A Riveting and Relevant Reimagining of Othello Starring Wendell Pierce and Directed by Simon Godwin at STC’s Harman Hall
Othello
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Jordan Wright
June 16, 2026
 Ben Turner (Iago) and Wendell Pierce (Othello) in Othello at Shakespeare Theatre Company (Photo/Teresa Castracane).
Iago to Othello, “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.”
A modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s Othello by Director Simon Godwin puts us smack dab in contemporary bro culture with camo-clad soldiers hell bent on waging war and throwing shade on women. We watch helpless as Iago, the duplicitous deceiver and his bosom buddy Rodrigo, cook up an intricate plot to bring down their general Othello, the Moor and former slave. Unbeknownst to the hapless Rodrigo, the lieutenant Cassio and his paramour Bianca, they are all being set up by Iago. In fact, no one is spared in Iago’s quest to discredit Othello as he uses both the women and the men in his murderous quest.
Leaning into today’s incel zeitgeist, Iago conscripts these chest-thumping cluster of jarheads to do his bidding as he manipulates Othello with outright lies and flattery convincing the general that his beloved wife Desdemona is cheating on him. A purloined ladies’ handkerchief is all it takes to consummate Iago’s power grab – setting up Othello’s jealous rage and murder of his beloved, and truly chaste bride.
The length and breadth of who, what and how Iago subverts to undermine his superior is incontestably Machiavellian. Plots and subplots undermine friendships and question marital devotion until we are left to wonder why the hell Iago’s wife Emilia won’t spill the beans about her husband Iago’s nefarious plot and tell Desdemona the truth before the horrific slaughter of the two women.
 The cast of Othello (Photo/Teresa Castracane).
Wendell Pierce was made to play this role. His character portrayals in edgy dramas have proven undeniably riveting – Death of a Salesman, Treme, The Wire, Clybourne Park and so many more power roles in film, TV and onstage. His performance here is the glue that cements the entire cast.
Heavy metal music ushers in many of the scenes and the soundscape of armies at war creates the modern military ethos. Paired with Godwin’s crisp staging, it contributes to the overall effect, and I couldn’t help but reflect on aspects of our current state of political drama – its subterfuge, hegemony and flouting of established law to achieve power and control. Oh, Iago, how clearly we see you and your victims in our daily news feed.
Godwin loves to paint scenes with ghastly amounts of gore and, if you’re a fan of crime drama whose fascination by the American public is just as popular today as it was to the audiences of classic playwrights, you won’t want to miss a beat in this reimagining of the classic tale.
Relevant and riveting.
 Olivia Cygan (Desdemona) and Wendell Pierce (Othello) (Photo/Teresa Castracane).
Starring Wendell Pierce as Othello with Ben Turner as Iago; Olivia Cygan as Desdemona; Lucas Iverson as, Cassio; Daniel Velez as Roderigo; Giovanna Drummond as Bianca; Melanie Field as Emilia; Todd Scofield as Duke of Venice; Derek Garza as Montano/Senator Romano; Joey Collins as Brabantio/Salarino.
Ensemble: Jon Beal, C. J. Craig, Sofia Hernandez Morales, Claire Hilton, Anna Marzullo, Vish Shukla, Cole Sitilides, James Whelan and Em Whitworth.
Scenic & Co-Costume Design by Susan Hilferty with Co-Costume Designer Sarita P. Fellows; Lighting Design by Amith A. Chandrashaker; Sound Design by Christopher Shutt; Composer Shiloh Coke; Fight Choreographer Robb Hunter; Fight Captain Jon Beal; and Dramaturg Drew Lichtenberg.
Through June 28th at Harman Hall, 610 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.547.1122 or visit www.ShakespeareTheatre.org.
44 The Musical Spoofs the Obama Presidency With This Utterly Irreverent, Totally Original, Clever, Witty, Heartwarming and Ridiculously Hilarious Elixir Now at the Klein Theatre
44 The Musical
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Klein Theatre
Jordan Wright
April 25, 2026
 Cast of 44 The Musical at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre. (Photo/Jenny Anderson)
Warning: Do Not Read This Review – Go!
