Theater in the Rough will be introducing The Merchant of Venice: in motion for nine nights beginning August 9 at the Bloomfield Gardens in Jerusalem. The free event offers an inside look into Willam Shakespeare’s story of a Jewish man, Shylock, who lends money to Antonio on the contingency that if he does not pay Shylock back, then he will receive a piece of Antonio’s skin, or “a pound of flesh.”
The play will star 10 actors both native Israelis and English speakers from the general area of Jerusalem and farther. Theater in the Rough aims to provide people with affordable, lively outdoor performances.
Theater in the Rough
Theater in the Rough, which is “for the people, by the people,” has offered captivating shows to its audience for 10 years. The theater company has previously brought Shakespeare plays to life and will continue to do so this summer. The actors infatuate their younger crowd through an interactive experience, allowing audience members to move around during the show.
“Was SO impressed with the final performance of Theater in the Rough’s Measure for Measure: in motion… I wasn’t at all sure that my young son would be able to sit through the show… but he was completely glued, racing to the first row every time the show moved locations and absolutely LOVED it. As we left, he said that he wished he could press rewind so that he could see it again… ” said Elinor Kaufman, an audience member.
On August 22 at 8 p.m., a night off for the play, Gila Fine, a teacher of Aggada at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, will analyze the clash of biblical texts between the play’s two main characters: Shylock and Antonio and their agreement. Fine and Theater in the Rough invite audience members to partake in this conversation. ❖
