Comments for The Custom Made Theatre Co.

Comment on Custom Made Nominated for 15 Critic Circle Awards! by Billie cox

Billie cox — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 22:58:32 +0000

Congrats to a great theatre!!

Comment on Eurydice by » Podcast Episode 009: Cliff Osmond tribute feat. Fred Pitts and Marte Mejstrik ART OF HUSTLE

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:24:58 +0000

[...] Custom Made Theatre [...]

Comment on Edward Albee’s The Play About the Baby by 50 Years of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’ | Tim Bauer

50 Years of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’ | Tim Bauer — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 21:29:31 +0000

[...] of the Tracy Letts/Steppenwolf version of the play. I celebrated a couple days early by seeing Custom Made’s production of “The Play About the Baby,” and by re-reading my autographed copy of “The Goat, or Who Is [...]

Comment on Press by Play About the Baby Production Photos! | The Custom Made Theatre Co.

Play About the Baby Production Photos! | The Custom Made Theatre Co. — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 21:35:16 +0000

[...] Press [...]

Comment on Edward Albee’s The Play About the Baby by Meet the cast of Edward Albee’s The Play About the Baby | The Custom Made Theatre Co.

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 05:40:39 +0000

[...] Coming Soon: Edward Albee’s The Play About the Baby [...]

Comment on Director’s Note, The Merchant of Venice by STUART BOUSEL

STUART BOUSEL — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 23:36:01 +0000

Well, Brian, let me just point out a couple things: one, Venice was very different from Spain, much more liberal, and so Shylock would not have been any more persecuted post-conversion than he would have been pre-conversion. Jews were a necessary and accepted part of the Venetian economy, though they did live outside Venice proper, in the ghetto. The tough part is that, as a convert, he would not be allowed to practice usury, so Shylock would have had to find a new way to make a living. Since the State restores to Shylock their half of his wealth (they only deduct a fine), and Antonio restores the other half (Shylock must turn it over to Lorenzo and Jessica- upon his death), he does have assets at the end of the play, but no promise of a future income, so it is still bleak for the reasons you point out. THAT said, it’s important to point out that Shakespeare is English, and had no real concept of what Venice was like outside of history books and such, so in the end his plays always reflect Renaissance England more than whatever place or time they are located in. This is important to point out because converted Jews were not uncommon in England- Queen Elizabeth had one as a doctor, actually- and so one could have a future as a converted Jew in England and could, as Gabe points out, be more or less accepted into society. Certainly the play implies Jessica will have no problem fitting in with her new friends, and that implication is what made this play very unpopular with the Nazis, who didn’t like it implied that, in the end, it was a matter of words that separated Jews from Christians.

Comment on Director’s Note, The Merchant of Venice by Catz Forsman

Catz Forsman — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 21:17:46 +0000

I’m pondering the lb of flesh in this comedic nightmare. Back in the eighties I worked for a man fixing TV sets who’s daughter was murdered on her first day of college. Very devastating. My experience in the store was witnessing the action and talk around the death penalty (my boss was for the institution). Obviously his reasons were much more than “a lodged hate and a certain loathing” he bore of his daughter’s disturbed and jealous boyfriend. But my own beliefs could never justify state’s permission to apply death. Is it more than “revenge”? What am I missing? In Shakespeare’s days death and torture were more readily and easily applied. Was he commenting on this?

Comment on Director’s Note, The Merchant of Venice by Brian

Brian — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 18:06:53 +0000

Gabe, good point. However, I think the reality of life in Italy, as it was in Spain and the rest of Europe, was that a converted Jew was just that. It did not make him/her a fully welcomed person in society. The country I know most about is Spain, and the Jews who converted to survive the Inquisition/exile were persecuted badly, and had no place in the society. Here, Shylock post-conversion will probably have the worst of it: a) he will have been forced to convert publicly, so there are no illusions he found Jesus, 2) he will be ostracized by his own community and exiled and 3) he cannot even take the guise of Wandering Jew, as the Italian Jews are neither Ashkenazi, nor Sephardic, but are Italkim – the oldest Jewish community in Europe, with roots to the Roman Empire times, and with customs and beliefs that would be rejected by the other Jewish societies. He is doomed as an outcast, and it is probably a death sentence.

Comment on Director’s Note, The Merchant of Venice by Gabe Ross

Gabe Ross — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:31:29 +0000

While observing this scene, one thing struck me about the charges Portia makes against Shylock. The penalty of death and confiscation of property is leveled against “aliens” who attempt to take the life of a Venetian. Shylock is an alien because of his Jewish identity not because he was born outside of the Venetian empire (or so I would assume). His forced conversion, in the world of Venice that had been created would, in theory, make him a citizen of Venice. (perhaps?)

Comment on Bowl-a-thon 2012 by Shelley Johnson

Shelley Johnson — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:51:01 +0000

I’ll pledge a TOTAL of $25.00 ( Not per pin…) Sorry it can’t be more. Have fun!!
Hugs
Shelley