About this episode
Saul Rubinek discusses his one-man show Playing Shylock and the complexities of the character Shylock from The Merchant of Venice.
The Merchant of Venice; Act 3, Scene 1 ShylockNovember 10, 2025 The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.” Actor and storyteller Saul Rubinek takes us inside his one-man show Playing Shylock, now on stage at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center in New York City. Rubinek explores Shylock’s confounding genesis and reveals why one of Shakespeare’s so-called “minor” roles continues to be one of the most groundbreaking, misunderstood and controversial characters in theater history. Click here to see the Folio Version. Click here for a Modern Version of the Text. Click here for more information about Playing Shylock. Click here for Saul's book, All in the Telling. Click here for a transcript of "The Stranger's Case" by Thomas More.
People in this episode
Guest: Saul Rubinek
Topics covered
- Shakespeare
- theater
- character analysis
- acting
- storytelling
Keywords
- Shylock
- Saul Rubinek
- The Merchant of Venice
- Playing Shylock
- theater history
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Polonsky Shakespeare Center
Books & works: The Merchant of Venice, Playing Shylock, All in the Telling
More episodes of The State of Shakespeare
- Bedlam · May 19, 2026 · 35 min
- Jesse Berger and McKinley Belcher III · April 29, 2026 · 40 min
- Timothy Douglas · April 20, 2026 · 35 min
- Nancy Voigts · April 2, 2026 · 27 min
- Carol Grieb · March 5, 2026 · 27 min
- Terry Knickerbocker · October 22, 2025 · 40 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The State of Shakespeare podcast page.