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