The Merchant of Venice

A Venetian merchant named Antonio (Nick Sandys), willing to sacrifice anything for the budding romance of his dear friend Bassanio (Kevin McKillip), agrees to offer a pound of his own flesh as collateral in a deal with Shylock (Michael Goldberg), a Jewish moneylender and also his bitter rival. When Shylock demands the gruesome payment, it falls to Bassino’s lover, a young heiress named Portia (Melanie Keller), disguised as a male lawyer, to save Antonio from the consequences of his anti-Semitism. Set in 16th century Venice, the Bard’s dark tale challenges prejudices and fears about religion, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. A mesmerizing drama ahead of its time, The Merchant of Venice is as timeless as it is true to today’s society.