Language:
English
Year of publication:
1997
Titel der Quelle:
Text and Performance Quarterly
Angaben zur Quelle:
17,2 (1997) 153-169
Keywords:
Shakespeare, William,
;
Céline, Louis-Ferdinand,
;
Antisemitism in the theater
;
Jewish theater
;
Jewish theater
Abstract:
The announcement of a forthcoming production of "The Merchant of Venice" at the Shakespeare Santa Cruz festival of 1994 aroused vehement protest on the part of the Jewish community in Santa Cruz. Discusses questions of text vs. performance, and the performative's potential for subversion. Endeavors to offer a nuanced account of the space for agency, and to situate the live performance of a dramatic text within (or against) the limited agency the performative warrants. In this context, examines a recent production of Céline's "L'Église" and the Santa Cruz production. In the production of "L'Église" in France (1992), director Jean-Louis Martinelli completely removed the Jewish stereotypes from the play's text. In the Santa Cruz production of "The Merchant of Venice", director Danny Scheie sought to minimize its antisemitic impact by minimizing the Jewishness, unattractiveness, and significance of Shylock in comparison with the other characters in the play. Shylock was relegated to the status of a supporting character. The performers were cast in multiple roles, which aroused "questionable terms" of identity - Shylock was never fully identifiable as Shylock.
Note:
On a recent French production of "L'Eglise" and the controversial production of "The Merchant of Venice" in Santa Cruz, California.
URL:
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