Rethinking Shakespeare in Shanghai

New York Times - WorldEN 6 min read 100% complete by Andrew Higgins and Gilles SabriéFebruary 5, 2026 at 08:14 AM

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long article 6 min

A recent bilingual production of Shakespeare's "Othello" in Shanghai reimagines the play's racial dynamics by casting a white American actor as Othello and a Chinese actor as Iago. The setting is moved to an island at the mouth of the Yangtze River during the Taiping Rebellion, with Othello portrayed as an American mercenary and Iago fueled by xenophobia. The production, staged in a shopping mall, avoided state vetting by being offered for free. This adaptation demonstrates that despite increasing state control over culture in China, small-scale artistic endeavors can still emerge. The play was performed in 2026, with Thomas Caron as Othello and Cao Jifeng as Iago.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Yangtze River 30% Taiping Rebellion 40% Xi Jinping 40% United States 50% China ×370% Cao Jifeng ×270% William Shakespeare ×470% Communist Party of China ×270% Thomas Caron ×580% Shanghai ×480% Othello ×890%

Keywords

shakespeare 100% othello 90% shanghai 80% cultural concrete 70% cultural production 70% racial dynamics 60% communist party 60% cultural censorship 50% taiping rebellion 50%

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Positive

Score: 0.30

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New York Times - World

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90%

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shakespeare othello shanghai cultural concrete cultural production racial dynamics communist party cultural censorship taiping rebellion

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