The Merchant of Venice…A Theatre Novice’s Review

 
Performance Locale:     Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44th Street  N.Y.C.

Performance Date:         11/04/2010

Written By:                    William Shakespeare, published 1623

Director:                        Daniel Sullivan   

Executive Producer:      Joey Parnes

Starring:                       Al Pacino as “Shylock”  

Kim M.Cotton in place of Lily Rabe as “Portia”
David Harbour as “Bassanio”   Byron Jennings as “Antonio”
Seth Numrich as “Lorenzo    Jesse L.Martin as “Gratiano”             
Peter F. James as “Salerio”    Marsha S. Blake as “Narissa”

The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial tragicomedy plays.  Shakespeare artfully blends serious and humorous elements of the storyline throughout the play. There exists an overarching theme of hate, prejudice and anti-Semitic sympathy, but also brings in the themes of love and betrayal, virtue and vice, and forgiveness and revenge.

Setting:The play shifts between Venice, Italy where the character of Antonio resides, to Belmont, Italy where the female lead character Portia resides. The time period is early Renaissance.

Plot:The major conflict of the play concerns the forfeit of a loan contract between the Jewish moneylender Shylock, and Antonio, an anti-Semitic Christian merchant. The penalty of nonpayment is to be paid with a pound of Antonio’s flesh, which Shylock himself will carve out and collect. Antonio indebted himself to Shylock in the amount of 3,000 ducats for the benefit of his “friend” Bassanio.

It is apparent that Antonio is in love with Bassanio, though he knows Bassanio is in love with a woman named “Portia”. The 3,000 ducats in fact, Bassanio begged Antonio for, in order to woo Portia. What is not made apparent is whether Antonio and Bassanio are or ever had been lovers, or if Antonio merely plays with Antonio’s affections in order to make gain.

When Bassanio, victorious in his attempt to engage himself to Portia, appears merry and joyous, Bassanio receives a letter in which Antonio pleads for his return, so he may see Bassanio one last time before he is made to repay the debt he has defaulted on.  Comedic action ensues when Portia and her maid Narissa, engaged to Bassanio’s friend Gratiano, costume themselves as men in order to carry out a plan to save Antonio.  The women trick their betrothed into returning the rings the women had gifted each of the men in celebration of their love, with the instruction to never let it part from the finger on which they placed it.

The women are successful in saving Antonio from Shylock’s knife and scale.  Portia is able to manipulate the law in such a manner that Antonio is able to make a demand from Shylock to convert to Christianity. Shylock is made to go through the motions of conversion, but puts his yarmulke on the moment the conversion ceremony is completed, in defiance of authority for which he risks his life. Bassanio and Gratiano learn of their fiancés actions and are chastised for parting with their rings. The play ends with all of the couples moving forward in their lives together, with the knowledge of the preceding events surely forever ingrained in their minds.


Sub-Plot:As an off-shoot storyline, Shylock’s daughter Jessica falls in love with a Christian man Lorenzo, a part of Bassanio’s group of friends. She steals Shylock’s money and elopes with Lorenzo, agreeing to convert her faith to Christianity in order to marry him. This of course incenses her father, a man who has suffered much humiliation and abuse from Christians.

           
                                                 Critique


Acting:All of the actors played their parts very well.  There were no mistakes or break in willing suspension of disbelief due to their fault.

Set Design:I am not sure I understood the director’s vision in regard to the set design.  The only scenery onstage was moving metal frames and staircases. It was distracting.

Costuming:The actors were dressed in 19th century attire which did not fit  the time period of the play. This was also distracting.

Lighting & Sound:The actors were easily heard, and the lighting must have been appropriate for I didn’t even take notice of it.

Final Thoughts:My overall impression of the performance was very positive.  I enjoyed having the opportunity to watch Mr. Pacino perform live. At the very beginning of the play I was worried I wouldn’t understand the Elizabethan language used in the dialogue. But very soon into the play I didn’t even notice it any longer. However, it is to the credit of the actors that I was able to comprehend Mr. Shakespeare’s words.  I highly doubt that I would be able to make much sense of the play in written form. In reviewing the information provided in the class textbook, it is hard to determine for sure if this play would be classified as having a climactic or episodic structure, as it has some qualities from each type. It is interesting to note that the play was used as part of Nazi propaganda during Hitler’s regime.