American-Jewish actor Irwin Appel stars as Shylock in Prague Shakespeare Company’s The Merchant of Venice at the Estates Theatre
Irwin Appel
As a Jewish theater artist, what is the most important thing for you now playing Shylock and working on the Merchant of Venice at the Estates Theater?
I am a very secular Jew, very proud of the family and culture that I have come from. At the root of Judaism is humanism and a love of artistic and creative expression, along with an appreciation of beauty and fragility. Also at the heart of being Jewish is humor. A sense of humor is everything to me. I feel Shylock has an under appreciated sense of humor – he’s a very funny guy.
Given the current situation in Israel, should The Merchant of Venice even be performed now?
This is an excellent time to perform The Merchant of Venice, although I very much understand why others might disagree strongly. It is a play that lays bigotry out for all to see. I don’t feel it’s up to me to say whether a work of art should be done or not. I prefer to dive fully into it and lay it all out, warts and all for the audience to decide and experience.
The Merchant of Venice has been sometimes labeled as anti-semetic. Anti-semetism is expressed by the Christian characters in the play. Does this make it an anti-semetic play?
The Merchant of Venice is about bigotry as a whole, not just anti-semitism. The racism in the language spewed throughout the play by the “good” Christian society is palpable. I firmly believe Shakespeare was criticizing society as a whole. I also know that when I speak Shylock’s lines, such as “Hath not a Jew eyes,” I am connecting with a rich, multi-dimensional, painfully human character, and I can’t think of another role that has resonated with me over the years as Shylock has. Shylock is not a “stock villain.” On the contrary, Shakespeare may have set out to make the Jew the unambiguous villain, but in doing so, he could not resist making him one of the most richly human characters he ever wrote.
In real life daughter Phoebe is also playing Jessica, Shylock’s daughter. What extra dimension and added layers of meaning with this special casting create?
I cannot begin to express the joy I feel in acting with my daughter Phoebe. She is an extraordinary, beautiful human being and I will cherish this experience for the rest of my life. I do not believe that Shylock ever thought he would take a pound of Antonio’s flesh; it is only after his daughter is taken from him does he pursue vengeance. For the audience, knowing she is my real daughter, might bring them closer to Shylock’s psychology and emotional life. Plus, Jessica’s dilemma might resonate with the audience in a deeper way knowing the father she has run away from is being played by her real father.
What do you think will surprise audiences most about the Merchant of Venice at the Estates theater?
How compelling it will be. The atmosphere will be electric, and the historical implications mixed with the uneasy bigotry in the play will resonate strongly with audiences. This show is a chance to see amazingly talented actors from Prague and all over Europe and the US. Guy Roberts’ adaptation is outstanding, and the show will be powerful, timely, exciting, funny, tragic, and entertaining at the same time. Also, we perform only three days before perhaps the most critical election the United States has ever faced. The Merchant of Venice is an important play to put on this election week.? I can’t wait.
Prague Shakespeare Company in association with Národní divadlo presents
The Merchant of Venice
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Guy Roberts
Performed in English
Czech titles and translation by Martin Hilský
Estates Theatre, 2 November, 2024
For more information visit www.pragueshakespeare.cz
Email PSC: info@pragueshakespeare.cz
Tickets available through the Národní divadlo website at: