Othello (The Public Theater)

See it if you like traditional WS. Solid staging. But Stoll's Iago baffled; he was nebbishy, nasal-y, jocular. He should terrify, not amuse. Free tix

Don't see it if you want emotional engagement; strangely unaffecting. Emilia is more memorable than Dez. Iwuji is good, but overdoes. I got wet in the rain

See it if Well appointed rendering of major Shakespearean tragedy but lacks needed ominous quality Acting adequate not potent except Wright's Emilia

Don't see it if Expertly handled but rather unispired staging by Santiago-Hudson Should be supercharged but is merely threatening Neither lead reaches peak

See it if you want to see a clear, strong production of Shakespeare’s devastating, most beautifully constructed tragedy.

Don't see it if you have seen so many Othellos in your life that you require a bold new reading of the play to bring you to the theater.

Also “Othello” is Shakespeare’s most perfectly constructed tragedy. Ending a comparatively fallow period for him, it initiates the string of tragedies (followed closely by Lear, Macbeth, Ant. & Cleo) that made the playwright not only immortal (he was already that) but untouchable. In the character Othello Shakespeare perfects the kind of twisting, gapped, poetic logic that we’ve heard before & ripens to bursting in the next few tragedies. Iago, Shakespeare’s most exciting (& ultimately baffling) villain, speaks far plainer than his boss, but he’s no less a creature of language, a scalpel when he slices through his fellows, a hammer when he talks to us. Descending from the medieval Vice character, he’s a wicked cut-up &—as Corey Stoll puts on full display here—a consummate showman even to his catastrophic end. This production breaks no ground but is clean, clear & entertaining. Emilia is brilliant. The incidental music is awful. 2 cuts in the script puzzle me but the rest make total sense.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy traditional Shakespeare with no frills; players, actions & motives are clear & easy to follow; beautiful costumes and sets.

Don't see it if you don't like sitting outside; you prefer the villianous Iago to be played without humor; Sappy music is unnecessary at the end of acts.

Also The second half of the play gets melodramatic and it is difficult to believe in the quickness of Othello's decent into madness. Helen Lind and Alison Wright are especially terrific as Desdemona and Emilia.... Read more Read less

See it if Entertaining show. Alison Wright and Heather Lind stole the show with their powerful performances.

Don't see it if It was a pretty straightforward production, with nothing new about it, and suffers by comparison to the recent NYTW show.

See it if you or a buddy already got/won tickets & the weather’s nice. Might as well. This is ok. Not a unique or detailed vision.

Don't see it if you plan to wait in line, or to not sit in your assigned seat & cause a disruptive musical chairs reaction throughout the entire section.

Also If you’ve already seen an Othello you’ve liked, this will probably disappoint. Santiago-Hudson aims for a classic/untampered approach but resorts to lots of shouting instead. Iwuji (Othello) & Stoll (Iago) have their moments, but the show as a whole isn’t consistently entertaining. Executes plot but doesn't get into the subtler questions that come up when reading the play that can really shape a production (e.g., Why doesn’t Emilia speak up about the handkerchief earlier? What exactly is the deal w/ Cassio and everyone’s wives?).

I want to give at least a 70 bcz the first 4 acts are decent. But the ending (!) is so awkwardly directed & draaags on. Stereotypical Shakespeare experience of pained expressions & melodramatic gestures.

Luckily, I didn’t have to jump through the usual hoops for tix this time. Some SITPs are absolutely worth the trouble of schlepping to the park in the morning & confining oneself to a sun-beaten queue until noon. But this isn’t one to lose sleep over.... Read more Read less

See it if you love Shakespeare in the Park. This is as others have said a solid Othello. I wish this had been staged at the Public.

Don't see it if You dont want to watch an anachronistic buffoonish Iago. His every entrance upset the balance. The women were clearly delineated, wellspoken

Also The critics were across the board in this. Many hated Iago, some extolled his new take on a villain. I merely found him intrusive. I usually find Stoll 'less than', in Plenty he was a vacuum, as Brutus his diction and pacing left me puzzled, but there was little I liked in that production. Here he just made me frown every time he appeared...this aversion grew as the play continued. His posture changed over the course of the night further disrupting/distracting while he should have been listening and yielding the stage to his fellows.
It seems to be a universal complaint that Chuk was 'too small' or less imposing than the archetypal Othello (I admit I see James Earl Jones in my mind's eye). For me, it was in the fiercest yet most quiet moments that Chuk shone best. His voice seemed ragged at times--how I wish I could have seen him do this performance exactly as he did it, with this same cast, playing off a measured, cool Iago...unmiked in a small house.... Read more Read less

See it if you like Shakespeare's tragedies virtually uncut; an Iago who has humor & can sometimes seem genial (I loved Stoll's performance,many don't)

Don't see it if almost 3 hours is too long for you, you want a totally menacing Iago; don't want the risk of rain or outside noises (sirens, helicopters etc

See it if You want a great Iago. You want a classic, old school production.

Don't see it if You dislike unnecessary set movements. You want something well paced.

See it if You like Shakepeare outdoors, to see great acting, enjoy NYC theatre in the round, to enjoy a beautiful venue in a summer night. Masterful

Don't see it if You don't like Shakepeare, or you don't like being outdoors.

