JEW OF SEVILLE Format: Paperback

A popular play written by Victor Sejour (1817-1874) a francophone native of Louisiana of African descent, The Jew of Seville is a five-act verse drama first performed in 1844. It tells the story of Jacob Eliacin, a Jew, during the Spanish Inquisition.

As the play opens, Eliacin (now known as Diegarias)  is masquerading as a Christian and has become a prominent member of the court at Seville, where his daughter Ines  encounters and is seduced by Don Juan in a sham marriage. Diegarias demands that the nobleman marry his daughter, but a self-serving Moor reveals the truth of Diegarias's identity to Don Juan, who then publicly refuses to marry a Jew's daughter. After this humiliation, Diegarias plots a revenge that entails dire consequences for Ines.

Featuring a stirring translation by Shapiro and a thoroughly engaging introduction by Weiss, this provocative historical drama, written by a Creole of color, highlights the discrimination not only of Sejour's time, but of ours as well . This is a new edition of this translation originally published in 2002 by the University of Illinois.

VICTOR SEJOUR (1817-74), a Creole "free person of color" was born in Louisiana and made his career as a playwright in France. Only one of his plays, The Brown Overcoat, has been previously translated into English.

Norman R. Shapiro is one of the most renowned French translators, esp. of 19th century French plays and poetry. He was recently decorated by the French government for his contributions to French literature. He has also translated Sejour's play : The Fortune Teller, also available through Second Line press.
M. Lynn Weiss is an associate professor of American Studies at William and Mary College and has collaborated with Norman Shapiro on a number of Creole French titles.