The Merchant of Venice has long been regarded as one of Shakespeare’s so-called “problem” plays. And that’s for good reason since it’s both a comedy and tragedy; and the villain, the Jew Shylock, is portrayed with the worst anti-semitic tropes. But the “problem” in this most recent adaptation is far more basic than anything cited by scholars. The messaging is muddied, and almost every line of the Bard’s text is fodder for butchery in this overcooked turkey.
Adapter and director, Igor Golyak chose to stage the play as a low budget cable access program called “The Antonio Show.” Equipment is constantly failing and one character tells us that all but one crew member and a number of actors and musicians have left. Is that to prepare us for what turns out to be a very shoddy production?
There’s nothing wrong with contemporary versions of the Bard’s works. Dozens if not hundreds of productions have successfully interpreted Merchant’s “problems” for modern audiences. But in this version, Golyak took an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach with little rhyme or reason.
We’re told that the play was originally conceived more than 400 years ago as a comedy in the style of commedia dell’arte, and so what we get on the CSC stage is a lot of silly antics that aren’t all that funny. An actor on a unicycle keeps crashing, only to return again and again all banged up. Another gets tangled in a lengthy piece of cloth while trying to recite his lines; yet another raps out his lines while breakdancing; and believe it or not, a lengthy sequence involving the play’s lovers features puppet sex that goes on ad nauseam. It was novel when Avenue Q staged it. Here it’s just tasteless.
The merchant of the story is named Antonio (T.R. Knight), a good businessman who agrees to lend money to his friend Bassanio (Jose Espinosa) so that he can court the wealthy Portia (Alexandra Silber). But as it turns out, Antonio’s wealth is tied up in cargo that has yet to arrive by ship. And so Antonio goes to the moneylender, Shylock (Richard Topol), to borrow the cash. Instead of interest on the loan, Shylock, wounded and resentful after a lifetime of abuse, demands a pound of Antonio’s flesh if he fails to return the money. When the debt is due, Antonio learns his ships are lost at sea and, unable to pay the loan, he is arrested. By now, Shylock’s daughter Jessica (Gus Birney) has fled with his money, intending to be married and convert to Christianity. Shylock is in no mood to be merciful and insists that the debt be paid with Antonio’s heart. At the play’s climax, Portia disguises herself as a man and pleads Antonio’s case. In the original, she pretends to be a lawyer. Here she dons a Batman costume! Through a technicality, the tables are turned and Shylock is ruined while the rest get married.
The play is branded a comedy because no one dies and everyone, except the villain, lives happily ever after. The tragic element is tied up in that villain who’s repeatedly insulted and humiliated. It’s very hard in this day and age to accept the anti-semitic characterization of Shylock, whose only sin, at least as portrayed, is being Jewish. Throughout much of the play, his costume consists of a Groucho mask and Dracula cape. It doesn’t take long before all the tomfoolery is tiresome. And without a decent catharsis, the production leaves us empty.
On the few occasions when the actors speak the speech plainly and without any affectation or directorial nonsense, it’s a whole different experience. Richard Topol delivers Shylock’s famed soliloquy – “Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions…” – with great conviction and depth. It’s a moving moment, one of very few in the production. Another high point is Alexandra Silber’s recitation of Portia’s plea for mercy: “The quality of mercy is not strained…” Even while dressed ridiculously in that Batman costume, the words soar. Midway in the production, the audience is treated to a montage depicting iconic movie romances on a big screen. If only that had gone longer!
The performers are all game and I felt for them as they were put through their paces enacting one sophomoric stunt after another. T.R. Knight deserves special praise for his versatility and endurance.
All’s well does not end well here. But there is some symmetry to be found. It’s in that pound of flesh Shylock was seeking. Shakespeare’s poetry endures quite a beating in this deeply flawed production, but thanks to a few key moments, the heart of it still manages to survive.
The Merchant of Venice opened November 25, 2024, at the Classic Stage Company and runs through December 22. Tickets and information: classicstage.org
