THE MERCHANT

OF VENICE

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.

Cast

Shylock #1 – Sorab Wadia

Shylock #2- Adrianno Iurissevich, Franciso Rodriguez

Shylock #3- Jenni Lea-Jones, Lynda Gravatt, Trazana Beverely

Shylock #4—Andrea Brugnera, Michael Rogers

Shylock #5- Ned Eisenberg, Steven Skybell, John Rothman 

Antonio- -Stefano Scherini, Touissant Jeanlouis, Sandro Isaack

Bassanio--Michele Athos Guidi, Titus Thomkins

Graziano-- Sorab Wadia

Lorenzo—Paul Spera

Salanio—Enrio Zagni, Karim Sulayman

Salarino—Hunter Perske, Chris McLinden, Paul Pryce

Portia – Linda Powell

Nerissa—Elena Pellone, Abigail Killeen, Sofia Jean Gomez

Balzarina—Monica Garavello, Dietrice Bolden

Jessica—Michelle Uranowitz

Lancillotto- Francesca Sara Toich

Musicians

Percussion --Marcello Bennetti, Aaron Alexander, Brian Shankar Adler

Trumpet—Frank London, Eva Boodman

Piano/accordion—Paul Vasile, Joshua Camp

Violin—Nikole Stoica

Violin—Alexandra Stoika

Cello—Serena Mancuso, Kaitlyn Raitz, Jane Scarpantoni

Black Angels

 Roberta Barbiero, Rena Gavigan

Ziv Gidron, Jake Dunham

Emeline Mele, Catherine McElaney

Alessandra Quattrini, Ashlee Pallay, Melanie Gettler

Andrew Russell, Patrick Salerno

Creative Team

Project conceived by Shaul Bassi

Direction and adaptation: Karin Coonrod

Music: Frank London

Set+Lights: Peter Ksander

Costumes: Stefano Nicolao

Dramaturgy: Walter Valeri and Davina Moss

Voice and Text Coach: Gigi Buffington

Masks: Donato Sartori

Ring Design: Giampaolo Babetto

Sound: Andrea Santini, Tony Geballe

Projections: Paul Lieber

Stage Manager: Nerina Cocchi, Rebekah Heusel, Caitlin O’Rourke

Production Supervisors: Mascia Pavon, Marciano Rizzo

General Manager and Producing Director: Jennifer Neuman

Photographers: Andrea Messana, Marina Levitskaya

Graphics: John Conklin