Over the next three years, we'll be taking our work to six cities across North America.
Inspired by The Dybbukast and the ways in which it brings together scholarship and theatricality, our residencies bring arts and educational engagement connected to Jewish history to communities throughout North America. This program provides a unique opportunity to combine meaningful Jewish arts with community events and professional development training through one to two-week residencies that involve:
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original live performances inspired by creative Jewish texts from throughout history that are infused with scholarship illuminating the cultural contexts and implications for our world today
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partnerships with local institutions to present training workshops for educators and community leaders in which they learn techniques to engage with their constituents and students around the topics brought up in the performances and beyond
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curricula connected to the performances and workshops available on our website to learners and educators
Upcoming Residencies
Portland, Oregon
October 2023
PUBLIC EVENTS
Monday, October 23, 7:30 pm at Portland State University (PSU) with Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (OJMCHE) – performance of The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad
What can a play from sixteenth century England tell us about how antisemitism and other prejudicial beliefs operate in our world today?
Our latest theatrical production brings together elements of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice with Elizabethan history and news from the 21st century to expose the underbelly of the classic play. The multidisciplinary work takes a kaleidoscopic view of the ways in which members of a society displace their fears on the "other" during times of upheaval.
The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad is presented in five acts and runs 2 hours and 45 minutes, including one 15 minute intermission.
This performance is being presented as part of Shakespeare’s First Folio: 1623–2023, a city-wide celebration of the 400th anniversary of publication of the first folio.
Tickets are free with a suggested donation of $15. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Tuesday, October 24, 11 am - 1 pm at Eastside Jewish Commons (EJC) – Writing Workshop with Artistic Director Aaron Henne
Join our artistic director as he takes you on a journey through your own personal narratives. During this session, you will have the opportunity to develop your stories of visibility and invisibility in our world, exploring both challenging and joyful experiences in your past and present.
All participants will receive writing tips and techniques and will have the opportunity to share their stories with fellow members of the community. Bring a lunch, stay afterwards and nosh (no pork or shellfish please)!
This workshop is focused on the senior members of the community.
Tickets are $10/person.
Tuesday, October 24, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm at Eastside Jewish Commons (EJC) – "One Community, Many Stories: Belonging"
In this event, which brings together creative writing and performance, attendees will have an opportunity to craft their own personal narratives and then hear a selection of these stories read by theatre dybbuk's team of professional actors. This program will help participants to think about the spectrum of belonging in their lives, the challenges they have faced, and the ways in which they have felt connected to or estranged from others.
This event is focused on LGBTQ+ members of the community.
Tickets are $10/person.
Wednesday, October 25, 6 pm - 8:30 pm at the Mittleman JCC (MJCC) – "One Community, Many Stories: Looking Forward"
In this unique event, attendees will have an opportunity to craft their own personal narratives and then to hear a selection of these stories read by theatre dybbuk's team of professional actors. This program will help participants to think about what they hope for in the coming year, while lighting up diverse voices within the community and bringing together all who attend.
A light dinner will be provided and pre-registration is required.
This event is open to anyone age 11 and up. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 11-17.
Thursday, October 26, 12 pm - 2:30 pm at Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (OJMCHE) – performance installation of The Villainy You Teach
The character of Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice has long been a source of debate. Some have argued that his is an antisemitic portrait with long-lasting effects on the perception of Jews in our world, while others have stated that the character is a nuanced portrayal that, especially given the time and place of his creation, is empathetic to his plight. Often, at the center of this debate is found a speech in which Shylock proclaims his humanity while defending his vengeful desires.
In The Villainy You Teach, theatre dybbuk explodes this famous speech and investigates the ways in which language can both take on a wide variety of meanings and lose all meaning through persistent examination and exposure. We invite audience members to witness an actor perform this brief speech repeatedly over the course of most of the length of the play, reciting it dozens, if not hundreds, of times alongside a performed reading of Merchant in its entirety.
Audience is welcome to come and go throughout this approximately 2 hour 30 minute installation-style performance.
This performance is being presented as part of Shakespeare’s First Folio: 1623–2023, a city-wide celebration of the 400th anniversary of publication of the first folio.
Tickets are free with Museum admission.
Thursday, October 26, 7:30 pm at Portland State University (PSU) - "Shakespeare in Performance" illuminated lecture
In “Shakespeare in Performance,” Professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner takes up the question: “Why perform The Merchant of Venice?” The fraught history of this troubling play has morphed from performing it as a comedy, championing young lovers who outwit the murderous plot of Shylock, a Jewish money-lender, to staging it as a tragedy of social prejudices and institutional injustices that spur inhumane actions. As the play has been cut, amended, restaged, and reimagined, its focus has shifted to encompass questions of gender and sexuality, race and economics, alongside the religious and ethnic dynamics that provide a shifting mirror for audiences’ fears and fantasies. This lecture will interweave research in Shakespeare production history with performances by actors from theatre dybbuk.
