RSC Live: The Merchant of Venice (2015)

On Saturday, September 12, 2015 as part of the Talks and Screenings at the Folger, the Folger hosted a screening of RSC Live from Stratford-upon-Avon: The Merchant of Venice, a live cinema broadcast from the stage of the Royal Shakespeare Company, captured from Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, in their own Elizabethan Theatre. The production was directed by Polly Findlay.

In the melting pot of Venice, trade is God. With its ships plying the globe, the city opens its arms to all, as long as they come prepared to do business and there is profit to be made. With the gold flowing all is well, but when a contract between Bassanio and Shylock is broken, simmering racial tensions boil over. A wronged father, and despised outsider, Shylock looks to exact the ultimate price for a deal sealed in blood.

For more information on the production, visit the RSC archives here.

The Royal Shakespeare Company

Everyone at the Royal Shakespeare Company, from actors to technicians, milliners to musicians, plays a part in creating the world audience members see on stage. RSC's work begins its life at their Stratford workshops and theatres and they share it with audiences across the world through touring, residencies and online activity. So, wherever you experience the RSC, you experience work that is made in Shakespeare’s home town in the UK. Shakespeare has been performed and celebrated in Stratford for centuries and the RSC has trained generations of the very best theatre makers since the Company was founded in 1961. RSC pioneers contemporary approaches to Shakespeare’s plays, as well as staging the work of those who inspired him and the work of today’s playwrights. Learn more about RSC Live here.