By Bryan Stubbles
William Shakespeare selling out a 2:00 PM matinee on a Saturday in Orem, Utah? 45 seats filled. I saw it happen. The play is the ever-controversial Merchant of Venice. For those who have aren’t familiar with the play, one character is Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. Modern debate focuses around whether Shylock is a victim of Christian prejudice or a villain. Arguments for and against the play can readily be found. For an overview, please check out this article by Aviva Dautch. The production by UVU’s Theatrical Arts Guild attacks these issues head on. The plot is labyrinthine, but bear with me. Spoilers ahead.
A street in Venice. Stud merchant Antonio (David Chamberlain) is down in the dumps. His friend Bassanio (Bailey King) just returned from a meeting with a proto-Kardashian named Portia (Rilyn Gardner). Bassanio totally needs to impress Portia, so naturally he needs money. And naturally Antonio would give it to him – except being a merchant and all, his money is in ships abroad. They agree to raise some funds using Antonio’s credit.
Portia’s got problems. Dudes from all over vie for her hand. She can’t choose. But her dad, before dying, made a test. There are three caskets and whoever chooses the correct one gets his daughter. I doubt he consulted her about this.
Portia wants to avoid marriage. Bassanio wants to marry her. He tries to obtain a loan for 3,000 gold ducats from Shylock (Tyrell Clement). Bassanio borrows it using Antonio’s credit (some friend). FYI, Antonio, like every Christian in the play, hates Jews.
Shylock agrees to lend the money sans interest. But one condition…if unpaid, Antonio will give a pound of his own flesh. Yeah, Antonio isn’t the best negotiator. Back at the casket-fest, suitors choose the wrong ones.
Shylock’s comely daughter Jessica (Maren Lethbridge) decides to run off with rugged Lorenzo (Tyler Botill) and convert to Christianity. Before leaving, she steals some serious dough from her pops, which shows what sort of Christians inhabit this play.
Shylock is understandably angry that his daughter and money are gone, but Antonio loves it. It takes his mind off the fact Bassanio has gone to woo Portia.
Antonio’s ships have been sinking. Shylock’s still mad about his money and daughter, but oddly happy he can take a pound of anti-Semitic Antonio’s flesh. He makes his famous speech defending Jews’ humanity.
The Christians have taught him to hate with their own hatred, and he is now turning those lessons around onto Antonio.
Portia swats away the hunks like so many flies but has a thing for manly Bassanio. Jessica and Lorenzo show up talking about Antonio’s soon-to-be death by Shylock. Portia offers to pay Antonio’s debt and she and Bassanio get married. She sends Bassanio to Shylock with 20 times the debt owed.
Portia cross-dresses as a lawyer to defend Antonio. Her loyal friend Nerissa (Sage Peacock) also gets into the act – she marries Gratiano (Drake Hansen). And Nerissa dresses up like a dude, too.
Venice. Court. Shylock wants justice – one pound of Antonio’s flesh. A young lawyer named Balthazar shows up. Hint: it’s Portia. The Duke (Stephen Brailsford) judges.
Portia suggests Shylock show Antonio mercy, that mercy is better than justice. Shylock’s cool with justice. Antonio doesn’t care by now. Shylock is understandably very happy with all this and remarks on how just the Duke is and how learned the lawyer (aka Portia) is.
Shylock is about to kill fair-haired Antonio when Portia says the bond entitles Shylock to Antonio’s flesh, but if he spills a drop of Christian blood, the penalty is to lose all he possesses. Shylock tries to bargain, asking for the enormous amount of money previously offered. Nope. He asks for the original 3,000 ducats. Again, nope.
The justice system that Shylock reckoned was on his side has now turned on him. He tries to leave. Nuh-uh. He must beg for his life.
Antonio decides that Shylock has to sign an agreement saying that when he dies, all his money will go to Jessica and her new Christian husband. Lovely. Also, Shylock must convert to Christianity. Shylock has nothing at the end, except a camp tattoo and a cross necklace.
The original play had some denouement after this, but this production chose to end here, which is actually more theatrical.
All the actors show good, quick delivery. None have the ghastly habit of some Shakespearean productions where every…line…is…spoken…as…if…pontificating.
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In the mere introduction of the characters, Shylock’s isolation and outsider status is maximized. As with any visible minority, he basically lives in a fishbowl. Visible minority? Certainly, because he sports the Magen David. Mallory Goodman’s costume design offers us a thrilling, incredible and frightful look at a faux-Fascist, Nazi-hued society set in approximately the 1940s. All the dashing young men clad themselves in varying degrees of brown and tan. One wears a brassard. All the fine young women sport fashionable dresses and even period make-up and hair. The result remains striking and chilling. When we see Shylock wearing the yellow star, we know exactly which world we are entering. Credit for hair and makeup deservedly goes to Megan Carson’s amazing work. She also covered the part of Salarino.
Whenever there is conflict involving Shylock, the other characters gawk, laugh, and judge. The blocking by directors Ardon Smith and Ian Brooks creates a goosebump-inducing atmosphere of fear, hate, and mistrust so prevalent in these types of societies, using only actors and three red blocks (really!). Bryce Almond aptly assists them. Tristin Smith tackles stage managing chores, with assistance from Jennie Steeneck and Miranda Richards.
The players made perfect use of the limited stage size. Sound design by Tyrell Clement produced a haunting incidental score resembling an ungodly mating between Nino Rota’s The Godfather score and something out of Fascist Italy.
The conformity of the Christians creates a sense of them being one monolithic mass – a character unto themselves who then harass Shylock ad nauseum. Some smaller parts were double-cast and still played well.
Jessica’s monologue (while she’s Jewish and before she converts and runs off with Lorenzo) contained so much power and Miss Lethbridge’s interpretation so poignant I started to well up. Strong stuff.
Shylock’s speech was equally effective and Mr. Clement well-cast in the role.
The couples that fall in love portray that love well. Portia’s suitors (Arragon and Morocco, aptly played by Colton Clement and Chris Walters, respectively) provided necessary comic relief. Arragon’s amalgamation of US Army dress jacket and Russian accent also provided a hint toward the politics of nowadays.
Also impressive was the everyday, boy-next-door, girl-next-door quality Shylock’s persecutors possess. It is reminiscent of Hannah Arendt’s banality of evil. Evil isn’t some bogeyman haunting your nightmares. Evil lives next door and is as boring as everyone else who lives next door.
This play struck an incredible nerve with me. Growing up I was sometimes called “Jew” or “Jewish” (FYI I’m not). Sometimes it was a genuine statement as brainless kids swore up and down I was Jewish. Other times it was a question but often it was meant to be an epithet or insult. The world conjured up in this production has parallels to Layton, Utah in the 1990s.
The play begins and ends with the same circle of people revolving, conformists one and all, cogs in society’s machine. At the end, Shylock joins them. This interesting choreography is under the able auspices of Kailey Azure Green.
Co-director Ardon Smith handled scenic design. Savannah Roberts meticulously provided the props, which were simple yet effective – money being prominent.
Aimee Moore creates a brave lighting design, heavy on the red, as if the characters are getting a preview of Hell itself.
All in all, Orem and UVU should be honored that a production of such quality reached them – and sold out at 2:00 PM on a Saturday in June.
Content advisory: adult themes, sexuality
UVU’s Theatrical Arts Guild presents The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
Exbox Theatre, Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah
June 14-16 7:30 PM. Matinee June 16 2:00 PM.
Tickets free. Donation appreciated.
Youtube trailer
The Merchant of Venice Facebook Event
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