Blending physical theatre with poetry and music, theatre dybbuk creates provocative new works that are exciting, and utterly singular live events. The company explores the rich world of Jewish history, building lyrical performances that illuminate universal human experience for contemporary audiences.
theater dybbuk is based in Los Angeles and while in Portland will be offering a variety of performance events and workshops for community members and nonprofit leaders throughout the week. Jewish Federation of Greater Portland is proud to be the hub for theatre dybbuk's residency in Portland.
With an in-depth development process that can range from a few months to three years, Artistic Director Aaron Henne builds each piece with a cast of dedicated professional actors, designers, musicians, and scholars. The resulting works, from the dark and visceral dance theatre of cave… a dance for lilith to the shadowy and immersive hell prepared: a ritual exorcism inspired by kabbalistic principles, performed within a dominant cultural context, are challenging and beautiful to behold.
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?
In their latest theatrical production, theatre dybbuk 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 folio.
Event date: Monday, October 23
Event time: 7:30 pm
Event location: Lincoln Recital Hall @ Portland State University (PSU)
Event partners: Portland State University (PSU), Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (OJMCHE), part of Shakespeare's First Folio: 1623-2023
Tickets are free with a suggested donation of $15. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Photo Credit: Taso Papadakis
Writing Workshop with Aaron Henne,
Artistic Director of theatre dybbuk
Join Aaron Henne, Artistic Director of theatre dybbuk 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 visibilty and invisibility in our world, exploring both challenging and joyful expereiences 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 senior members of our community.
Event date: Tuesday, October 24
Event time: 11 am - 1 pm
Event location/partner:
Eastside Jewish Commons (EJC)
2420 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97232
Tickets are $10 per person
Aaron Henne Bio.
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 specturm 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.
Event date: Tuesday, October 24
Event time: 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Event location/partner:
Eastside Jewish Commons (EJC)
2420 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97232
Tickets are $10 per person
One Community, Many Stories: Looking Forward
theatre dybbuk creates a communal experience through creative writing and performance.
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 the company'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.
Event date: Wednesday, October 25
Event time: 6 pm - 8:30 pm
Event location/partner:
Mittleman Jewish Community Center (MJCC)
6651 SW Capitol Highway, Hillsdale-Portland, OR 97219
Open to anyone age 11 and up
Adult: $15
Child (ages 11-17): $10
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.
Event date: Thursday, October 26
Event time: 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Event location/partner:
Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (OJMCHE)
724 NW Davis Street, Portland, OR 97209
The event is free with museum admission.
"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.
Event date: Thursday, October 26
Event time: 7:30 pm
Event location/partner: Portland State University (PSU), Lincoln Studio Theater -
part of Shakespeare’s First Folio: 1623–2023
Tickets are free. Reservations are recommended.