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F. Murray Abraham as Shylock at ArtsEmerson

Panel on Jews in Shakespeare includes Tina Packer

By: - Jan 11, 2011

Emerson Emerson Emerson

ArtsEmerson: The World on Stage and the New Center for Arts and Culture will host a panel discussion on Shakespeare’s Jewish characters, focusing on criticism and interpretation of Merchant’s Shylock.

The panel will take place Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Paramount Mainstage (559 Washington Street, in Boston’s Theatre District) and will be followed by a reception with light refreshments. Tickets to the panel ONLY are $28 (ArtsEmerson members $15); tickets to both the panel and reception are $45 (ArtsEmerson members $30).

Tickets are on sale now at ArtsEmerson.org or by phone at 617-824-8000.
 
This unique event precedes Theatre for a New Audience’s The Merchant of Venice, starring F. Murray Abraham, which ArtsEmerson will present at the Cutler Majestic Theatre from March 29—April 10, 2011.
 
Moderated by scholar, playwright, and A.R.T. Founding Artistic Director Robert Brustein, the panelists will include renowned screen and stage actor F. Murray Abraham, Theatre for a New Audience Artistic Director Jeffrey Horowitz, and Shakespeare & Company Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer.

They will discuss the perception of Jews in Shakespeare's England, the many sides of Shylock (perhaps the most infamous and controversial Jewish character in literature), and the radical changes in the way he has been represented, from comic buffoon to villain to tragic hero.

Abraham will also talk about his own portrayal of Shylock. He has appeared in numerous films and stage productions and received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Antonio Salieri in Amadeus.
 
March 29—April 10, 2011
The Merchant of Venice
By William Shakespeare
Theatre for a New Audience
Starring F. Murray Abraham
Directed by Darko Tresnjak
Cutler Majestic Theatre
 
Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham stars as Shylock in this brilliant production from Theatre for a New Audience, fresh from hugely successful runs at the Royal Shakespeare Company in England and New York. A mysteriously melancholy rich man; a dashing young lover in desperate need of cash; a moneylender with good reason to seek revenge; and a witty young woman with a knack for disguise are the elements of Shakespeare's sparkling and troubling tragicomedy, in a new modern-day adaptation where cell phones and wallets replace messengers and moneybags.

Founded in 1979 by Jeffrey Horowitz, the mission of Theatre for a New Audience is to help develop and vitalize the performance and study of Shakespeare and classic drama. A reverence for language, spirit of adventure and visual boldness, which support the work of the writer and actor, mark the Theatre's productions. The Theatre nurtures relationships with some of the finest American and European directors, actors, designers and composers. Theatre for a New Audience has an ongoing collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company and in 2001 became the first American theatre company to be invited to bring a production of Shakespeare to the RSC. Theatre for a New Audience's productions and artists have been recognized with many awards and nominations, including the Lortel, Drama Desk, Drama League, OBIE and Tony.