Othello
Opening night: March 23, 2025
Venue: Broadway’s Barrymore Theatre
Written by: William Shakespeare
Directed by: Kenny Leon
Cast: Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, Molly Osborne, Andrew Burnap, Anthony Michael Lopez, Daniel Pearce, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, Neal Bledsoe, Julee Cerda, Ezra Knight, Gene Gillette, Rob Heaps, and William Connell, Ty Fanning, Ben Graney, Daniel Reece, Christina Sajous, Greg Wood, with swing Abiola Obatolu.
Running time: 2 hr 35 min (with intermission)
Othello, director Kenny Leon’s new Broadway staging of one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies starring two of our greatest actors – Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal – in two of the Bard’s best roles doesn’t take too long to recover from an odd misstep: the projection of words onto a back wall suggesting the time is The Near Future. The modern-dress production – a practice that’s become so common among stagings of Shakespeare over recent decades that the disclaimer is anything but necessary. Indeed, I’m not sure when I last saw a Shakespeare in period dress, unless & Juliet counts.
The production’s choice to set Othello in the “Near Future” initially seems like a gimmick and ultimately casts an unintended shadow over the play’s resolution. But for much of its two-hour-and-35-minute runtime, the performances take center stage, making the time setting an afterthought. The real focus, as it should be, is on the acting, particularly the much-anticipated turns by Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Washington delivers a solid, if occasionally unsteady, performance as Othello. At 70, he’s significantly older than traditional interpretations, which at first makes his relationship with Molly Osborne’s much younger Desdemona feel more paternal than passionate. However, as the production progresses, the dynamic takes on a compelling psychological depth—an aging, powerful man enraptured by a beautiful young woman, undone by jealousy when he believes she has fallen for the youthful and dashing Cassio (Andrew Burnap). Leaning further into this angle might have made Othello’s descent into rage even more convincing.
Gyllenhaal, on the other hand, is riveting as Iago. His performance is fluid, dynamic, and charged with malevolence, creating a villain as conversational as he is chilling. Unlike Washington, who sometimes appears to be finding his footing, Gyllenhaal is in complete command, driving the play’s energy forward with relentless momentum. The timeless debate over Iago’s motivations—whether they stem from resentment, racism, pure evil, or something else—is sidestepped in favor of an all-encompassing, electrifying portrayal of villainy.
With Othello often feeling like Iago’s show, the supporting cast plays a crucial role in balancing the production. Burnap’s Cassio embodies a wounded, reckless youth, while Kimber Elayne Sprawl’s Emilia is given a sharp, intelligent presence that highlights her tragic arc. Meanwhile, Osborne’s Desdemona stands out with a modern sensibility that aligns seamlessly with Gyllenhaal’s and Burnap’s contemporary interpretations, contrasting with Washington’s more classical delivery.
Director Kenny Leon keeps the staging simple, allowing the actors to fill the cavernous Barrymore Theatre with their performances. The minimal set, designed by Derek McLane, enhances the starkness of the drama, while Natasha Katz’s lighting and Justin Ellington’s anxiety-inducing sound design heighten the looming sense of tragedy. The modern-dress costumes—military fatigues for the soldiers and sleek outfits for Desdemona—are effective, if unremarkable, in reinforcing the slight futuristic touch.
The decision to set the play in the Near Future has significant repercussions for the final act. If previous productions framed Othello’s murder of Desdemona as a tragic consequence of manipulation, this version leaves little room for sympathy. Desdemona’s agonizing, fruitless pleas for her life resonate powerfully, making Washington’s remorseful finale and Othello’s suicide feel less like a noble tragedy and more like an overdue reckoning. In the end, the update may freshen the aesthetics, but it ultimately diminishes the play’s emotional complexity.
