Of course, as was customary in Shakespeare’s time, casts of his shows were always all-male. Mr. Hall’s audacity lies in his particular vision: Rather than being set in various locales in Venice, here the play is set in a prison, a group of jail cells encircling the center of the stage, with a group of lively, arguably hyperactive, performers acting out the story.
But Merchant is actually two stories. In one, Bassanio (Jack Tarlton) pleads with his good friend, Antonio (Bob Barrett), the eponymous Merchant, to lend him a large sum of money so that he can have the wherewithal to travel to Belmont, the home of his beloved Portia (Kelsey Brookfield), so that he can woo and marry her.
Not having enough funds at hand, Antonio strikes a deal with the Jewish usurer, Shylock (Richard Clothier), to borrow the required sum. If Antonio cannot repay the loan within the prescribed time, he agrees to forfeit to Shylock a pound of his flesh. Antonio takes it as a joke, for he expects to have more than enough money coming to him within ample time.
Later, in Belmont, three suitors seek Portia’s hand. But her decision will be made by means of choosing one of three caskets: one of lead, one of silver, one of gold. The suitor choosing the casket containing Portia’s picture will be the husband of her choice.
Of course, Bassanio has arrived in ample time to be one of the suitors.
But, back in Venice, things have not gone well for Antonio. His money has not arrived in timely fashion and he must forfeit his pound of flesh to Shylock. This means certain death. And even when friends of Antonio offer more than the required sum, Shylock holds firm. He wants his bond.
It must be known that Shylock has been spat upon and called names by Antonio and others. Shylock’s daughter Jessica (Jon Trenchard) has run off and married a gentile. In short, he has been severely mistreated by the gentile majority of Venice.
Now comes the famous courtroom scene in which Portia, disguised as a man (we have a man playing a woman now playing a man), acts as lawyer for Antonio: “The quality of mercy is not strained …” By cleverly using a legal technicality, she manages to free Antonio and humiliate Shylock further, who loses just about everything he holds dear.
Shakespeare presents both points of view trenchantly. On the one hand, it is vicious and ruthless for Shylock to insist upon what can only be viewed as certain death for Antonio. On the other hand, Shylock has suffered humiliation upon humiliation throughout his lifetime, merely for being born a Jew. It is well known that ongoing abuse can warp a person’s psyche and lead to criminal behavior.
The play’s content was not original with Shakespeare. As in many, if not most of his plays, he uses many sources familiar in myth and legend. It continues to be a source of disagreement among scholars, and others, whether Shakespeare is being anti-Semitic or whether he sympathizes with Shylock’s stance. Or perhaps the Bard is simply presenting the play for evaluation and judgment by the audience.
The cast presents a strong ensemble, with Richard Clothier’s Shylock and Kelsey Brookfield’s Portia standing out a bit from the crowd.
Set designer Michael Pavelka and lighting designer Ben Ormerod frame director Hall’s concept.
The Merchant of Venice
Brooklyn Academy of Music
BAM Harvey Theater
651 Fulton Street
Tickets: (718) 636-4100 (BAMbus from Manhattan can be reserved also)
Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Closes: May 17
Diana Barth writes and publishes New Millennium, an arts newsletter. For information: mailto:diabarth@juno.com. She also reviews for http://www.totaltheater.com/.
