Considered by many to be Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy, Othello, the Moore of Venice, was first recorded as having been performed in 1604. It was probably written not long before that, although the text of the play was not published until eighteen years later in 1622, in the First Quarto. Although nearly 400 years have passed since the first production of Othello, there have not been many drastic changes in the way of staging. Directors, actors, and critics over the years have seemed to agree that the focus of the stage play lies with the actors, mainly those who play Othello and Iago, and not in the scenery or in the technical aspects. Reviews and written records of the play from the 1600s to the early 1900s seem to focus almost exclusively on the actors who played Iago and Othello, and what they brought to the play. Although there have not been drastic changes in the way of staging, directors of the play still have choices to make. They do this by cutting certain lines or scenes, or by making the focus of the play be on race or on jealousy. Over the years there have been many outstanding performances of Othello, each of which have left the

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