Dracula: Antisemitism and British Gothic Literature

This episode features a discussion between theatre dybbuk's artistic director, Aaron Henne, and Professor Carol Margaret Davison about Bram Stoker's Dracula, exploring the ways in which the societal concerns present at the time of its publication intersect with the prejudices and beliefs that are embedded in the text.Professor Davison acted as a consulting scholar on theatre dybbuk's new world premiere production, Dracula (Annotated), which Aaron wrote and directed, and which opens in Los Angeles on September 26, 2025 then tours to Tucson and Cincinnati in the weeks that follow. In the piece, the company uses a unique blend of scholarly investigation and heightened theatricality to weave together the gothic characters and plot of Dracula with references to the forces at play in Victorian England that are still timely today.This episode is a rebroadcast of an online Zoom event that was recorded live on August 10, 2025, as presented by the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program and hosted by Shirel Horovitz. The program was edited for the podcast by Julie Lockhart and Mark McClain Wilson. You can learn more about the Jewish Community Scholar Program at www.occsp.net. Learn more at theatredybbuk.org/podcast.

Om Podcasten

What do poems, plays, and other creative texts from throughout history tell us about the times in which they were written? And what do they reveal about the forces still at play in our contemporary societies? Using interviews with artists and scholars combined with readings performed by actors, The Dybbukast examines and gives context to creative works while exploring their relationships to issues still present today. ​ The Dybbukast is produced by theatre dybbuk. While the company is no longer producing full seasons, it will continue to use this platform to present live recordings of its illuminated lectures – which share The Dybbukast format – as they are available.