Shylock

Second Prize Winner, Canada's National One-Act Playwriting Competition (1994)

Shylock is an award-winning play about a Jewish actor who finds himself condemned by his own community for his portrayal of Shakespeare's notorious Jew. Shylock has provided much fuel for the fiery debates surrounding censorship, historical revisionism, political correctness, and the thorny discussion of whether certain plays are suitable for contemporary productions--Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice amongst them.

Praise for Shylock:

"Not an ounce of fat on this play. Pure gold." (CBC Radio)

"Mark Leiren-Young's play is very strong and an important contribution to the vexed and vexing question of the alleged anti-Semitism of The Merchant of Venice." (Patrick Stewart, actor)

"I leapt at the opportunity to present Shylock at Vancouver's Shakespeare Festival. It is a fascinating play. Bravo Leiren-Young! Bravo Shylock!" (Christopher Gaze, Artistic Director, Bard on the Beach Theatre Company)