Merchant of Venice

Following the intertwined lives of Antonio (an anti-Semitic merchant), Shylock (a Jewish money lender), and the lovers Bassiano and Portia, Shakespeare's problem play asks audiences to question what is right, what is fair, and what is lawful—and how gets to decide. In a city steeped in the ills of antisemitism, racism, misogyny, and homophobia, the play exposes the fissures between fairness, accountability, and justice—and who profits from them. Tony Award nominee John Douglas Thompson (Jitney, Mare of Easttown), “one of the most compelling classical stage actors of his generation” (The New York Times), makes his STC debut as the enigmatic Shylock in this searing portrayal of society’s prejudices and the elusive nature of mercy.