Staged Reading of "The Jew of Malta"

Shakespeare at Winedale alumni will perform 'The Jew of Malta' as a part of the Texas Institute for Literary and Textual Studies (TILTS).

Christopher Marlowe’s 1592 satirical masterpiece features one of his greatest anti-heroes in a story of religious conflict, Machiavellian scheming, and ruthless revenge.  Barabas, the Jew of Malta, has his wealth seized by the island’s Christian rulers in order to prevent an invasion by Ottoman Turks.  He undertakes a spectacular and often hilarious campaign of vengeance involving poisoned nuns, unscrupulous friars, and multiple betrayals, culminating in a giant boiling cauldron.  Hypocrisy and murder know no religious bounds in this shocking and cynical tragicomedy: Christians, Muslims and Jews are shown to be equally motivated by greed and malice.

This rarely-performed play, written just a few years before the controversial young playwright’s violent death, will be given a special one-off staged reading performance.  The title role will be played by Matthew Radford, leading Austin actor and former S@W Visiting Associate Director, who is a current Ph.D. candidate in the UT English Department.

Full Cast List:

This event is free and open to the public.