Denzel Washington as Othello, on Broadway

The prospect of a European nation waging war against Turkey on the island of Cypress ought to be unthinkable in the near future. Yet, given Erdogan’s increasing authoritarian oppression and his open hostility towards his supposed NATO allies, it is not so outlandish anymore. Consequently, the mildly dystopian setting for Broadway’s latest Shakespearean production sort of makes sense—not that anyone cares. The real story is the casting. As even people outside New York have heard, Denzel Washington plays the tragic Moor and Jake Gyllenhaal plays Iago in Othello, directed by Kenny Leon, which is now playing on Broadway.

Washington assumes the role so famously associated with Orson Welles, Sir Laurence Olivier, Placido Domingo, and William Marshall—and for most readers that is all they need to know to have confidence in this production. Frankly, they are not wrong. Leon and company emphasize Othello’s military status, which plays to the strengths of Washington, who can still don fatigues with complete conviction and a ram-rod straight bearing.

You really ought to know the basic plot of Othello, but if you are a Gen-Z’er who was failed by your woke schooling, Othello was an outsider who rose to become one of Renaissance Venice’s top generals. However, he passed over Iago for promotion, in favor of the more refined but less experienced Michael Cassio. Despite his ostensive loyalty, Iago also bears nativist sentiments of some sort towards the Moor. As a result, resentful Iago resolves to ruin Othello, exploiting his insecurities regarding his much younger wife, Desdemona, while both are summoned to Cypress to fight the Ottoman Turks.

If you have seen Washington in The Tragedy of Macbeth, there is question he can swagger through the first act and then rage and wail through the second. He is perfectly cast and he never disappoints. However, the surprisingly good news is Gyllenhaal’s comparable performance as Iago. Think of him as the Gyllenhaal of Nightcrawler, but at a higher, more devious, and sarcastically calculating level.

So yes, the two reasons everyone is interested in this production are as good as you expect, or even substantially more so. Take that George Clooney and your extended movie monologue. In fact, the chemistry (from Othello’s perspective) or tension (as Iago sees it) shared by the two co-leads is totally electric.

Leon’s director well serves the two thesps and their fans. He stages most of the action front and center, so it is easy to follow from any seat in the house. The imposing yet minimalist set designs harkens back to classical architecture through its massive concrete-looking columns, while also evoking the dehumanizing brutalism of its Orwellian setting.

Molly Osborne plays Desdemona with an impressive degree of sensitivity, but standing in-between Washington and Gyllenhaal remains a tall order. Had Disney’s Snow White remake hit, Leon’s production would have had the additional distinction of “Prince Charming,” Andrew Burnap. However, it flopped instead, rendering his rather nebbish portrayal of Cassio the production’s only real liability. His rather passive and guileless depiction of Othello’s deputy as a deer-in-the-headlights almost justifies Iago’s toxic umbrage. On the other hand, Kimber Elayne Sprawl plays Emilia with the necessary fierceness to go toe-to-toe with her husband, the ruthlessly manipulative Iago.

Again, none of that really matters, because Washington and Gyllenhaal are the draws, well and beyond all other factors. They are both great, individually, and together. Fans get their money’s worth, since one or the other appear in nearly every scene (aside from maybe brief seconds of stage time for Desdemona or Emilia). Leon shrewdly showcases the famous duo, who duly deliver. Highly recommended (if you can find tickets), Othello runs through June 8^th at the Barrymore Theatre.