Studi e ricerche

The Merchant in Venice: Shakespeare in the Ghetto

crossmark logo

open access

Abstract

This book records the landmark performance of The Merchant of Venice in the Venetian Ghetto in 2016, the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and the 500th anniversary of the Jewish quarter that gave the world the word ‘ghetto’. Practitioners and critics discuss how this multi-ethnic production and its radical choice to cast five actors as Shylock provided the opportunity to respond creatively to Europe’s legacy of antisemitism, racism and difference. They observe how the place and play stand as ambivalent documents of civilization: instruments of intolerance but also sites of cultural exchange.

Keywords Lighting design • Antonio • Murray Abraham • Jessica • Ghetto • Music • Fiction • Portia • Shylock • Compagnia de’ Colombari • Theatre design • Adrian Beecham • Antisemitism • Jews • Chromaticism • Lewis Carroll • Memory • Children’s literature • Mock Trial: Shylock v • Aldo Finzi • Ruth Bader Ginsburg • Site specific performance • Site-specific performance • Site-specific design • Actors on Shakespeare • Otto Taubmann • Costume design • Aestheticism • Heritage • Venice • Shakespeare’s comedies of love • Josef B • Opera • Humanities • Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco • Reynaldo Hahn • Shakespeare’s trial scenes • Lorenzo • Mock Appeal: Shylock v • Adapting Shakespeare • Foerster • History • F • George Braque and Shakespeare • Performing Shakespeare • Directing Shakespeare • The Merchant of Venice • Designing Shakespeare • Adaptation • Ciro Pinsuti • Laurence Olivier • Music design • Karin Coonrod • Gratiano • Charles and Mary Lamb • Narrativization • Bassanio • Children reading Shakespeare • Site-specific Shakespeare • The Merchant in the Ghetto • The quality of mercy • Translation • The Merchant of Venice in the Ghetto • Lancelot Gobbo • Mercy • Holocaust • Rehearsal

Thema codes DSG • ATD • 5PX-GB-S • 1DST-IT-NVE

Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-503-2 | e-ISBN 978-88-6969-503-2 | ISBN (PRINT) 978-88-6969-504-9 | Number of pages 238 | Dimensions 16x23cm | Published June 10, 2021 | Language en