Portland
Shakespeare
Project
IGNIGHTING A PASSION FOR THE CLASSICS
Nonprofit theatre company producing classics and contemporary works.
Portland Shakespeare Project Presents
“The Merchant of Venice”
by William Shakespeare
In a Modern Verse Translation by Elise Thoron
The Merchant of Venice is a comedy/tragedy set in Italy. It is centered around love, money, prejudice, and social injustice.
Shylock asks for a pound of flesh as part of a loan contract; Bassonio agrees to it, and Portia saves the day by disguising her identity and pretending to practice the law.
No one dies, although Shylock loses his money, his property, and his religion.
The Merchant of Venice is a comedy, but it forces us to consider antisemitism and racism then and now.
Get your seats today!
Presented by Portland Shakespeare Project
and Play On Shakespeare
Portland Shakespeare Project acknowledges Play On Shakespeare as a sponsor of this event.
It is an honor to be working with Play On Shakespeare to produce this translation of Shakespeare’s play for Portland audiences.
Portland Playhouse
602 NE Prescott
Porland, Oregon 97211
General Admission Seating
July 10 – 7:30 pm
July 11 – 7:30 pm
July 12 – 7:30 pm
July 13 – 2:00 pm
July 17 – 7:30 pm
July 18 – 7:30 pm
July 19 – 7:30 pm
July 20 – 2:00 pm
Creative Team
Artistic Director – Michael Mendelson
Managing Director – Karen Rathje
Production Manager – Karen Hill
The Merchant of Venice, translated by Elise Thoron, was originally commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival as part of “Play on! 36 playwrights translate Shakespeare.”
Portland Shakespeare Project gratefully acknowledges Play On Shakespeare as a sponsor of The Merchant of Venice, with additional support from Ronni Lacroute, Linda and Karl Boekelheide, Nathan Cogan, Abby and Marvin Dawson, Carter MacNichol, Douglas Mouw, Darci and Charlie Swindells, Steven Watson, and all of the donors who have made it possible to bring this full production of The Merchant of Venice to the stage.
Welcome to the Portland Shakespeare Project
For 13 years, the Portland Shakespeare Project has entertained and enriched audiences by producing classical and contemporary works associated with classical material.
We have produced classics, such as Twelfth Night, directed by the inestimable Lisa Harrow, and commissioned and produced adaptations of classics, such as C.S. Whitcomb’s Lear’s Follies and Pericles Wet by Ellen Margolis, which was inspired and adapted from Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre, and brought you new works through Proscenium Live! You can read about some of these shows in the drop-downs “Past Seasons” and “Proscenium Live” above.
We are honored and grateful to be able to collaborate with Play On Shakespeare, which has supported Portland Shakes in doing Hamlet this past April, as well as The Winter’s Tale and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In addition to serving as our Artistic Director, Michael Mendelson is the Managing Artistic Director of The Actors Conservatory.
He wrote about directing Hamlet:
“I never thought of directing Hamlet until I did. I was afraid of the issues it would ask our creative team and me to explore. This production is an extraordinary opportunity to unite The Actors Conservatory class of 2024, Play on Shakespeare, and the Portland Shakespeare Project in powerful collaboration.
To work with students about to launch their careers, an international Shakespeare organization, world-class artists, and professional artists from our community as ensemble members and mentors was an opportunity Portland Shakespeare Project had to explore.”
We intend to keep doing what we do again next year, so keep watching us here.
You can read more about Play On Shakespeare at PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG and The Actors Conservatory at PAC.EDU.
Our Thanks To These Organizations
For Their Support
Past Seasons
You can read about some of these shows in the drop-downs “Past Seasons” and “Proscenium Live” in the menu above.
Past Seasons