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