Already a winner of seven Broadway World Awards, 44 The Musical opens on Barack Obama’s election night as sung by the character, Voice of the People (Summer Nicole Greer), whose powerhouse soulful intro kicks off POTUS’s time in the White House. I’ve seen it with lead actor, T. J. Wilkins and again with his understudy Marqell Edward Clayton each playing the role of Obama and they are equally extraordinary.
As told by his loyal Veep and adoring White bro and loveable, laughable sidekick Joe Biden (Tony Award-winning material Chad Doreck) in this crazy, wild, utterly irreverent, clever, witty, heartwarming and hilarious musical is the elixir we need to counter the every goddamn five minutes of dizzying, politically fraught BREAKING NEWS! headache-inducing, news cycle we’re living in. Here’s our soul-soothing, deliciously snarky skewering of 44’s political enemies also known as the GOP. This musical lights up the stage infusing a blend of lampoon and burlesque with lightning-quick comic shtick and a heart-warming romance delivered by top-tier singers. You couldn’t ask for more.
 Cast of 44 The Musical (Photo/Jenny Anderson)
Briliantly directed, co-produced, written and composed by Eli Bauman, the cast of familiar characters includes Obama’s ever-lovely, “when they go low, we go high” wife, the beautiful Michelle (pitch-perfect Howard University grad, Sy Smith) and rival Hillary Clinton (Jenna Pastuszek totally nailing the sister side of the equation), along with Obama’s familiar nemeses – a slithery Mitch McConnell (Larry Cedar); don’t-remind-anyone-he’s-Latino Ted Cruz (Michael Uribes); a polar bear-hating Sarah Palin (Summer Collins), a lace parasol-toting Linday Graham (Jeff Sumner) and Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain (Dino Shorté) as their token Republican Black brother. They are a multi-talented cast of scene stealers in the best way possible.
Eager to upend Obama’s presidency and undermine hs signature programs, this band of loonies form a cabal called W. H. A. M. – an acronym for White, Heterosexual, Affluent Men. A dim-witted, pole-dancing, sexy babe Palin fronts for the female vote while Cain is the goofy group’s absurdly transparent attempt at racial inclusion. In an effort to be superfly and get the youth vote, the men go all Flavor Flav in clock neck chains and track suits and you could easily lose it watching McConnell fronting in Calvin Klein underwear.
 Cast of 44 The Musical (Photo/Jenny Anderson)
As Obama’s charisma soars and Michelle’s charm and savvy dazzle, Act 2 takes us to his second term as the ridiculous personal attacks prevail. Who doesn’t recall the tan suit debacle contrived by Republicans and Fox News pundits? Here called Faux News with a send-up presented by two ditsy identical blondes in matching skimpy dresses as a “Wonder Bread sandwich” for Herman Cain.
A wowza score by Bauman features 24 catchy numbers including soulful ballads and a Gospel trio to counterpoint the wacky political parodies. Perched the box seats is the kick ass House of Vibe All Stars band led by Musical Director and Co-Producer Anthony “Brew” Brewster.
 Cast of 44 The Musical (Photo/Jenny Anderson)
You’ll leave the theater merrily singing the raunchy-perfect tribute tune “M. F. O.” – short for mother-f***in’ Obama. Major kudos to Miss James Alsop’s brilliant choreography because this cast has hoofers as well as belters.
Terrific production values with costumes by Matthew Hemesath; Scenic Design by Julio Himede and Yellow Studio; Lighting Design by Nathan W. Scheuer and Natali Arco; Sound Design by Jonathan A. Burke; Wig & Hair Design by Brian Strumwasser. Co-Lead Produced with Bauman Monica Saunders-Weinberg.
Through May 10th at the Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.547.1122 or visit www.44TheObamaMusical.com.
