-doubt, eventually destroying his once-happy marriage. With poetry rivaling King Lear and with the psychological depth of Hamlet , Shakespeare constructs a highly charged tale of prejudice, revenge and the destruction of innocence. Artistic Director Michael Kahn directs, with Avery Brooks as Othello and Patrick Page as Iago. The Baltimore Sun praises Kahn for turning The Shakespeare Theatre “into the closest thing this country has to Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company.”
“Kahn’s penetrating direction reels you in. It’s so fresh, you feel you are hearing and seeing Shakespeare’s drama for the first time.”
Susan Davidson, The Washingtonian
“Worth a trip to Washington ! An Othello so fine that I don’t see how it could be bettered, except maybe by bringing it to Broadway, where more people can see it.”
Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal
