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The Merchant of Venice
by Blackhawk Theatre Company / Citrus Valley High School 
Three thousand ducats, or a pound of flesh. Such are the
terms of the loan agreement between the borrower, Antonio, and the lender,
Shylock. Much of the story and plot is a light romantic comedy as wealthy
heiress Portia gets wooed by suitors and tries to help Bassanio become the
winner. But it’s the plot about the loan that sets the stage for perhaps
William Shakespeare’s most controversial play with its character of Shylock, a
Jewish moneylender who chooses revenge over money. This negative stereotype has been perpetuated for a
thousand years in Christian culture. For centuries the European governments
forbade Christians to charge interest for the lending of money, so only
non-Christians could fill that economic need. But when loans couldn’t be
repaid, it was easier to blame the minority Jewish moneylender than the
Christian. Such blame was a common theme in tales from the time period.
Shakespeare’s use of it is more ambiguous than his contemporaries. Shylock
stood apart from most other portrayals both in the depth of his character, and
in his condemnation of hypocritical Christians who borrowed with one hand while
striking blows with the other. In Merchant,
Antonio is the pompous Christian businessman who has spat, kicked, and verbally
disparaged Shylock, yet still expects him to lend him more money despite having
no collateral. With a biting wit, Shylock questions Antonio as to why he should
continue lending money to him under such circumstances. Later he questions
Antonio’s inhuman treatment of Jews, as if they were inferior creatures, with
the famous lines: “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we
not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not
revenge?” THE PRODUCTION: Citrus Valley High School’s Blackhawk Theatre Company
staged a remarkably creative, entertaining, and effective production of The
Merchant of Venice directed by Ron
Milts. It’s performed as a commedia dell’arte, with most everyone but
Shylock and his daughter wearing the outrageous masks of the genre and
performing in its signature over-the-top comedic style filled with ongoing gags
that repeat whenever a certain word is mentioned. Shylock, featuring a terrific
performance by Raphael Berglas, plays
it straight, growing increasingly frustrated with the insanity that surrounds
him. When his daughter elopes, leaving his home and his faith, she dons a mask
as well and joins in their insanity, and we feel his desire for vengeance soar
uncontrollably. The cast of commedia dell’arte comedians nail the style
with professional and natural ease, whether reciting Shakespeare, doing a bit of
improv with the audience, performing sound effects, and even some acrobatics. McKenzie
Graham-Howard is a great actress and physical comedian who plays Portia as Just a few of the other great performances include Andre
Alvarez as the merchant of Venice who takes out a loan to help Bassanio woo
Portia. Ben Swanson gets things going as a bawdy hunchbacked Lancelot Gobo,
very funny and kind of creepy, who plays it up to the audience. Brant
Sennett as Gratiano and Nick Ferguson
as narcissistic Lorenzo give strong performances. Tristyn
Deveau is fantastic as Shylock’s daughter who transforms thanks to her
being as obsessed with Lorenzo as he is with himself, her elopement beginning as
she tosses a few necessaries for the trip over the house’s wall (a giant
sandal, a huge bra, a stuffed bunny, etc.). And Noah
Ramos and Kaitlyn Lopez as clowns
Salanio and Salarino add so much throughout with their antics, all coming
together as they physically reenact a speedy reprise of the first act. The entire talented cast makes this work throughout with
great energy, comedy, attention to detail, and off-the-cuff humor. And they all
look good doing it thanks to impressive visuals by set designers Ron
Milts and Jennifer Vincent, and costumes by Sharron Leeper that help take us back in time to one memorable trip
to Venice. Performed February 21 - March 1, 2014 Photos by Jennifer Vincent Rob Hopper ~ Cast ~
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THE
SHOW:
an
Elizabethan valley girl confiding in her friend and lady-in-waiting Narisa (a
delightful Jacqueline Cooper who ends
up pulling countless odd props from out of her dress’s bosom), toying
effortlessly with her suitors, and being not quite thrilled when she finally
gets her long-awaited romantic kiss from Bassanio – a reluctant kiss on the
cheek. Chris Carranza is a hoot as said Bassanio, unstoppably charismatic
and ditzy, a little effeminate, and always grinning except when he’s forced to
kiss Portia, as his primary motivation was really her money. 
Shylock: Raphael Berglas