The Bard is in at Playhouse 22

The works of William Shakespeare have enthralled lovers of live theater for approximately the last 419 years. This week, East Brunswick’s Playhouse 22 will ensure the Bard’s run reaches at least 420.

“The Merchant of Venice” opens at Playhouse 22, at the East Brunswick Cultural Arts Center, on Friday, April 8, under the direction of Andrew Parks.

“I’ve always loved ‘Merchant of Venice,’ ” Parks said. “I performed in it as Bassanio at (Princeton’s) McCarter Theater when I was 19 as part of their summer program. There’s something very rich about the characters.”

While waiting in the Playhouse’s community room for his actors to arrive one recent evening, Parks explained his affinity for what many consider to be one of Shakespeare’s most socially complex plays.

“It stands at a unique point in Shakespeare’s career when he became more aware of the problems in Elizabethan comedy, but he wasn’t quite as cynical as he was later in his career,” he said. “There’s a unique combination of maturity and optimism.”

Another aspect of the play that appeals to Parks is the breadth of fascinating roles it provides his cast of 13 actors and actresses, some of whom are required to play multiple characters. “’The Merchant of Venice’ is an ensemble piece. Every character is very, very strong and has a depth of motivations, a richness of personality.”

One of those characters, Shylock, is among the most famous and problematic in Shakespeare’s entire canon. He is a Jewish moneylender living in the predominately Christian society of Venice, and serves as the play’s antagonist. Since much of the play’s action revolves around a financial arrangement between Shylock and the character of Antonio, in which Antonio must repay a pound of his own flesh should he default on the loan, the play has historically been viewed as having anti-Semitic undertones.

This is a view, though, that Parks does not share. “We’ve talked about it since the first rehearsal,” Parks said. “I don’t think the show in anti-Semitic. I think Shakespeare purposefully puts the anti-Semitism of his era on display so that the audience can see it for what it is. I think the fact that Shylock is written as a sympathetic character reveals that.”

While Parks himself is certainly no stranger to Shakespeare’s works, his cast runs the full gamut of experience with classical texts, from several productions to none whatsoever. “Those who are new to Shakespeare are doing a great job,” he said, noting that a large part of mounting any Shakespearean production is simply ensuring the cast understands the full meaning behind each line of poetic verse. “During rehearsals, my assistant director will pull actors aside, make sure they understand what they’re saying. It’s a huge help to me.”

The cast includes Joe Vierno as Shylock; Fred Dennehy as Antonio; Jennifer Nasta as Portia; Paul Salvatoriello as Bassanio; Tess Ammerman as Nerissa; Jack Cibrian as Gratiano; Sara Sterphone as Jessica; Rushi Kota as Lorenzo; Gregory Newton as the Duke and Balthasar; Ryan Diminick as Salerio and the  Jailer; Russ Weiss as Solanio and Tubal; Jack Bathke as Launcelot Gobbo and the Prince of Arragon; and Roe Persaud as the Prince of Morocco.

 ‘The Merchant of Venice’ opens Friday, April 8 and runs through Sunday, May 8, with no performances the weekend of April 22 to 24. Curtain rises on Friday and Saturday night performances at 8 p.m., and at 3 p.m. for Sunday matinees. There will be a talkback with the cast after the Sunday, April 10 matinee.

For ticket information, click here.