''Yasser'' is a
play by
Moroccan-born
Dutch novelist, playwright and
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
Abdelkader Benali
Abdelkader Benali ( ar, عبد القادر بنعلي; born 25 November 1975 in Ighazzazen, Morocco) is a Moroccan-Dutch writer and journalist.
When he was four years old, he and his family, of Berber background, migrated to The Netherlands and ...
. It was written in 2001, and describes the challenges and adversities faced by a
Palestinian actor in playing the role of
Shylock
Shylock is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Merchant of Venice'' (c. 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal antagonist. His defeat and conversion to Christianity form the climax of the ...
in
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
The Merchant of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Although classified as ...
''.
Plot
The play takes place in the dressing room of a provincial theatre in a European country, where character Yasser Mansour is getting ready to go and perform the role of Shylock in Shakespeare's ''The Merchant of Venice''. While preparing for this role, he elaborates on his past in
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
, his discrimination and the prejudices he faces as an
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
living and working in the West, and the insights into emancipation that performing the role of Shylock have given him.
Structure
''Yasser'' is a monologue, taking place in continuous time. The play makes frequent reference to ''The Merchant of Venice'', and on several occasions quotes passages of it, including the "Has not a Jew eyes" speech by Shylock in Shakespeare's original.
Production
''Yasser'' was written for production by De
Toneelschuur
De Toneelschuur is a theater in Haarlem, Netherlands.
The building has two theaters and two movie theaters. In the latter more alternative movies are shown (no Hollywood blockbusters). The name Filmschuur is often used to indicate the movie thea ...
theatre in
Haarlem
Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...
, the Netherlands, where it opened in September 2001. It won the H. G. van der Vies award for new writing, and was in the official selection for the annual Theaterfestival in 2002. An English production of ''Yasser'', translated by Terry Ezra, opened at the
Assembly Rooms on the 2008
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
, in a production by Anglo-Dutch theatre company
Studio Dubbelagent. This production subsequently transferred to the
Chopin Theatre
Chopin Theatre Productions is a 501(c)(3) not for profit art presenter and producer at the historic Chopin Theater building in Chicago. Built in 1918, in what is now Wicker Park, the theater is located across the Polish Triangle. Chopin Theatr ...
, Chicago, in October and November 2008, and to
Arcola Theatre
Arcola Theatre is an Off West End theatre in the London Borough of Hackney. It presents plays, operas and musicals featuring established and emerging artists.
The theatre building, in the former Colourworks paint factory on Ashwin Street, Dalst ...
, London in 2009.
External links
Abdelkader Benali's official website(also in English)
De Toneelschuur Haarlem, the Netherlands
Studio Dubbelagent
{{The Merchant of Venice
2001 plays
Works based on The Merchant of Venice
Plays for one performer