eveningsout

Red Hen gets a pound of flesh from the Bard

by Michelle Tomko

Cleveland-So what kind of production comes to mind when you think of "feminist theatre?" An anti-Semitic play calling for only three women in the entire cast, which centers around collecting a pound of flesh from a bad debtor, is not the first thing that comes to mind.

But that is exactly what is happening February 3-12 as Red Hen Productions produces a gender-bending staged reading of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

The play's cast traditionally calls for twelve men. This production puts several women in key roles. For example, Shylock, the male villain in the text, is played as not only Jewish this time around but also as a lesbian. Antonio, Shylock's nemesis, is crossgender cast, as is Shylock's ex-lover-which sheds quite a different light on their rivalry.

"The play is controversial and difficult to produce because of the anti-Semitism. By making Shylock a lesbian and Jewish, you contemporize it," said co-director Harriett Logan, now in her second year as the artistic director of Red Hen.

"Picking on Shylock's Judaism becomes a euphemism for her sexuality," she added.

When asked why Red Hen picked this play, Logan said, “We were looking for a play to cast a lot of women in. We used as many women as possible. We want to open up great roles for female actors and put a gender twist on Shakespeare by filling out the love interests."

The company by no means wishes to rewrite history, though. The directors only altered the pronouns to fit their cast.

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PICTURE FRAMING

The cast of

Red Hen The Merchant of Venice

pose at their rehearsal spot in Loganberry Books on Larchmere Ave., owned by co-director Harriett Logan.

"That's original Shakespeare. It's fun to put a new edge on Shakespeare without altering the text."

When asked why Red Hen didn't use an entire female cast to complement the way Shakespeare was originally done in Elizabethan times with all-male casts, Logan replied, "The reason to use men at all is to push the envelope of gender confusion."

So if post-Super Bowl depression has got you down, check out this very accessible taste of the ol' Bard. The production is being held at Spaces Art Gallery and features local actors Jane Bruml as Shylock, Marie Andrusewicz as Antonia, and David Thomas as Bassanio.

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