An Imaginative and Daring Romeo and Juliet
in Circus Form at the
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Duel Reality
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Jordan Wright
July 6, 2025
 Gerardo Gutiérrez (Romeo) and Michelle Hernandez (Juliet) in Duel Reality at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Harman Hall (Photo/Zemi Photography)
Director Shana Carroll’s version of the feud between the Montagues and Capulets takes it to the next level reflecting a circus-like version with tumblers, acrobats and jugglers. The show opens with eleven acrobats and a referee who calls out, “Let the games begin!” It’s a playful boxing match with two teams – red and blue. Red or blue colored wristbands have been handed out to audience members based on which side of the theatre we’re seated. The performers encourage us to root for “our” team and the audience gets into the spirit from the get-go.
The fight consists of competitive leaps and dives and fake boxing feints as the competitors outdo each other to huge applause when their team is named the winner. Daring athletic pole work is involved while quotations from The Bard are projected over the participants. Expect to see splits, lifts, hoop diving and somersaults as Romeo and Juliet play out their romance along with the acrobats. The more complex aerial feats like the Chinese pole and the trapeze build the momentum when the rigging is revealed, and the battles and challenges escalate.
 The cast of Duel Reality (Photo/Jean Francois Savaria)
Carroll has the props. As the co-founding Artistic Director of this contemporary circus company The 7 Fingers, she directed, wrote and choreographed over a dozen of their touring and resident shows. As Co-choreographer and Circus Designer for the Broadway show Water for Elephants she earned Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle noms for “Best Choreography”. Carroll honed her skills at Cirque du Soleil, and if you are familiar with those spectacles, you’ll recognize many of this show’s acts from hula hooping to the diabolo, aerial silks, teeterboard, juggling, trapeze, complex lifts and more. I swear Juliet turned herself inside out in a trapeze act with her Romeo!
The playbill describes the company’s international cast’s tours staging original productions from intimate one-man shows scaling up to large arena performances, Broadway musicals, artistic collaborations with renowned international artists and companies, special events, Olympic ceremonies, televised performances, fashion, art and music events, immersive experiences and so much more.
Originally produced and created with Virgin Voyages. This international cast stars Nino Bartolini, Daniela Corradi, Adam Fullick, Gerardo Gutierrez, Michelle Hernandez, Miliève Modin-Brisebois, Einar Kling Odencrants, Carlos Francos Péré, Anton Persson, Méghane Poulet, Santiago Rivera, Ashleigh Roper, Vitor Martinez Silva, and Colin Vuillème.
Musical Director and Composer Colin Gagné; Lighting Design by Alexander Nichols; Costume Design by Camille Thibault-Bédard; Benoît Rouillard, Rigger.
This exciting show is perfect for families or date nights.
Through July 20th at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Harman Hall, 610 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.547.1122 or visitwww.ShakespeareTheatre.org
Dark Shadows Loom Largely in a Reimagining of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at the Shakespeare Theatre Company
Frankenstein
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Jordan Wright
May 31, 2025
 Rebecca S’manga Frank (Elizabeth), Anna Takayo (Justine), and Nick Westrate (Victor) in Frankenstein at Shakespeare Theatre Company. (Photo/DJ Corey Photography)
“The truth is I have never felt the safety of unconditional love,” is a curious statement projected in surtitles from a disembodied voice. It seems to reflect the curious sentiments of Victor, a young scientist from a prestigious Swiss family and future fiancé of Elizabeth, his adopted sister – a complicated relationship at best.
In short order we learn a child is missing – Victor’s little brother, William. The maid, Christine, has found him murdered in his room by who knows who. If you’ve seen the movie or read the book, you already do. But in this household, there is great speculation, and the finger of suspicion is pointed directly at the maid, Justine, who found the boy and soon confesses under duress. When Victor tells Elizabeth he will claim he and Justine had an affair and that she has lied to protect his reputation, Elizabeth’s Spidey-sense tells him, “You’re hiding something.” And we’re off to the races. He claims he’ll tell her everything soon, but this play is a series of his fabrications and falsehoods as he gaslights Elizabeth at every turn. You, too, may weary of all the gaslighting, especially since Elizabeth is no slouch. She’s equally sarcastic and parries his lies with snappy comebacks. And, although his fiancée constantly challenges his lofty excuses, she caves to his conniving explanations. It’s puzzling since she’s read him from the get-go.
