Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts will present a theatre-for-young-audiences adaption of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” Jan. 25 through Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Margetts Theatre.
On Saturday, Jan. 28, and Saturday, Feb. 4, there will be two performances at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. There will be no performances Sunday or Monday.
The play has two general admission sections: chair seats for $6 and floor seats for $4. Floor seats are for children who want to sit on the floor close to the action. Tickets can be purchased online at byuarts.com/tickets or through the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-4322.
“If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” Shakespeare’s most famous story of revenge and mercy has been adapted by Teresa Dayley Love into a 50-minute family production that explores issues common to schools and playgrounds such as prejudice, discrimination and bullying, while also incorporating humor and audience participation.
Contemporary style meets Shakespeare’s language to help audience members liken the story to themselves and remember that “the quality of mercy is not strain’d.”
“The adaptation emphasizes the themes of forgiveness, mercy and kindness by removing the original cultural references and replacing them with a more contemporary frame,” said Lindsay Livingston, director of the production, “By viewing this well-known play anew, through the lens of bullying, hopefully we can come to a better understanding of the power of true mercy, which is given unearned, unbidden and unconditionally.”
For more information, visit byuarts.com or contact Ken Crossley at (801) 422-9348, ken_crossley@byu.edu.
Writer: Melissa Connor
