Othello

The badass villain Iago is conniving, manipulative and downright evil, with a major grudge against everyone. He’s also one of William Shakespeare’s most intriguing characters. Matt K. Miller, who also played the backstabbing villain in Sacramento Theater Company’s Amadeus, nails Iago’s slick and slimy personality, and never gets bogged down in Shakespeare-speak. Marc Antonio Pritchett, a Los Angeles-based actor, eventually captures the passion of title character Othello, but a passive start and a habit of slipping into a “Shakespeare speech” results in a self-conscious performance. The staging is compelling, with a unique angled set of stone-gray columns and costumes that evoke a strangely effective blend of classic and futuristic looks.
Sacramento Theatre Company, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday; $32-$36. 1419 H Street, (916) 443-6722 or (888) 4-STCTIX, www.sactheatre.org. Through April 8.