Dr. Pollack-Pelzner is a consulting scholar on The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad.
This lecture is being presented as part of Shakespeare’s First Folio: 1623–2023, a city-wide celebration of the 400th anniversary of publication of the first folio.
Tickets are free but reservations are recommended.
In addition to these events, we will be offering a variety of professional development workshops with the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.
Our partners include Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (OJMCHE), Mittleman Jewish Community Center (MJCC), Eastside Jewish Commons (EJC), Co/Lab's Art/Lab, and Portland State University (PSU), with the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland acting as our hub partner. This residency is made possible in part by a grant from The Covenant Foundation.
Baltimore, Maryland and region
January 2024
Our partners include: Na'aleh: The Hub for Leadership Learning, Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore, and the Jewish Museum of Maryland, with more partnerships under discussion. This residency is made possible in part by a grant from The Covenant Foundation.
Montreal, Quebec
November 2024
Our partners include: the Museum of Jewish Montreal, with more partnerships under discussion. This residency is made possible in part by a grant from The Covenant Foundation.
learning materials
• Access learning materials related to breaking protocols and listen to "The Protocols, Henry Ford, and The International Jew"
• resource packet from dramaturg Dylan Southard for The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad (PDF)
• listen to "The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages" related to The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad
• Filling Your Toolbox: exercises for Jewish Youth educators (PDF)
Previous Residencies
Atlanta, Georgia
January 31 - February 5, 2023
Thanks to everyone who joined us for our residency in Atlanta!
You can read about some of the work we did there in the Atlanta Jewish Times.
PUBLIC EVENTS
Tuesday, January 31, 7 pm at The Temple – selections from breaking protocols
Why do conspiracy theories arise and in what ways do they show up at times of great crisis and upheaval in society? And what are the motivations and forces underpinning their proliferation?
breaking protocols uses the sometimes comic and heightened approaches of vaudeville to examine the quintessential antisemitic text, "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," while illuminating contemporary issues connected to antisemitism, propaganda, and false narratives.
This free event included a 60 minute performance of readings from sections of the play and a 30 minute Q and A with the creative team.
Friday, February 3 at The Temple
Shabbat service event with theatre dybbuk.
Saturday, February 4, 1-5 pm at Theatrical Outfit
"Heritage, History, and Humanity" Master Class with Working Title Playwrights
In this workshop, the artists of theatre dybbuk took participants through a process in which they gain tools to investigate their own personal and/or communal narratives, texts, and turning points as vessels to create new theatrical work that explores the complexities of our world. The session used a combination of writing, vocal work, and movement-based techniques. The workshop was open to theatrical artists of a variety of disciplines.
Sunday, February 5, 2 pm at The Breman Museum – a special preview of The Merchant Project
The team from theatre dybbuk read selections from the company's still-in-development The Merchant Project, a piece which explores Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. The new piece was later developed into The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad which had its world premiere in Los Angeles in May 2023. The Breman presentation offered an opportunity to get a glimpse into the work as it was being created and to learn about the process with the creative team behind it.
The free event included a 60 minute reading of selections from the play followed by a 30 minute Q & A.
In addition to these public events, theatre dybbuk partnered with the Alfred & Adele Davis Academy, The Weber School, and The Temple on a variety of learning opportunities for artists, educators, leaders, and students.
Our partners included The Temple, The Breman Museum, Working Title Playwrights, Alfred & Adele Davis Academy, and The Weber School. This residency was made possible in part by a grant from The Covenant Foundation.
San Diego Area
June 2023, with a brief return on July 10, 2023
Thanks to all who joined us!
PUBLIC EVENTS
Thursday, June 15, 10 am - 11:30 am at Leichtag Commons in Encinitas –"Visioning and Time Management" workshop
In association with San Diego Gives University, The Hive offered a free professional development workshop facilitated by theatre dybbuk Artistic Director Aaron Henne designed to help participants identify personal and professional goals and the steps needed to reach them.
Thursday, June 15, 6 pm - 8:30 pm at the Coronado Public Library – performance of The Villainy You Teach
The character of Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice has long been a source of debate. Some have argued that his is an antisemitic portrait with long-lasting effects on the perception of Jews in our world, while others have stated that the character is a nuanced portrayal that, especially given the time and place of his creation, is empathetic to his plight. Often, at the center of this debate is found a speech in which Shylock proclaims his humanity while defending his vengeful desires.
In The Villainy You Teach, theatre dybbuk explodes this famous speech and investigates the ways in which language can both take on a wide variety of meanings and lose all meaning through persistent examination and exposure. We invite audience members to witness an actor perform this brief speech repeatedly over the course of most of the length of the play, reciting it dozens, if not hundreds, of times alongside a performed reading of Merchant in its entirety.
Audience was welcome to come and go throughout this free, installation-style performance.