See it if you want an "Othello" stripped of any pretense that Iago hates Othello for anything but his skin color or that Othello is just an angry dude

Don't see it if you want a post-racial version of Shakespeare. Othello is a nice/loving/successful black man who doesn't have a chance in this world

Also The stated intention (in the program) was to make a love-story-gone-wrong rather than focus on race. The result -- accidentally or otherwise -- shines a bright light on the fact that Othello has no faults in this play, except, wait, he's black. Desdemona's father is so upset at the marriage that he dies of sorrow. Why? Iago hates Othello. Why? In other versions I've seen, the racism has been tamped down and the story made to seem like it could happen to any successful (but violent) man with an ambitious, jealous friend. Here, the only explanation is race. Who knows if this was Shakespeare's original intent, or if he was simply reflecting his racist society. But speaking of reflecting a racist society...... Read more Read less

See it if You love to see Shakespeare in the park as the setting is so great! The women were strong and particularly Emilia shone. I enjoyed this iago

Don't see it if Was long, some costumes not distinct, othello wasn’t the strongest portrayal of military prowess

See it if i liked corey stoll? that's about it.

Don't see it if so dull. i thought i liked othello but then i saw this. the casting, design, direction--everything--felt uninspired.

See it if A great story in a great setting in Central Park. On a beautiful night it doesn’t get any better as a unique New York theatre experience.

Don't see it if You expect your Othello to be a large commanding presence. He’s not. You like your Iago cold and evil. Corey Stoll’s a scene-stealing clown.

Also But bring your poncho because you aren’t allowed to open an umbrella if it rains! My first time seeing an uncut version of Othello. Even if some lines in this production brought unexpected laughs, my feeling is Shakespeare’s audience liked to laugh as well. Outstanding female performances.
Great staging. Gone too soon.... Read more Read less

See it if you want some culture (Shakespeare, no less!) but you don't want to go indoors because it's summer, baby. It really is that simple.

Don't see it if you've always been more fascinated by Iago than the title character because Chukwudi Iwuji really steals the show as "O" in this production.

See it if You enjoy Shakespeare under the stars with great acting.

Don't see it if You don’t appreciate Shakespeare’s flowery prose and long plays or prefer musicals and fluffy content.

See it if You are seeking traditional Shakespeare, well acted and well staged. Kudos to a cold, calculating, evil Iago and very believeble Desdemona.

Don't see it if A three hour drama (with potential drizzle) disturbs you.

See it if you enjoy straightforward productions of Shakespeare that are not adventurous with the interpretation. Strong cast and intense scenes.

Don't see it if you find it difficult to sit through a 3 hour Shakespeare play. You prefer comedies or musicals.

See it if you enjoy classic Shakespeare and love the story of Othello. Every part is excellently cast, especially Chukwudi Iwuji. The women are epic.

Don't see it if you mostly like Shakespeare's comedies. The language in Othello is notoriously difficult to follow. You'll need to pay good attention.

See it if you want to see four top-notch performers attempt to raise the temperature of a listless production

Don't see it if you're looking for searing drama. This one's a bit tepid.

See it if you can get a ticket. Shakespeare in the Park is still a great experience.

Don't see it if you want an edgy tragedy. The characters aren't as believable as they need to be ... Claudio was great. The others were meh.

See it if you like Shakespeare, especially his tragedies.

Don't see it if Shakespeare--whether it's one of his tragedies, comedies, or anything else--just isn't your thing.

Also "Othello" is perhaps the leanest and meanest of all of Shakespeare's works; there's no subplot, no extraneous action. Once Iago sets out to avenge himself against Othello, his commanding officer in the Venetian army--as well as the equally unsuspecting Lieutenant Cassio, whom Othello has promoted ahead of Iago--everything moves full speed ahead. Othello...his devoted bride Desdemona...Cassio... Desdemona's unhappy young suitor Roderigo...even Iago's own wife Emilia (whom Iago suspects has been sleeping with Othello AND Cassio)--in the end, Iago's web of lies and deceit ensnares them all, with predictably heartbreaking results.

Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
on a mostly bare stage, the cast--in particular Chukwudi Iwuji as Othello,
Corey Stoll as Iago, Heather Lind as Desdemona, Babak Tafti as Cassio, and Alison Wright as Emilia--is uniformly excellent.

It may be called "Othello" but it is, in a very real sense, Iago's play.

There's only one performance left. Don't miss it.... Read more Read less

See it if You have an appreciation for Shakespeare, theatre in nature, and great acting.

Don't see it if You don’t like Shakespeare or get nervous by the elements of nature getting in the way of the performance.

Also All four principal performances were mesmerizing, with Corey Stoll’s Iago absolutely thrilling.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy Shakespeare done in a masterful, accessible way.

Don't see it if you don't enjoy Shakespeare or get bored trying to follow the language. It is rather long.

See it if You enjoy traditional staging of Shakespeare’s plays, in a beautiful setting

Don't see it if You don’t have $500 or more to donate to get a “free” ticket or you don’t understand that waiting in line is itself a great theatrical exper