Reviews

Shylock

Darren Barefoot

Mark Leiren-Young's Shylock (Anvil) is similar to The Noam Chomsky Lectures. In this one-man drama, Jon Davies, a Jewish actor who portrays Shylock in a cancelled production of The Merchant of Venice, is accused of betraying his fellow Jews and being a "Sturmer character come to life." The play's setting is a talkback session after the final performance of the shortened run, and is the performer's final chance to respond to criticism. This metatheatrical beginning makes for gripping drama. Like the Chomsky Lectures, the play is a meditation about cultural manipulation. Several well-written essays are included in the book. The best is a tragically funny timeline called "The Unkindest Cuts of All: Shakespearean Censorship through the Ages."

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