Othello Revival
Closing: June 08, 2025Othello - 2025 Broadway History , Info & More
Ethel Barrymore Theatre (Broadway)
243 West 47th St. New York, NY
Broadway is getting more of Shakespeare's Moor. Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal lead Othello, a play that has not been seen on Broadway since 1982. Kenny Leon directs the epic revival.
William Shakespeare’s Othello has left a profound legacy as one of the most powerful explorations of jealousy, betrayal, and the complexities of human relationships in literature. First performed in 1604, the play remains a cornerstone of dramatic art, revered for its psychological depth, poetic language, and timeless themes.
Through the tragic arc of Othello, Desdemona, and Iago, Shakespeare delves into issues of race, gender, power, and manipulation, making it perpetually relevant across centuries. Its influence extends beyond the stage, inspiring countless adaptations in theater, opera, film, and literature.
Tony and Academy Award winner Denzel Washington stars as ‘Othello,’ the noble Moor of Venice and commanding warrior general. Opposite him, Tony and Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal portrays ‘Iago,’ the ambitious lieutenant and masterful manipulator. Spurned for promotion, Iago’s relentless quest for vengeance against Othello and his wife, Desdemona, plunges them into a shocking web of deception and betrayal.
Other stars to play the iconic enemies in past productions include Laurence Fishburne and Kenneth Branagh, Laurence Olivier and Frank Finlay, and James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer.
Othello - 2025 - Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Othello
‘Othello’ Review: Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal Are Prey and Predator
5 / 10
In short, as I felt the production’s blunt force more and more, I grasped its aura and aims less and less. “Othello,” unique among Shakespeare’s tragedies, is lean. (It’s even leaner in this production, thanks to some judicious cutting.) It has fewer major characters than most, and fewer sideshows. (Among the cuts: the annoying clown.) Its poetry is extraordinary. And though four principals die, all ultimately by Iago’s hand or influence, it does not tumble indiscriminately toward the blood bath. The deaths are specific and necessary to its themes. Leon’s “Othello” gets all that, except the themes. A good enough bargain, I suppose — or would be, except that center orchestra tickets are selling for $921. You could spend a lot less — or a lot more — to learn the sad truth “Othello” dramatizes: that those who choose to assume the best in people are most vulnerable to the worst. Innocence is ignorance, certainty a death wish. In a world (and on a stage) that loves not wisely but too well, Iago will always win.
Othello: For This Revival, the Stars Are the Thing
6 / 10
Leon’s staging has its predictably silly touches, such as frequently having actors march through the aisles to the stage as if they’d wandered out of the theater for a smoke break only to find the stage door locked. A key scene is played in the dark, illuminated only by flashlights, which is more annoying than ominous. And the climactic scene set in Desdemona’s bedchamber is prefaced by florid background music that Douglas Sirk would have dismissed as too kitschy for one of his ‘50s melodramas. Lacking an overriding concept or strong directorial vision, this Othello fulfills its basic goal of putting its two stars onstage and letting them rip. But it’s hard not to wish that it had strived for something more.
Category
Othello History
Other Productions of Othello
| 1751 | Broadway |
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| 1865 | Broadway |
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| 1904 | Broadway |
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| 1905 | Broadway |
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| 1906 | Broadway |
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| 1907 | Broadway |
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| 1907 | Broadway |
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| 1907 | Broadway |
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| 1909 | Broadway |
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| 1911 | Broadway |
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| 1913 | Broadway |
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| 1914 | Broadway |
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| 1915 | Broadway |
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| 1918 | Broadway |
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| 1925 | Broadway |
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| 1935 | Broadway |
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| 1937 | Broadway |
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| 1943 | Broadway |
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| 1945 | Broadway |
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| 1970 | Broadway |
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| 1982 | Broadway |
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| 2009 | West End |
London Production West End |
| 2016 | Off-Broadway |
NYTW Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
| 2017 | West End |
National Youth Theatre Adaptation West End |
| 2025 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
| 2025 | West End |
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| 2026 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
Othello - 2025 Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama League Awards | DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE | Jake Gyllenhaal |
| 2025 | Drama League Awards | DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE | Denzel Washington |
Videos
