Stage Door News
Toronto: Shakespeare BASH’d stages “The Merchant of Venice” February 13-23
Friday, January 10, 2025
Shakespeare BASH’d dives into a controversial play, with a predominantly Jewish team.
Director: Julia Nish-Lapidus
Featuring: Ori Black, Sofía Contal, Brittany Kay, Cameron Laurie, Alon Nashman, Jesse Nerenberg, Adriano Reis, Neta J. Rose, Cameron Scott, Hallie Seline, Carson Somanlall, James Wallis, Arielle Zamora
With sound design by Matt Nish-Lapidus and lighting by Sruthi Suresan.
The Merchant of Venice runs February 13 to February 23, 2025 at The Theatre Centre, BMO Incubator (1115 Queen St W).
Returning to The Theatre Centre after two-years of sold-out runs, Shakespeare BASH’d is set to tackle one of the Bard’s most challenging and controversial plays: The Merchant of Venice.
“As a Jewish artist who primarily focuses on Shakespeare, this is a play that has haunted me. It has made me feel deeply uncomfortable and I spent many years avoiding it completely. Five years ago, I went in the opposite direction and became a bit obsessed,” shares director Julia Nish-Lapidus. “This play has some incredible text, some fascinating characters, and talks about antisemitism and racism in a way we may not expect from a play written over four-hundred years ago.”
“I became determined to work on this play, but knew that the only way I wanted to do it was in collaboration with a group of predominantly Jewish artists.”
And now, after years of reading and examination, that is exactly what Shakespeare BASH’d is doing. Led by Nish-Lapidus, and with Canadian theatre icon Alon Nashman as Shylock, the company has assembled a team of majoritively Jewish artists to dig deep into this play that has often been about Jewish people, but regularly omits Jewish artists from productions.
This passionate group of artists will investigate the antisemitism, xenophobia, and racism in this play, asking how we can make something new and reflect the world we see in front of us. Full of complicated ideas, characters, and contexts, the production will challenge the audience to reflect, while enjoying Shakespeare’s moving and extravagant text.
The production brings together an all-star cast including BASH’d regulars, multiple award winners, and Toronto theatre favourites, under the direction of Julia Nish-Lapidus (BASH’d and St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival Co-Artistic Director).
Award-winning performer Alon Nashman (Stratford Festival, NAC, Tarragon, Soulpepper) will be joined by BASH’d regular Jesse Nerenberg (Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival) as the title character, Antonio. Howland Company Founding Artistic Leaders and Dora Award Winners Hallie Seline and Cameron Laurie will take on Portia and Bassanio.
They are joined by Sofía Contal (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, Ovation Production) as Launcelot Gobbo, Brittany Kay (TIFT, GCTC, Upper Canada Playhouse) as Nerissa, Ori Black (Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, GCTC) as Lorenzo, Cameron Scott (Smile Theatre) as Jessica, Dora nominee Adriano Reis (ARC Stage, YES Theatre) as Salerio and Prince of Arragon, Neta J. Rose (TACTICS, Odyssey) as Gratiano, Dora winner Arielle Zamora (Shakespeare in Action, Convergence Theatre) as Solanio, Carson Somanlall (86 Me: The Restaurant Play) as Prince of Morocco, with BASH’d Co-Artistic Director James Wallis as the Duke and Tubal.
This production invites audiences to join the company in their examination of this demanding play, bringing a Jewish perspective, and perhaps illuminating something new in this famous text.
Showtimes:
Thursday, February 13 – 7:30pm
Friday, February 14 – 7:30pm
Saturday, February 15 – 7:30pm
Sunday, February 16 – 2:00pm
Tuesday, February 18 – 7:30pm
Wednesday, February 19 – 7:30pm
Thursday, February 20 – 7:30pm
Friday, February 21 – 7:30pm
Saturday, February 22 – 7:30pm
Sunday, February 23 – 2:00pm
Tickets:
$25 to $50 online at www.shakespearebashd.com.
Photo: Alon Nashman as Shylock. © 2025 Matt Nish-Lapidus.