His confounding explanation as to why, after they had announced their engagement, he disappeared for six years with little word, was he had a “fever” while at university. In truth, he was building his creature, though he tells her it was just a guy he met who needed food and a place to stay, and that he was merely being charitable, but now “the guy’s” entire extended family is seeking revenge, and Victor insists they need to run for their lives. There is dark humor in this reimagining of the classic. You just never know when it will appear.
 Nick Westrate (Victor) and Rebecca S’manga Frank (Elizabeth). (Photos/DJ Corey Photography)
Surtitles explain that Victor feels unloved and insecure. Or is it the creature talking? Hmmm… could it be one and the same? “I’ve lost faith in you,” she tells him before a passionate kiss – an unusual response after calling him out on the carpet. Throughout the play, Victor provides endless bizarre excuses for his madness and unconscionable behavior to his future wife. He is the consummate narcissist. At this point we can readily predict Elizabeth’s capitulating responses whenever he questions her love. But, hey, that’s our co-dependent whip-smart Elizabeth who just can’t seem to leave his devious clutches. To add to the confusion, the script is written in modern vernacular and current slang words. It’s confusing, as the set design is decidedly Victorian and they are dressed in Victorian era clothing.
The lighting is suggestively moody and storms presage the unexplained disappearances of humans, but it’s not until Act II that we finally meet the Creature, handsome and swarthy and sporting a mink coat. “You have made me your fallen angel,” he accuses Victor. At this point we’ve given up listening to Victor’s countless explanations for his psychosis or the Creature’s insistence on the mad scientist’s culpability. “He built me!” he announces. But we already knew that.
No complaints about this terrific cast’s ability to navigate the script. If you’re a fan of the 1960’s TV series Gothic soap opera or its 1990’s remake, “Dark Shadows”, this is one is right up your alley.
 Rebecca S’manga Frank (Elizabeth) and Nick Westrate (Victor). (Photo/DJ Corey Photography)
Nick Westrate as Victor; Rebecca S’manga Frank as Elizabeth; Anna Takayo as Justine/Esther/Voice of Caroline and Young Victor; Lucas Iverson as Creature.
Written and Directed by Emily Burns based on the novel by Mary Shelley; Scenic Design by Andrew Boyce; Costume Design by Kaye Voyce; Lighting Design by Neil Austin; Sound Design/Composition by André Pluess; Projection Design by Elizabeth Barrett; Dramaturgy by Drew Lichtenberg; Wig & Hair Design by Satellite Wigs, Inc.; Intimacy Consultant Sierra Young.
Through June 29th at the Michael R. Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.547.1122 or visit www.ShakespeareTheatre.org.
Leopoldstadt is Compelling and Complicated with a Perfect Cast to Showcase Tom Stoppard’s Award-Winning Drama
Leopoldstadt
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Jordan Wright
December 8, 2024
 Samuel Adams and Brenda Meaney in Leopoldstadt. (Photo/Teresa Castracane, courtesy of Shakespeare Theatre Company) To know where playwright Tom Stoppard’s drama is going, you’ll need to start with the meaning of Leopoldstadt. It was a shtetl where Jews from all walks of life were forced to live – a walled off ghetto with no escape and a life of unimaginable deprivation.
Set in the European cultural center of Vienna in 1899 where Mahler, Freud, Wittgenstein and other great Jewish minds were highly revered, we are introduced to members of a large haute bourgeois Austrian family. They are cultured and fashionable leading a charmed life – highly educated, completely assimilated into the greater society of the Viennese, and intermarried within the Jewish and Christian religions. Not unusual at the time, these interfaith families enjoyed meaningful positions in high society and academia where they were esteemed for their scholarly contributions.
