July 2008
Directed by Cathy Gill
Bassanio is broke. He asks his friend Antonio (the Merchant) to loan him the money so he can woo Portia, the heiress of Belmont. Antonio's money is all tied up in his merchant fleets, so Bassanio goes to Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, and Antonio says he will stand guarantor for the loan, confident that his ships will return long before the bond is forfeit. Shylock and Antonio are old enemies, however. The reasons are 1) a traditional Jewish/Christian distrust and enmity and 2) Shylock charges interest on his loans, a practise that was forbidden in Christian society. Shylock senses an opportunity for revenge, and suggests that instead of charging interest on the loan, this time he will ask only for a pound of Antonio's flesh if the money is not repaid on time. Antonio agrees to the Bond. Meanwhile Portia, in Belmont, receives various suitors. Before his death her father arranged that each suitor should choose one of three caskets of gold, silver and lead, one of which contains Portia's picture. He who chooses the right casket wins Portia's hand in marriage. Back in Venice, Shylock's daughter, Jessica, is planning to steal her father's money, and elope with Lorenzo, one of Bassanio's friends. She will also convert to Christianity In Act 3 Bassanio chooses between the caskets, but as soon as he has chosen news comes that Antonio's ships have all failed, that his Bond to Shylock is forfeit.....and that Shylock is unwavering in his pursuit of the pound of flesh...