After a highly praised run in New York, the Theatre for a New Audience is bringing Shakespeare’s Othello to Seattle. The Shakespearean troupe, hailing from New York City’s off-Broadway scene, uses the tiny but versatile setting furnished by the Intiman Theatre at Seattle Center to maximum advantage in its thoughtful portrayal of one of the playwright’s most gripping tragedies.

Othello is fundamentally a story about the fragility of life: Even a profound love that transcends prejudice can be destroyed with something as trivial as a handkerchief.

Iago is perhaps Shakespeare’s most cunning villain. He is able to disguise the most devious deceptions in a cloak of honesty. He plays confidant to Othello, a general of the armies of Venice and a Christian Moor, even as he poisons him with lies.

However, it is between Iago and Othello’s wives, Emilia and Desdemona, in turn, that true friendship exists. One of the most compelling scenes in the play is Emilia’s monologue championing equality between men and women. The play is neither lacking in suspense nor deprived of music. The unfortunate climax is made all the more tragic by Desdemona’s mournful singing.

Characters dart down the aisles and address the viewers, fully incorporating the theater audience into the action. The actors skillfully shift from earnestness to levity in a moment.

On a simply set stage where minimalism is key, Shakespeare’s shrewd humor is able to shine through in all its brilliant subtlety. It is understatement that reigns supreme here, often eliciting fits of laughter from the audience.

This expert dramatization is due largely to the rising talent of director Arin Arbus, who demonstrates a deep understanding of Shakespeare’s stylistic nuances through the ease with which the story progresses on stage.

The performance captures Shakespeare’s work in all its profundity. Whether it’s the way John Campion (Iago), whom Shakespeare buffs might recognize from the Campbell Scott version of Hamlet, gestures menacingly and oozes sarcasm; the way Sean Patrick Thomas (Othello), best known for his starring role alongside Julia Stiles in Save the Last Dance, is reduced from exuberant pride to crumpled agony; or the way Elisabeth Waterston (Desdemona) epitomizes goodness in the very quiver of her voice, every detail is honed, every syllable refined.

When the play reaches its dreadful conclusion, it evokes pity with a fusion of adept acting and direction that allows the work to illuminate human nature and destiny in all its tragic glory.

Reach reporter Sara Grimes at arts@dailyuw.com.