Othello (New York Theatre Workshop) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (113)
See it if Wanting to be mesmerized by Shakespeare! This company presents Othello in a way I never thought possible. All star cast; knockout performanc
Don't see it if You have no patience for Shakespeare, Even those who are unfamiliar with the language will understand because of the direction and clarity.
See it if Modern intense, claustrophobic staging of Othello. Great acting by Daniel Craig and David Oyelowo. This production was outstanding!
Don't see it if If you're claustrophobic you may have a hard time b/c first 10 minutes or so are completely done in the dark. It was a bit nerve racking.
See it if you enjoy powerful intimate unique theatre w/ superb cast that holds your attention for 3hr show. don't have to be shakespeare fan to enjoy!
Don't see it if you like traditional theatre or absolutely hate shakespeare and don't have the attention span for an intense 3 hr production
See it if You like modern versions of Shakespearean tragedies played with an edge by great actors Craig & Oyelowo;superb cast in intimate setting
Don't see it if You are a traditionalist;dislike the Bard's play tweaked to show the versatility of his work brought into modern times Read more
See it if best Othello I have seen
Don't see it if hoy líen superficial and comercial plays!!
See it if you can get a ticket... brilliant on so many levels.
Don't see it if you prefer a traditional Shakespeare staging.
See it if you want to see a clever staging of the show, with some masterful performances.
Don't see it if you do not enjoy an "Othello" with a slow burn during the first half of the show.
See it if you love well-acted Shakespeare, thoughtfully directed, and creatively designed.
Don't see it if you have a hard time sitting in comfortable seats for a long time or Shakespeare just isn't your thing.
Critic Reviews (36)
"David Oyelowo and Daniel Craig disappear utterly into their roles...With the Bard’s tricky verse mostly intact, it’s a testament to the cast’s efforts and abilities that its original intentions are telegraphed so well through gesture, inflection, and emotion...For all the rich performances and creative risk-taking onstage, it’s Oyelow’s Othello who ultimately holds the anguished heart and soul of the play in his hands...He imbues every line and gesture with timeless, luminous humanity."
Read more
"An intriguing and intimate production...Craig takes a surprisingly casual and quiet approach to Iago, eschewing the showiness and signs of villainy that are associated with the role...Oyelowo, initially sharp and well-composed, eventually turns wounded and emotional as Othello...Some of Gold’s choices are questionable, but it’s well-executed overall...Would it have been so terrible to abridge the text by a half hour or so, especially since the audience is made to sit upon wooden benches?"
Read more
“Shakespeare at its most exhilarating. Director Sam Gold delivers a contemporary in-your-face rendering of the 400-year-old tragedy that feels thrillingly fresh and entirely relevant…Daniel Craig and David Oyelowo prove themselves phenomenal stage actors. For three-plus hours, they lead a first-class company in this devastating tale of love, jealousy and betrayal…This is a high-energy death spiral featuring some of the best-choreographed stage fighting I have ever seen."
Read more
"Gold's lethargic production never delivers...We leave the theater completely unfazed and emotionally untouched...At least Craig makes a memorably sociopathic Iago: He reaches out to each of us in his highly personal soliloquies, nearly winning us to his cause...Oyelowo seems to be in an entirely different production...No matter how loud he gets, our minds still wander, unable to focus on a performance that masks sloppiness in volume."
Read more
"By any standard, this is an 'Othello' to treasure—original in conception and packed with savage emotions...Both actors handle Shakespeare's verse superbly, but Craig has the knack of making it seem like everyday speech, each new thought freshly arrived at...Even if you have seen 'Othello' many times, Oyelowo and Craig make the play seems surprisingly new...But this is a classic case of directorial overreach that constantly draws one's attention away from the drama at center stage."
Read more
"So compelling are the issues raised, and so effectively are they addressed, that the tiny missteps matter more than they ought to...As good as the staging is, it loses credibility in the final quarter...That it hardly matters is a testament to how much this company gets right in every other way...So powerful is the humanity on display here that even though Gold doesn't pretend to have the answers, you'll remain consumed by the questions he asks long after you leave the theater."
Read more
"This powerful, intimate, immediate and contemporary production in which the audience is never more than four rows from the action is a riveting experience of a play one might have seen many times before. While the production may be cool in the emotional department, the diction is such that every word registers and the muscular, testosterone-driven cast is always compelling."
Read more
"Though Craig's Iago may have a slight edge in the first half, Oyelowo impressively captures the mix of brave warrior and innocent naive when it comes to his love life. By the time his General falls prey to the suspicions planted by his duplicitous second banana, this is definitely a two-star triumph...Under Gold's direction, the rest of the ensemble lends strong support...Whatever I found less than ideal before intermission turned completely compelling during the the play's big finale."
Read more