Merchant of Venice' Ends Masquers Season
The final Fairmont State University Masquers theatre production of the academic season,
Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," opens April 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wallman
Hall Theatre.
Other performances will be held April 20-21 and 26-28 at 7:30 p.m. and April 22 at
2 p.m. A sign language interpreter will be present for the April 27 performance. Tickets
are available through the FSU Box Office at (304) 367-4240.
The cast for the production includes Sara Baxa (Antonio); Crystal Conner (Solanio);
Daniel Crowley (Lorenzo); Michael Vozniak (Bassanio); Dana Sayre (Shylock); Kimmy
Higginbotham (Lancelot/Balthasar); Steve McElroy (Leonardo); Celi Oliveto (Jessica/Tubal);
Holly Wilson (Portia); Morgan Messenger (Nerissa); Jessica Jirak-McGinn (Morocco/Aragon/Duke).
Dr. John O'Connor will direct the production.
Thought to have been written 1596-1598, "The Merchant of Venice" has both dramatic
and comedic moments. Despite the title of the play, many viewers will recall Shylock
and Portia and the famous "pound of flesh" scene longer than they may remember Bassanio,
the merchant. Many books and essays have been written about the character of Shylock,
the Jewish moneylender whose name became synonymous with his profession, and the anti-Semitic
nature of Shakespeare's play. At least as many authors have painted Shylock as a sympathetic
figure. Viewers will have the experience of reaching their own conclusions about Shylock
and the pleasure of seeing him, in the end, bested by the woman--Portia.
