[1] The 2011 play arose from a collaboration between Morrison, director Peter Sellars, and musician Rokia Traoré.

They agreed that Sellars would stage “Othello” and Morrison would respond to in another way, resulting in her Desdemona.

[2] The play revolves around Desdemona's relationship with her mother's maid "Barbary."

This also gives Desdemona an emotional connection with African people dating back to her childhood.

The official playscript of Desdemona was published in 2012 by Oberon Books, with a foreword written by the director Peter Sellars.