The new Broadway production of 'Othello' features Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, drawing excitement and high ticket prices. However, the performance struggles with clarity and energy. The director, Kenny Leon, opts for a bleak atmosphere that undermines the play's themes of jealousy and chaos. Iago’s destructive motivations are not well-clarified, leading to a lack of engagement. The set design resembles a parking garage, adding to the overall dreariness of the show, which affects the portrayal of Shakespeare's classic tragedy.
In Shakespeare's oddly comic tragedy, jealousy is the prime mover. As the Venetians and the Ottoman Turks squabble over Cyprus in the background, the men before us quarrel over everything—a woman, a job, a handkerchief.
You need energy and clarity to make 'Othello' work—to make the language sing and to propel the deceptions forward—especially because the vicious Iago hasn't got an actual goal, just an appetite for chaos and a ready little knife.
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