Shylock has grown wealthy through the abomination of money-lending—the only profession open to Jewish businessmen of the time—and he thus faces indignity and danger when he ventures beyond the Jewish quarter. In the same city, though in a different world, lives Antonio, a merchant beset by worry over the fate of his trading vessels and increasing isolation from his young, carefree, best friend Bassanio. The younger man has fallen in love with the beautiful Portia, and seeks to go abroad to win her hand. When Antonio, cash-strapped but still possessed of good credit, stakes Bassanio for a loan of three thousand ducats from Shylock, a bond is sealed, the risk of which is one pound of Antonio's flesh. When Antonio goes into debt to Shylock, now agonized as his daughter has runaway with a Christian, the angst-ridden moneylender demands a pound of his flesh.

By William Shakespeare
 

Cast

Deb Braak as The Duke
Chris Braak as Tubal
Mark Benson as Salerio
Rob Dayoc as Gratiano
Lisa DeLorenzo as Nerissa
Amy Dickinson as Lancelot
Adrian DiGiovanni as Bassanio
Nina Donze as Portia
Garrett Lee Hendricks as Arragon/Morocco
Eric Jarrell as Lorenzo
Jim Ludovici as Shylock
Jessica Riley as Balthazar
Larry Schulte as Antonio
Ellen Spampinato as Solanio
Christina Tasca as Leonardo
Lucy Tobin as Jessica

Staff

Direction and Design:  Bill Braak 
Technical Director:  Sue Lapin 
Producer:  Erin McAllister 
Dramaturge:  Aaron Gould 
Stage Manager:  Maria Barbieri 
Props Master:  Trish Riley
Light Designer:  Dave Lapin 
Set Designer:  Sue Lapin 
Scenic mural:  Rusty Muglia, after John Singer Sargent's "Under the Rialto"
Sound Technician:  Dave Braak
Lighting Technician:  Glen Eric Reed

More Information

Full text of the play is available at this link. Information on Shakespeare and his plays are available all over the Internet. A list of links is available at the Folger Library Web Site.