The Shylock and the Shakespeareans NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (45)
See it if a reworking of Merchant of Venice will resonate with you. This update incorporates contemporary hate as well as the historical ones.
Don't see it if you are looking for a big Broadway musical
See it if you are a fan of Shakespeare, especially The Merchant of Venice, if you like new plays that are in dialogue with classics, love Jewish play
Don't see it if you only like musicals, hate anything related to Shakespeare, are triggered by works dealing with antisemitism. Read more
See it if you are interested in a merchant of venice adaptation that gives a voice to the jewish characters
Don't see it if You think Shakespeare is above reproach
See it if you are interested in the rising tide of antisemitism in American society. You want to see a thoughtful and cutting political satire.
Don't see it if you are a Shakespeare purist or if you are likely to be upset by (graphic) descriptions of hatred and violence.
See it if you like variations on Shakespeare and hate racism and antisemitism
Don't see it if you like racism and/or antisemitism OR if you don't want to see scenes of violence
See it if You'd like to see Shakespeare reworked to sympathetically expose Merchant's raw antisemitism, with a clever script and good cast.
Don't see it if You can't abide Shakespeare redone. No verse; Merchant's characters land in a ripe new plot exposing the inherent evil of Jew-hatred. Read more
See it if You like topical, political stories. This is semi-ripped from the headlines fictionalized. At times funny, others devastating. Great acting.
Don't see it if You don’t want to be reminded of our current state of political upheaval. The sluggish set changes slow down the fast paced script.
See it if you'll enjoy a well-written play that updates Merchant of Venice in a surprising, intelligent way. The writing was excellent.
Don't see it if you expect uniformly good acting.A couple cast members just can't act. One had an important role and it really detracted from the show.
Critic Reviews (3)
Einhorn has reshaped the dramatic elements of the original play to focus primarily on antisemitism. What he achieves is a show that highlights how the antisemitism of the 16th century is connected to the religious dogma of that period, with aspects of it extending to the present day. Although it is superficially faithful to the themes of the source, it is still a play that deals with the elements of prejudice, justice, love, and societal norms within the context of antisemitism. It is for an audience that enjoys a well-acted, thought-provoking story with a solid point of view.
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“...’The Shylock and the Shakespeareans’ promised to be a can’t-miss production, especially in the more than capable hands of Einhorn, a brilliant writer and sensitive interpreter...It's a theatrical masterstroke, one that almost resolves the preceding two hours into one cohesive, powerful whole. Almost.”
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The play has most of Shakespeare’s characters and the outline of the plot and subplots. But there are many changes [that] attempt to do many things – shift the story to a Jewish perspective; create a broad farce, make pointed references to issues of race, gender and social class; provide contemporary resonance; make mischief. The result is intelligent, thought-provoking, sprawling; with some light moments, some light-bulb moments, some really dark moments.
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