With its double-love plot and intricate themes of reality versus appearance, revenge, mercy, respect, religious conflict, financial and emotional loss and gain, Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” is a tremendously challenging play to undertake. But the Shakespeare Theatre Company is up to the challenge in its fresh vision of Shakespeare’s play. Directed by Ethan McSweeny, this “Merchant” is given a gutsy, successful transformation: It is set in New York City in the late 1920s, where the emphasis is on commerce, crime and social climbing.
The first of three places where this “Merchant” takes place is Little Italy. Since his capital is invested in commercial ventures, Antonio (Derek Smith) borrows 3,000 ducats from the moneylender Shylock to help Bassanio (Drew Cortese) woo the woman he loves. Antonio promises to repayShylock with a “pound of flesh” if he defaults on the loan.Smith and Cortese handily establish the electric atmosphere of Little Italy, where connections and an intense drive for success are central to the fabric of life.
| Onstage |
| ‘The Merchant of Venice’ |
| Where: Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St., NW |
| When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays; 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; 12 p.m. July 20. Through July 24 |
| Info: $20 to $98, 202-547-1122, ShakespeareTheatre.org |
Another portion is represented by the characters of the Lower East Side, among them Shylock (Mark Nelson) and his daughter Jessica (Amelia Pedlow).
Nelsonportrays Shylock as a man of extreme emotions, all of them credible and heartfelt. He is as believable as the father bereft at the loss of his daughter as he is vengeful when Antonio cannot repay his loan. He is sympathetic as a man who has been abused by Antonio, yet perversely thrilled when he thinks he will exact his vicious revenge.
The third physical area in McSweeney’s “Merchant” is Belmont, the elegant home of Portia (Julia Coffey), the heiress who has captured Bassanio’s heart. Coffey’s Portia is a cool-headed,clever woman, as determined to wed Bassanio as she is to outwit Shylock. Her suitors, the Prince of Morocco (Carl Cofield) and the Prince of Aragon (Vaneik Echeverria), add a touch of hilarity with their self-righteous inanity and egotism.
Andrew Lieberman’s set capitalizes on the full height and depth ofthe Harman Hall stage. Using vertical metal supports to surround broad central stairs, Lieberman suggests cramped urban restaurants and bars with smoky back rooms. A few glittering chandeliers and towering floral arrangements transform the space into sophisticated Belmont. Marcus Doshi’s lightingadds chiaroscuro highlights, emphasizingdetails on the darkened stage.
Steven Cahill’s jazzy musicevokes an era full of energy. Jennifer Moeller’scostumes are a reminder of the period’s extremes of wealth and poverty. Choreographer Karma Camp keeps the action flowing dynamically in the background as well as in the foreground, contributing to the sense that Shakespeare was writing about a never-ending swirl of life on an earthy, spicy, spiritedplane.