 The cast of Leopoldstadt. (Photo/Teresa Castracane, courtesy of Shakespeare Theatre Company) Their life appears to be a series of dinners and family rituals where they celebrate both Christmas and Hannukah and a hilarious scene that complicates decisions of an upcoming bris. It is a close-knit family filled with children, young singles and married couples where Grandma Emilia presides over these light-hearted gatherings. Ken MacDonald’s set design reflects the family’s well-established social achievements with a grand interior space reflective of the Art Nouveau period. The trouble comes, as expected, with the Nazis’ rise to power and, with that, any Jewish birth or Jewish marital connection, becomes a death sentence.
We follow this extended family’s hopes and dreams through three generations, touching on the carefree days of 1924 and later the family’s removal to the concentration camps before ending with pre-millennial Britain in the last act, only to witness how swiftly their life of culture and prosperity prove insupportable as power and privilege are ripped away and their inevitable removal to the death camps is a foregone conclusion.
 (L to R) Mishka Yarovoy, Nael Nacer, and Brenda Meaney (Photo/Liza Voll, courtesy of The Huntington) Providing all manner of twists and turns, Stoppard has designed a series of intricate interactions within these relationships – an affair, a proposed duel, a mathematical improbability and a surprise conclusion as one family member discovers he is actually fully Christian and must grapple with his past. To find out how that came to be, you’ll have to wait till the last act. Stoppard, whose successes with plays like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Travesties and most especially Arcadia, which follows the same theme, wants us to see how quickly unbridled political power combined with a dangerous brew of prejudice, fear and religious frenzy can destroy entire societies. In Leopoldstadt we witness the astonishing pace with which these dramatic shifts in public opinion can occur and thrive.
An extraordinary and compelling exploration into one family (Twenty-one cast members play multiple roles!) who become victims in the massive dragnet of the Nazi regime and how swiftly that unthinkable evil can decimate tens of millions of lives.
A powerful and compelling drama infused with the added warmth and camaraderie of a fascinatingly complicated and deeply connected Jewish family. Highly recommended for a supremely perfect cast and Carey Perloff’s brilliant direction.
 Phyllis Kay, Firdous Bamji, Teddy Schechter, and Joshua Chessin-Yudin (Photo/Teresa Castracane, courtesy of Shakespeare Theatre Company) With Samuel Adams as Fritz, Percy; Firdous Bamji as Kurt, Ludwig; Joshua Chessin-Yudin as Zac, Nathan; Sarah Corey as Wilma; Anna Theoni DiGiovanni as Hanna, Hermione; Samuel Douglas as Otto, Civilian; Maboud Ebrahimzadeh as Ernst; Rachel Felstein as Eva, Nellie: Rebecca Gibel as Hilde, Rosa; Adrianne Krstansky as Poldi, Hanna; Brenda Meaney as Gretl; Harrison Morford as Young Jacob, Heini; William Morford as Pauli, Young Leo; Nael Nacer as Hermann; Teddy Schechter as Young Jacob, Heini/Pauli, Young Leo; Anna Slate as Jana, Sally; Adrianna Weir as Young Sally, Mimi/Young Rosa, Bella; Mila Weir as Young Sally, Mimi; Audrey Ella Wolff as Young Rosa, Bella; and Mishka Yarovoy as Jacob, Leo.
Beautiful period costumes designed by Alex Jaeger; Lighting Design by Robert Wierzel; Sound Design & Original Music by Jane Shaw; Projection Design by Yuki Izumihara; Wig & Makeup Design by Tom Watson; Associate Director Dori A. Robinson.
Through December 29th at Shakespeare Theatre Company at Harman Hall, 610 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.547.1122 or visit www.ShakespeareTheatre.org.
