Audiences who are open to a show that provides both riotous comedy and bracing truths will find plenty to think about in this deconstruction of one of the Bard’s most problematic problem plays.
The Merchant of Venice
Theater Commentary: A Memorable “Merchant of Venice” — Squeezing Blood Out of a Rubber Chicken
This was an enormously exciting production of Merchant of Venice, a reminder that theater can be (in fact, must be!) nervy.
Theater Review: At Shakespeare & Company — Tina Packer’s Masterful “Merchant of Venice”
Shakespeare & Company’s staging of Merchant of Venice is the strongest this critic has ever seen or could hope to.
Book Review: “Shylock Is My Name” — And the Problem Remains
Despite this, he is vexed by how the play draws out the anti-Semitism of English audiences
Theater Review: “The Merchant of Venus” — Shakespeare, Politically Corrected
This production of Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice” tries to have it both ways: a show about intolerance, bigotry, and hatred is set in a ‘politically correct’ past.
Theater Interview with David Sokol, Lyricist who made “Shylock Sing The Blues”
“As an artist, you probably know when a project pulls at you, sometimes kicking and screaming. Shylock definitely has me by the back of the neck.”
Music Review: Shylock Sings the Blues
This daring musical version of “The Merchant of Venice” provides a fascinating re-imagining of a classic play that explores many of the themes and tropes of the original more deeply than many modern productions do.
Coming Attractions in Theater: March 2011
An exciting month, and that isn’t hyperbole. A couple of North American premieres: a futuristic opera from MIT’s Tod Machover and poet Robert Pinsky and a drama tweaking The New Testament from Howard Brenton. Toss in iconic director Peter Brook staging Beckett, F. Murray Abraham as Shylock, and Car Talk:The Musical and you are talking about taking out the smelling salts