On theatre dybbuk’s Dracula (Annotated), with Aaron Henne

Please register for this free online program, in conjunction with the Library’s One Bay One Book program.

How do long-held prejudicial beliefs show up in a popular novel from England written at the turn of the twentieth century, and in what ways do those beliefs still operate today? To what extent can perceptions of antisemitism, racism, and xenophobia be deemed as accurate and true, and how much is in the eye of the beholder?
The year is 1897. Eastern European Jewish immigrants are making their way to England in large numbers.
During this same year, Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula is published; this story of a Transylvanian vampire who invades England captures the popular imagination for generations to come.
In Dracula (Annotated), the innovative Jewish theatre company theatre dybbuk excavates the famous tale, using a unique blend of historical investigation and heightened theatricality to weave together the gothic characters and plot of Dracula with references to societal forces at play in Victorian England that are still timely today.
theatre dybbuk’s artistic director Aaron Henne will discuss the novel, the ways in which it intersects with the prejudices and issues of its day, and how the theatre company brought those considerations to life.

Aaron Henne is the founding artistic director of theatre dybbuk, an arts and education organization that uses Jewish history as an entry point to explore the complexities present in our world. In addition to his work with theatre dybbuk, Henne teaches storytelling throughout the country and has presented professional development and character creation workshops at Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Dreamworks. With Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, he has been faculty for the EMA program, was the Diane Luboff Scholar at the Cutter Colloquium, and was a part of Beit HaYotzer/The Creativity Braintrust. Henne has also served as a professional mentor at Otis College of Art and Design and as faculty for the Wexner Heritage and Graduate Programs, as well as for Georgetown University. He has worked as an educator and facilitator for a wide variety of organizations including The Hive at Leichtag Commons, Jewish Federation of North America’s Young Leadership Cabinet, and The Bronfman Fellowship. Henne is a Pilot Wexner Field Fellow, a member of the ROI community, and the recipient of LA Weekly and SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards for Playwriting.