SHEVA, THE BENEVOLENT

Sheva, the Benevolent is an adaptation of English playwright Richard Cumberland's The Jew; or the Benevolent Hebrew, the first English language play to feature a Jewish moneylender as the benevolent hero of a stage comedy.  A forgotten comic gem from the late 18th Century, this romantic comedy offers a definite twist on the stereotypical Shylock character as Sheva secretly brings happiness to a pair of young lovers and resolves a dispute between the groom and his father.  Virtually every role is a gem in this surprising rediscovery. Cast breakdown: 6 men, 5 women.  Available royalty free.

The play premiered at the Drury Lane Theatre in London on May 8, 1794. The American premiere was presented in Philadelphia on February 11, 1795, followed by the New York City premiere on February 25, 1795.  The play has not been performed in New York City in more than 80 years.

CHARACTERS

SHEVA  A money-lender who hides his benevolence beneath the mask of a miser. At least 60. Contrary to expectations, his accent should be Spanish.
SIR STEPHEN BERTRAM  An austere British merchant; fair, but not generous; late 40s to mid-50s.
FREDERICK BERTRAM  Sir Stephen’s son; early 20s; friend to Charles Ratcliffe and husband to Eliza.
SAUNDERS  Sir Stephen’s assistant.
CHARLES RATCLIFFE  A clerk in Sir Stephen’s countinghouse and the son of the late "Don Carlos," who rescued Sheva from an auto de fe some years earlier; early 20s.
ELIZA RATCLIFFE  A beautiful and charming young woman in her late teens to early 20s; sister to Charles and wife to Frederick.
MRS. RATCLIFFE  Mother to Charles and Eliza, the widow of "Don Carlos," a British nobleman who fought at Cadiz.
DORCAS  A Jewish woman, servant to Sheva and mother to Jacob; hard of hearing in her right ear.
JACOB  A young Jewish boy, very thin and always hungry.
MRS. GOODISON  A kindly neighbor and friend to Sheva; in her late 40s to mid-50s.
SERVING GIRL  A common young woman who works in a local tavern.

The play is set in London during the mid-Eighteenth Century.

            Scene 1:  The drawing room of Sir Stephen Bertram’s house.
            Scene 2:  The small living room of Mrs. Ratcliffe’s lodgings.
            Scene 3:  A room in Sheva’s house.
            Scene 4:  Mrs. Ratcliffe’s living room.
            Scene 5:  Sir Stephen’s drawing room.
            Scene 6:  Sheva’s house.
            Scene 7:  A common room of Mrs. Goodison’s house.
            Scene 8:  The back room of a tavern.
            Scene 9:  Mrs. Goodison’s house.

Contact Robert Armin for more information on Sheva, The Benevolent.