John Hudson, Artistic Director of the experimental Shakespeare company, the Dark Lady Players, has put forth the theory that Shakespeare’s plays were written by a Jewish woman. He writes on Jewcy.com:

For hundreds of years, people have questioned whether William Shakespeare wrote the plays that bear his name. The mystery is fueled by the fact that his biography simply doesn’t match the areas of knowledge and skill demonstrated in the plays. Nearly a hundred candidates have been suggested, but none of them fit much better. Now a new candidate named Amelia Bassano Lanier—the so-called ‘Dark Lady’ of the Sonnets and a member of an Italian/Jewish family—has been shown to be a perfect fit. Here are eight reasons that are sure to convince you.

How did you first hit upon Amelia Bassano as a candidate for author of the plays we’ve come to know as William Shakespeare’s?
If the plays contain Jewish satires and allegories, then there was only one Jewish candidate.

How much knowledge of Jewish texts was Bassano likely to have as a Marrano and a woman?
There was only one Talmud known in England, it was in westminster cathedral library; however, Talmudic teaching was also oral, so individual quotes could have been transmitted that way. There are several quotes from the Pirke Avot which was available as a standalone volume in Latin, similarly the Zohar. There were of course women scholars at the time, including one who was a distant relative of the Bassanos–Donna Ana (Reyna) de Nasi continued her mother’s vision and support for Torah scholarship, and in her 50’s set up a printing press at Belvedere Palace that published a dozen Hebrew books over 1592-99 including an allegorical drama and a Talmudic treatise.

Man or woman, Jewish or not, it definitely gives Shakespeare scholars something to ponder over a sonnet or two. If you’re looking to dive into the classics, look no further than Robert W. Smith, an internationally known director and expert on Shakespeare, who has been teaching his “Best Loved Plays” classes at the 92nd Street Y for 11 years. You can still sign up for discussions on The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It and The Sonnets.