Faction of Fools to Present THE MERCHANT WORKSHOP

Faction of Fools Theatre Company presents THE MERCHANT WORKSHOP, an evening of scenes from William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Led by Associate Artistic Director, Paul Reisman, a company of six artists will explore workshop stagings of several scenes from one of Shakespeare's most controversial plays, in an effort to reclaim it from a modern discourse - using Commedia dell'Arte as a lens to reveal the script's original humor, rich relationships, and sense of play.

Faction has a long history of re-examining Shakespeare's plays - finding comedic roots in the most famous of his tragedies, from A Commedia Romeo & Juliet to Hamlecchino: Clown Prince of Denmark. In 2014, Titus Andronicus was lauded as "sanguineous bliss" by the Washington Post, and DC Theater Scene said "it will be be difficult to imagine Titus being played straight ever again."

This workshop production goes beyond a traditional reading, allowing the actors get up on their feet to perform selected scenes from the play with a focus on staging the text, using minimal sets, costumes and props. There will be a Q&A session as part of each performance, allowing the artists to discuss the workshop process, develop ideas, and hear from the audience. Many of Faction's biggest hits have come out of a workshop series, including A Commedia Romeo & Juliet and Hamlecchino (Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage), A Commedia Christmas Carol(Constellation Theatre) and Our Town (Arena Cradle Series).

THE MERCHANT WORKSHOP is presented as part of Commedia dell'Arte Day, an annual international event on February 25th. Performers, scholars, and institutions around the world celebrate Commedia dell'Arte as theatrical performance and cultural heritage. For more info on Commedia dell'Arte Day, visit http://www.commediadellarteday.org/