IAGO’S GAME

A terrifyingly gripping production driven
by a mesmerizing villain and
a devastating descent into jealousy

Ben Turner

Who can resist a good villain?

Shakespeare Theatre Company’s current rendition of Othello is a bone-chilling, goosebump-worthy success, largely due to the Bard’s poetry and the acting chops of Ben Turner, who plays the antagonist Iago. Although Wendell Pierce stars expertly in the title role, this is really a play centered on the evil machinations of Othello’s ensign, whose goal is to bring down his commander at all costs.

The cast

Under Simon Godwin‘s expert direction, Turner commands the stage with verbal and physical dexterity as he slowly eats away at Othello’s confidence through psychological manipulation until the general finally succumbs to his fatal flaw: jealousy.

Wendell Pierce

Pierce, known to television audiences as a street-smart detective on The Wire, plays a complicated, vulnerable, and intriguing Othello whom we watch transform from an honest, upright man—”he is of a constant, loving, noble nature,” says Iago—into someone capable of murder.

Olivia Cygan‘s Desdemona, though forever devoted to her husband, even through abuse, emerges not merely as a martyr but as a figure of courage and compassion.

Lucas Iverson

Melanie Field‘s Emilia initially comes across as a flippant servant to Desdemona before evolving into a woman who recognizes the cruelty and corruption embodied by her husband. Juxtaposed against the toxic masculinity of the men and the culture surrounding them, the women emerge as the play’s true victims.

The cast

Godwin sets the play in modern times and emphasizes the military world in which the characters live, with imposing, choreographed troops filling the transitions between scenes and guns occasionally replacing swords. Christopher Shutt‘s ominous sound design and Amith Chandrashaker‘s strategic lighting expose both the menace of Iago’s soliloquies and the bravado-driven culture that surrounds the characters.

Ben Turner and Wendell Pierce

One of the enduring strengths of this tragedy is that both Iago’s overpowering drive to destroy Othello and Othello’s willingness to believe that Desdemona has betrayed him remain elusive. Although Iago resents Othello for passing him over for promotion, and Othello’s insecurity stems partly from being an outsider, audiences continue to puzzle over the intensity with which the plot unfolds. Yet that mystery only deepens the play’s fascination and helps explain why it remains one of Shakespeare’s most enduring works.

Melanie Field

No matter how many times you’ve seen Othello, this production feels fresh, immediate, and deeply unsettling. It’s a thrilling reminder of how devastating Shakespeare’s tragedy can be when placed in the right hands.

Olivia Cygan and Wendell Pierce

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photo by Teresa Castracane

Othello
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW in Washington, DC
2 hours and 55 minutes with one intermission
ends on June 28, 2026
for tickets ($39–$195), call 202.547.1122
or visit Shakespeare Theatre Company

for more shows, visit Theatre in DC

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Olivia Cygan