With the safety of our patrons, actors, and staff in mind, ASP will be suspending our production until further notice. We are currently in conversation around postponing performances to dates later in the spring. All ticket holders will be contacted by our Box Office to discuss further options.

Exploring themes of prejudice, mercy, compassion, revenge, and humanity/inhumanity, our production of The Merchant of Venice sets the story in the present moment. Bassanio, a Venetian lord whose pockets are currently empty, needs a loan to travel to the island of Belmont and pursue Portia, a rich heiress. His dear friend Antonio, a wealthy nobleman of Venice, agrees to give him a loan and, in turn, borrows the money from a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Shylock, who has resented Antonio for many years, locks him into a legal bond that will threaten his life if not fulfilled. The duality of Venice’s Carnivale – its lush, irreverent playfulness alongside its hidden underbelly of subversiveness – sets the stage for this drama to unfold, asking how much we have truly evolved in our empathy for those we think of as the “other.”

If you purchased a ticket for The Merchant of Venice:  

• Move your ticket(s) to any date during our fall production, at no cost to you: Dates Forthcoming
• Receive a credit for the cost of your ticket, valid towards the cost of a ticket, or a subscription for our 2020-2021 Season
• Donate the cost of your ticket(s) to Actors’ Shakespeare Project
• If no other option is plausible for you, receive a refund for the cost of your ticket by using the form here*

  *Due to the reduction in staff, and increased demand on our systems, refunds will take 12-20 weeks. We thank you for your patience.