In Defense of Women
Written in Italy in the 16th century by Jewish dramatist Leone De' Sommi Portaleone, the poem "In Defense of Women" touches on the role of women in drama and reveals a great deal about the cultural considerations and power dynamics of this time when women were coming to the fore on the theatrical stages of Northern Italy, Rome, and Venice in the professional world of the commedia dell’arte. Dr. Erith Jaffe-Berg guides us through the work and its relevance to both historical and contemporary issues of equity and belonging as actors from theatre dybbuk read selections from the poem and other related texts.
First presented May 20, 2021 by San Diego Repertory Theatre as part of JFEST, then revised and reprised on October 24, 2024 for the New Swan Shakespeare Center at the University of California, Irvine and again on January 15, 2026 for the Center for Ideas and Society at the University of California, Riverside. Also available on The Dybbukast.
photo from the presentation with the Center for Ideas and Society at the University of California, Riverside