Al Pacino Starring in Merchant of Venice in Central Park

Al Pacino will be reprising the role of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in Central Park next summer, as part of The Public Theater's annual free Shakespeare series. (Pacino previously played Shylock in the 2004 film of The Merchant of Venice.) Daniel Sullivan (The Homecoming) will direct, while Michael Greif will helm next summer's other Shakespeare production, The Winter's Tale. According to a publicist for The Public, the two plays will be performed in repertory with the same core company of actors, though "due to a scheduling conflict with rehearsals, Pacino will only appear in The Merchant of Venice." Other cast members announced thus far include Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Solanio/Young Shepherd); Jesse L. Martin (Gratiano/Polixenes); Lily Rabe (Portia/First Gentlewoman); Ruben Santiago-Hudson as (Prince of Morocco/Leontes); and Max Wright (Old Gobbo/Old Shepherd).

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By John Del Signore in Arts & Entertainment on December 7, 2009 1:20 PM

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Jackie

Can't really say since there has been no consensus on what Shakespeare really wanted for Shylock, but from only having watched the movie as well, I'd say that it could be that we're to see the human side of Shylock, even his wanting revenge, by knowing and feeling the persucutions he's endured; whilst learning, these are really just humanistic qualities. The bleeding, the laughing, the crying...in my world, Shylock is to be understood as someone to respect and admired perhaps from afar but indeed respected.

EricRoberts

That's how I felt about the film as well. I found myself sympathizing with Shylock, but it seems like some of that is due to the director's interpretation.

EricRoberts

So is the Merchant of Venice anti-semitic? I've only seen the movie and couldn't decipher whether Shakespeare intended for the audience to ridicule Shylock or sympathize with him.