Although Denzel Washington is more than 40 years into his decorated movie-making career, he still has a soft spot for acting on Broadway. His latest endeavor will feature fellow movie star Jake Gyllenhaal in an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy “Othello.”
Washington will star in the legendary role of Othello, while Gyllenhaal will play the antagonistic role of Iago.
With that in mind, here are some things you may not have known about the upcoming play that will be at the Barrymore Theatre in New York City until Sunday, June 8.
Who is Othello, and what is the play about?
Othello is a Venice military general who is married to Desdemona, the beautiful daughter of a Venetian senator. Iago, Othello’s ensign, becomes increasingly jealous of Othello after he is not promoted. Iago then devises a plan to manipulate his general into believing that his wife is unfaithful.
Why did Denzel decide to play Othello now?
During an interview with Broadway.com, Washington said, “We were doing Gladiator [II], and the old actors were sitting up in the stands watching the young kid run around and kill stuff.”
“We were talking about plays... and somehow we got around to Shakespeare and got around to Othello and I was like, ‘I’m too old for that,’ ” he continued. “They were like, ‘No, no you’re not. You should play it. Now’s the time to play it.’ And I guess I called Kenny [Leon].”
Denzel Washington has played Othello before
As mentioned earlier, Washington has a soft spot for performing on stage since it’s what first got him into acting.
While he was a student at Fordham University in Bronx, New York, he played the title character in “Othello.” He also starred in another, less popular adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus.”
Even when his career as a movie star kicked off, Washington continued to perform in plays on stage, including “A Solider’s Play” in 1981, “The Tragedy of Richard III” in 1990, “Julius Caesar” in 2005, “Fences” in 2010, “A Raisin in the Sun” in 2014 and “The Iceman Cometh” in 2018.
Kandi Burruss is a producer
Yes, you read that correctly. “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum and her husband, Todd Tucker, are two of the producers of the play.
They have a connection with fellow “Othello” producer Brian Anthony Moreland, who recently produced Broadway adaptations of “The Piano Lesson,” “The Wiz,” and “Thoughts of a Colored Man.”
Another producer of the play is former NFL player Devale Ellis, who transitioned into a career as an actor after his football playing days were over. He currently stars at Zac in BET+ fan favorite series “Zatima,” opposite Crystal Renee Hayslett.
How long is the play and how much will tickets cost?
Tickets to see the pair are being snatched up quickly and will cost a pretty penny. Tickets range from $192 to $450.
If you’re fortunate to get a ticket to the play, the show will last 2 hours and 45 minutes (including one intermission).