STC’s Modern Production of Macbeth Stars the Great British Actor Ralph Fiennes in a Triumphant Performance
Macbeth
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Jordan Wright
April 16, 2024
Special to The Zebra
 Indira Varma and Ralph Fiennes (Photo/ Marc Brenner) From the opening roar of a fighter jet overhead to the ultimate rhythmic uttering of one of the Three Witches, “by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes”, this production will be the one Macbeth you will remember above all others. I honestly felt as though I had neither heard, studied, nor seen it before – certainly never performed so brilliantly nor staged so creatively. We not only see Lady Macbeth (Indira Varma) as a woman who longs to equal a man’s powers, “…unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direct cruelty. Make thick my blood,” she entreats the spirits, but we see Macbeth (Ralph Fiennes) drenched in blood, going mad with the fear of divine retribution for his evil deeds as predicted by the Three Witches (Lucy Mangan, Danielle Flamanya and Lola Shalam).
Enough cannot be said about the two leads and the raw passion in these tour de force performances by Fiennes and Varma. Fiennes delivery, slowing down the pace when the lines and the mood need emphasis and heft, and drawing the audience deep into his sphere, are fiercely captivating. This slowing down of the pace allows the audience time to process and that is what separates this staging from many others. The actors’ well-honed delivery and Director Simon Godwin’s keen respect for the prose reflected here.
 Lola Shalam, Lucy Mangan, and Danielle Fiamanya (Photo/ Marc Brenner) Singers are told, “Don’t throw away a line. Give it meaning.” No line should be incidental and no action superfluous. Here everything is carefully drawn and purposeful. This is not the revved-up Shakespeare we have come to expect with lines delivered staccato. In this interpretation deeper meaning is imparted to each interaction and to every word. It is a glorious thing to behold. This is the same experience we have when watching a great movie where the viewer is afforded pauses in the action to better process the scene allowing for a more intimate and visceral experience.
Fiennes’ extraordinary ability to inhabit Macbeth is as complex and gripping as it is nuanced. The same can be said for Varma as the diabolical Lady Macbeth. The two are in total sync and it is absolutely delicious. Though we well know the plot, it’s still edge-of-your-seat action – from the sword fights to the grisly murders to the diabolical treachery, the grief and the ultimate revenge.
 Ben Allen, Indira Varma, Rose Riley, Richard Pepper, Steffan Rhodri, and Levi Brown (Photo/ Marc Brenner) Surprisingly, the production is not held in either of STC’s downtown theatres. It’s in a former BET-TV production facility in Northeast DC that lends itself to the magnitude and enormity of this unique event. Upon entry into the massive facility, you will pass through what appears to be a bombed-out street scene. A burned-out sedan rests on a pile of rubble, reflecting the emotional disasters to come. Fiennes insisted this Macbeth be in an industrial space on the outskirts of the city. The same requirement applied to its previous iterations in Liverpool, Edinburgh and London where it was mounted before coming to DC.
A triumph for Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Artistic Director Simon Godwin and this outstanding and predominantly British cast!
With Ben Allen as Ross; Ewan Black as Malcolm; Levi Brown as Angus; Jonathan Case as Seyton; Keith Fleming as King Duncan/Siward; Michael Hodgson as Second Murderer/Captain; Kiyoko Merolli as Macduff’s Daughter; Jake Neads as First Murderer/Donalbain; Richard Pepper as Lennox; Steffan Rhodri as Banquo; Rose Riley as Menteith; Rebecca Scruggs as Lady Macduff/Doctor; Maxwell Kwadjo Talbert as Macduff’s Son; Ethan Thomas as Fleance; Ben Turner as Macduff; Adrianna Weir as Macduff’s Daughter; and Mila Weir as Macduff’s Daughter.
Adapted by Emily Burns; Set and Costume Design by Frankie Bradshaw; Sound Design by Christopher Shutt; Lighting by Jai Morjaria; Composer Asaf Zohar; Fight Director Kate Waters.
 Ben Turner (Photo/ Marc Brenner) Through May 5th presented by the Shakespeare Theatre Company in association with Wessex Grove, Underbelly. At 1301 W Street, NE, Washington, DC. For tickets and information call the box office at 202 547-1122 or visit www.ShakespeareTheatre.org.
If you are unable to secure tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime production, it will be in local movie theatres beginning May 2nd.
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