generating spectacle wherever we go
the Merchant of Venice
 The Merchant of VeniceProduced in the Venice Ghetto on its 500th Anniversary. Photographer: Andrea Messana |  The Merchant of VeniceProduced for the Venice Ghetto upon its 500th Anniversary, July 2016. Photographer: Andrea Messana |  The Merchant of VeniceProduced for the Venice Ghetto upon its 500th Anniversary, July 2016. Photographer: Andrea Messana |
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 Merchant of Venice, Sept. 2017Production for Peak Performances at Montclair State Univ. Photographer: Marina Levitskaya |  Merchant of Venice, Sept 2017Production for Peak Performances at Montclair State University. Photographer: Marina Levitskaya |  The Merchant of VeniceProduced for the Venice Ghetto upon its 500th Anniversary, July 2016. Photographer: Andrea Messana |
 The Merchant of VeniceProduced for the Venice Ghetto upon its 500th Anniversary, July 2016. Photographer: Andrea Messana |  The Merchant of VeniceProduced for the Venice Ghetto upon its 500th Anniversary, July 2016. Photographer: Andrea Messana |  The Merchant of Venice, Sept. 2017Produced for Peak Performances at Montclair State Univ. Photographer: Marina Levitskaya |
 The Merchant of VeniceProduced for the Venice Ghetto upon its 500th Anniversary, July 2016. Photographer: Andrea Messana |  The Merchant of VeniceProduced for the Venice Ghetto upon its 500th Anniversary, July 2016. Photographer: Andrea Messana |  Merchant of Venice, Sept 2017Produced for Peak Performances at Montclair State University. Photographer: Marina Levitskaya |
 Merchant of Venice_16853aProduced for the Venice Ghetto upon its 500th Anniversary, July 2016. Photographer: Andrea Messana |  Merchant of VenicePerformed in Bassano, Italy, Aug. 2016. Photographer: Andrea Messana |  Merchant of Venice, Sept. 2017Produced for Peak Performances at Montclair State University. Photographer: Marina Levitskaya |
 Merchant of Venice, June 2018Hopkins Center for the Arts, Dartmouth College. Photographer: Rob Strong |  Merchant of Venice, June 2018International Festival of Art & Ideas, Yale, New Haven. Photographer: Judy Sirota Rosenthal |
The Merchant of Venice was conceived for and minted in the Jewish Ghetto of Venice in 2016 on the 500th anniversary of its founding.
Originally produced in the Venice Ghetto in partnership with Ca' Foscari University of Venice and the Creative Europe Project "Shakespeare In and Beyond the Ghetto." Mille graze to Shaul Bassi, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Beit Venezia, Maria Ida Biggi, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Carol Rutter, David Kastan; filmmakers Ted Hardin and Elizabeth Coffman; and the entire company of extraordinary actors and crew who together breathed the production into its first life. We honor you all.
After the performance in the Venice Ghetto, the production traveled to Castello degli Ezzelini in Bassano del Grappa, Italy and to the high security Padova Prison for men in Padova, Italy.
Our third and fourth productions
June 19-23, 2018
The International Festival of Arts&Ideas
Courtyard of the Yale Law School
127 Wall Street
New Haven, CT
June 26-28, 2018
The BEMA
Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth
Hanover, NH
Cast
Sandro Isaack - Antonio
Sorab Wadia - Graziano/Shylock #1
Linda Powell - Portia
Sofia Jean Gomez - Nerissa
Karim Sulayman - Salanio
Titus Tompkins - Bassanio
Paul-Robert Pryce - Salarino
Michelle Uranowitz - Jessica
Paul Spera - Lorenzo
Frank Rodriguez - Arragon/Shylock #2
Francesca Sarah Toich - Lancillotto
Trazana Beverley - Duke/Shylock #3
John Rothman - Tubal/Shylock # 5
Michael Rogers - Morocco/Shylock #4
Dietrice Bolden - Balzarina
Frank London (A&I, Yale)- trumpet, MD
Joshua Camp - piano/ accordion, AMD
Nikole Stoica - violin
Alexandra Stoica - violin
Kaitlyn Raitz (A&I, Yale) - cello
Aaron Alexander (A&I, Yale) - drums/rhythm
Brian Shankar Adler (Dartmouth) - drums/rhythm
Eva Boodman (Dartmouth) - trumpet
Jane Scarpantoni (Dartmouth) - cello
Cailtin O'Rourke - PSM
The second production occurred at Peak Performances at Montclair State University,
September 19 - October 1, 2017.
Ms. Coonrod’s attempt to solve the problem of Shylock by multiplication is surprisingly effective. When I read about her “Merchant” — first staged last year in Venice’s ancient Jewish ghetto (with a mock trial conducted after one performance by Ruth Bader Ginsburg) — it sounded gimmicky. But this experimental director has a knack for transforming high concepts into accessible theater.
Shakespeare Uncovered: The Merchant of Venice” with F. Murray Abraham produced by PBS, includes a conversation with Karin Coonrod and scenes from the Venice production.
New York Times: A Flock of Shylocks Transforms ‘Merchant of Venice’- Review
Reinventing Shakespeare, According to the Gospel of Joseph Papp - Ben Brantley, New York Times
theartsdesk in Venice: Shylock comes home - Review
New York Times - Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Presides Over Shylock’s Appeal
La Republica - Live video feed, opening night.
NY Times - Travel, Mar. 9, 2016
July 11, 2016
BBC Documentary - Shylock’s Ghost
Peak Performances Cast
Reginald Cathey, Antonio
Sorab Wadia, Graziano/Shylock #1
Frank Rodriguez, Arragon/Shylock #2
Myra Lucretia Taylor, Duke/Shylock #3
Michael Rogers, Morocco/Shylock #4
Ned Eisenberg, Tubal/Shylock # 5
Linda Powell, Portia
Abigail Killeen, Nerissa
Karim Sulayman, Salanio
Paul Pryce, Salarino
Bassanio, tbd
Michelle Uranowitz, Jessica
Paul Spera, Lorenzo
Francesca Sarah Toich, Lancillotto
Dietrice Bolden, Balzarina
Venice international Cast
alphabetical order
Emeline Mele
Emanuele Piavone
Music by Frank London (Grammy Award, member of Klezmatics)
Set & Lights by Peter Ksander (Obie Award)
Costumes by Stefano Nicolao (Oscar nominated)
Dramaturgy by Walter Valeri
Voice and Text by Gigi Buffington
Projections and Sound by Andrea Santini
Graphics by John Conklin
Directed by Karin Coonrod
Production Website: www.themerchantinvenice.org
Venice Photographer: Andrea Messana
Peak Performances Photographer: Marina Levitskaya with
permission from Peak Performances at Montclair State University