“Othello,” unique among Shakespeare’s tragedies, is lean. (It’s even leaner in this production, thanks to some judicious cutting.) It has fewer major characters than most, and fewer sideshows ...

The actor injects notes of ingratiating charm into his character's evil manipulations ... as if pacing alone can generate heat. Key dialogue is treated almost disposably, nowhere more so than in ...

A key scene is played in the dark ... fails to transmit the powerful majesty of Shakespeare’s writing for this character, “the Othello music,” as it has been called. Mr. Leon’s staging ...