Friday, June 16, 6 pm - 8 pm at Leichtag Commons in Encinitas – "Shabbat by the Sea: One Community, Many Stories"
The Hive and Jeighborhood presented storytelling Shabbat experience led by theatre dybbuk Artistic Director Aaron Henne. Aaron led participants through a short workshop where they wrote quick, anonymous, first-person stories that, as we neared the summer solstice and think about the times we have shared during the season, speak to those moments in our lives where we felt connected, found ease, or experienced joy. The writing workshop was followed by dinner and a storytelling performance.
Saturday, June 17, 9 am - 12:30 pm in La Jolla – storytelling master class with theatre dybbuk for Veterans Playwriting Workshop presented by La Jolla Playhouse
Led by theatre dybbuk Artistic Director Aaron Henne, this workshop was designed for veterans and military servicemen and women who are interested in exploring the art of storytelling through writing, voice and movement.
In this free master class, the artists of theatre dybbuk took participants through a process in which they could gain additional tools to investigate their own personal narratives, texts, and turning points as vessels to create new theatrical work. The three-hour session used a combination of writing, vocal work, and movement-based techniques. The class was free and open to anyone in the veteran or military community.
Sunday, June 18, 2 pm at the Lawrence Family JCC in La Jolla – JFEST performance of The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad
What can a play from sixteenth century England tell us about how antisemitism and other prejudicial beliefs operate in our world today?
Our latest theatrical production brings together elements of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice with Elizabethan history and news from the 21st century to expose the underbelly of the classic play. The multidisciplinary work takes a kaleidoscopic view of the ways in which members of a society displace their fears on the "other" during times of upheaval.
The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad was presented as part of a rolling world premiere with the Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival (JFEST) at the Lawrence Family JCC in La Jolla.
Monday, July 10, 1 pm - 3 pm, in La Jolla – teen playwriting workshop
We returned to the area for a day in July for a playwriting workshop with La Jolla Playhouse's Summer Youth Programs.
Our partners included The Hive at Leichtag Commons, the Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, and Coronado Public Library. This residency was made possible in part by a grant from The Covenant Foundation.
San Francisco Bay Area
September 2023
Thanks to everyone who joined us for our residency in the Bay Area!
PUBLIC EVENTS
Saturday, September 9, 6:30 pm at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto – performance of The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad
What can a play from sixteenth century England tell us about how antisemitism and other prejudicial beliefs operate in our world today?
Our latest theatrical production brings together elements of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice with Elizabethan history and news from the 21st century to expose the underbelly of the classic play. The multidisciplinary work takes a kaleidoscopic view of the ways in which members of a society displace their fears on the "other" during times of upheaval.
The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad is presented as part of a rolling world premiere.
The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad is presented in five acts and runs 2 hours and 45 minutes, including one 15 minute intermission.
Sunday, September 10, 2 pm at The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The CJM) in San Francisco – performance installation of The Villainy You Teach
The character of Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice has long been a source of debate. Some have argued that his is an antisemitic portrait with long-lasting effects on the perception of Jews in our world, while others have stated that the character is a nuanced portrayal that, especially given the time and place of his creation, is empathetic to his plight. Often, at the center of this debate is found a speech in which Shylock proclaims his humanity while defending his vengeful desires.
In The Villainy You Teach, theatre dybbuk explodes this famous speech and investigates the ways in which language can both take on a wide variety of meanings and lose all meaning through persistent examination and exposure. We invite audience members to witness an actor perform this brief speech repeatedly over the course of most of the length of the play, reciting it dozens, if not hundreds, of times alongside a performed reading of Merchant in its entirety.
Audience is welcome to come and go throughout this approximately 2 hour 30 minute installation-style performance.
Monday, September 11, 6 pm - 9 pm hosted by Cutting Ball Theater in San Francisco – "Heritage, History, and Humanity" master class with theatre dybbuk and Artistic Director Aaron Henne
theatre dybbuk specializes in using historical narratives that intersect with considerations of identity and heritage to illuminate the forces at play in our contemporary societies. In this free workshop, the artists of theatre dybbuk took participants through a process which offered them tools to investigate their own personal and/or communal narratives, texts, and turning points as vessels to create new theatrical work that explores the complexities of our world.
The workshop used a combination of writing, vocal work, and movement-based techniques and was open to theatrical artists of a variety of disciplines who are interested in the subject matter.
Wednesday, September 13, 7 pm at The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at UC Berkeley in partnership with the JCC East Bay – performed reading of selections from The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad
The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad brings together elements of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice with Elizabethan history and news from the 21st century to expose the underbelly of the classic play. The multidisciplinary work takes a kaleidoscopic view of the ways in which members of a society displace their fears on the "other" during times of upheaval.
This free event included approximately 75 minutes of performed readings from the work and was followed by a discussion with the audience.
In addition to these events, we offered professional development trainings with a variety of JCCs in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Our partners include the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, JCC East Bay, and Magnes Museum. This residency is made possible in part by a grant from The Covenant Foundation.
These residencies are supported in part by a grant from The Covenant Foundation.