South Dakota Shakespeare Festival Presents 'The Merchant of Venice'
“The Merchant of Venice” runs June 6-9 at Prentis Park, with performances scheduled for 7 p.m. each day. The production and additional events are all free will donation, and there will be refreshments for sale. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chair or blanket.
“The Merchant of Venice” marks one of Shakespeare’s most intricate weavings of comedy and tragedy to create a world where characters discover not all is as it seems. Shakespeare reminds viewers, “All that glitters is not gold” in this classic text that dances through the complexities of Elizabethan sensibilities and current culture.
“Please join us for an evening certain to be marked with a whirlwind of emotions from laughter to disgust, and heartbreak to love,” said Rebecca Bailey, artistic director. “We invite you to sing with us, dance with us, laugh with us, and perhaps cry with us. After all, the theatre is a place where we come together to be reminded of the feelings that make us human.”
Attendees should be aware that this play includes theatricalizations of bigotry and antisemitism, with the purpose and intention of generating productive and restorative dialogue surrounding these challenging issues. SDSF and NDSF are committed to creating places and opportunities for people to process how art and life collide.
Those wishing to be a part of these conversations are encouraged to attend Community Building Conversations, a facilitated discussion including the history of the play and time period while focusing on how it lands for us in a 21st century perspective. This conversation will be held on Monday, June from 1-2:30 p.m. at the W.H. Over Museum. Attendees are also invited to engage in dialogue following the production on Friday, June 7, and Sunday, June 9, for post-show conversation with the creative team.
The SDSF has many other events from June 2-9, including Shakespeare Trivia, Shakespeare Improv, Building Community Conversations, Bark with the Bard 5k, and a free film screening of “Much Ado About Nothing.” For more information about the SDSF’s activities for 2024, including dates, times, locations and details, visit sdshakespearefestival.org or check out SDSF on Facebook.
About the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival
The mission of the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival is to engage, connect, and inspire communities by exploring shared human experiences through inclusive, professional Shakespeare productions and theatre arts education.
SDSF’s 2024 season is supported, in part, by the South Dakota Arts Council, City of Vermillion, Vermillion Area Chamber & Development Company, United Way of Vermillion, South Dakota Humanities Council, Dakota Hospital Foundation, Coffee Cup Travel Plazas and the University of South Dakota.
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