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The St. Genesius Players — the student theater group at 91����, California — recently treated their audience to a delightful performance of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. 

The performance, which took place in the Fritz B. Burns Auditorium, transported onlookers into the bustle of 16th century Venice and the romantic countryside of Belmont estate through backdrops skillfully painted by the talented stage crew. Moments before showtime, director Max Alvarez (CA’26) invited onlookers to notice the thematic contrast between justice and mercy — the Old Law and the New Law — intricately woven throughout the play. 

The Merchant of Venice focuses on two primary story lines; the first follows melancholic Venetian merchant, Antonio, who, in order to help his friend Bassanio pursue the wealthy heiress of Belmont, takes a great loan from Jewish moneylender Shylock. When Antonio is unable to repay the loan due to unforeseen mishaps, an unmerciful Shylock demands a pound of Antonio’s flesh as recompense. Meanwhile, Portia, the Belmontian heiress, watches as several suitors attempt to win her hand through a test set forth by her late father in his will. Following a series of failures from other, less suitable, suitors, Bassanio passes the test and takes Portia as his bride. Tying the two plot threads together, in a great display of stealth and wit, Portia disguises herself as a lawyer in court, ultimately outsmarting Shylock and saving Antonio’s life. 

As the curtain closed at the play’s end, the audience erupted into cheers and applauded their stars: Elizabeth van Wijk (CA’28) as Portia, David Zepeda (CA’28) as Bassanio, and of course Greg Haggard (CA’26) as Shylock and John Paul Deering (CA’27) as Antonio. The Players won the hearts of their audience with their vibrant characters, sharp dialogue, and a happy ending. It was truly a fantastic display of the talent and dedication of all the cast and crew!

More photos from The Merchant of Venice

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