Olivia Cygan Debuts as Desdemona in Shakespeare Theatre Company's OTHELLO

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The Yale-trained actress joins Wendell Pierce in Simon Godwin's production, running May 19 through June 28 at Harman Hall

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Shakespeare Theatre Company is presenting William Shakespeare 's OTHELLO at Harman Hall through June 28, 2026, directed by Simon Godwin . The production stars Wendell Pierce in the title role alongside a company that includes Broadway and regional theatre veterans.

Making her STC debut as Desdemona is Olivia Cygan , a New York-based, Chicago-native actress whose credits include DOUBT on Broadway in 2024, world premieres at Steppenwolf Theatre Company , Goodman Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, and Arena Stage , and developmental work with Roundabout Theatre, New York Stage and Film, and Playwrights Realm. A Northwestern University graduate, she earned her MFA from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, where she received the Carol Finch Dye Award in 2023.

BroadwayWorld spoke with Cygan about finding an active, fighting Desdemona rather than a passive one, the profound collaboration of working opposite Wendell Pierce , and what Simon Godwin 's direction has brought to one of Shakespeare's most iconic and contested roles.

What does it mean to you to make your Shakespeare Theatre Company debut in such an iconic role as Desdemona?

Getting that offer was one of the best phone calls of my life, and it's been more fulfilling than I even imagined. I'm absolutely over the moon.

How do you approach playing a character who is so often defined by what others say about her rather than by her own voice?

Every night backstage, I hear Othello say, "my wife is fair, loves company: Is free of speech, sings, plays, and dances well…" It's this gorgeous counter to Brabantio's description of his daughter: "Of spirit so still and quiet that her motion Blushed at herself…" Those descriptions are almost at odds, and it's tempting as an actor to wonder who's more "right." But neither man is objective about her, of course, so I really had to look at the actual actions she takes. They are quite bold! Girly goes to war, without a second's hesitation. And I used all the talk about her to build a sense of who she might want to be and who she is trying not to be. That feels so much more active and alive than a static sense of who she "is."

Desdemona is caught in a web of manipulation she knows nothing about. How do you find ways to keep her active and present as a character rather than simply a victim?

Desdemona's gone through the world with tremendous privilege, a particular kind of ease and power. She's used to getting what she wants, and much of the misunderstanding comes from doubling down when she doesn't. Her "love doth so approve him," yes, but I see that as fuel for her fight, not resignation.

What has it been like working opposite Wendell Pierce as Othello, and how has that collaboration shaped your portrayal of Desdemona?

Working with Wendell has been a profound honor. He is as generous and present in life as he is onstage. At some point, I realized the most important thing was making Desdemona someone worthy of Wendell's Othello. Who she is teaches us about who he is, and I could tell from the beginning that this Othello wanted a partner who could hold her own. So that despite all the chatter around them, you say, "yeah, they make sense." We're both committed to making their relationship substantive and satisfying and fun.

Simon Godwin is directing this production. What has his vision for the play brought to your understanding of Desdemona?

My gosh it has been a gift working with Simon. He somehow brings this play to the present without sacrificing an ounce of consideration for the text. That balance feels rare, and it's built us a world that's thrilling to inhabit. And Simon has been the biggest champion of a Desdemona who's actively in pursuit. We've found in the rehearsal room that certain scenes work because she's fighting so hard.

You share Yale Drama roots with castmates Lucas Iverson, Giovanna Drummond, and Melanie Field . Does having that common training background affect how you work together on stage?

It's been the biggest joy. We ended up onstage warming up the other day, which, if you've never seen an actor warm up, it's strange! And so nice to do in community. But I'm most grateful to Yale for teaching presence and flexibility, not, you know, "the Yale style of acting." The work we did as a company in the early weeks of rehearsal gave the whole room a set of values and a vocabulary that's served us every day.

Playing Desdemona requires navigating a character who has been interpreted in countless ways over centuries. How did you find your own unique entry point into her story?

Through the other actors in the room, which has been a thrill. I did a lot of solo text work before we started, because I wanted to know I could trust my impulses when I finally got on my feet. It's always tempting to say, "How will I do MY Desdemona?" But instead of trying to "create" her myself, I've really tried to let the text move through me and the other artists in the room work on me. There is an alchemy that's hard to describe, if you can sometimes get your own "good ideas" out of the way.

Why must audiences come and see the show?

Under Simon's direction, I hope we've made this story accessible without making it simple. We want to invite you in, gut-level, and take you along for the ride.

OTHELLO runs through June 28, 2026 at Shakespeare Theatre Company 's Harman Hall in Washington, D.C.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/washington-dc/article/Interview-Olivia-Cygan-On-Making-Her-Shakespeare-Theatre-Company-Debut-as-Desdemona-in-OTHELLO-20260610)._