District Merchants
by Aaron Posner

District Merchants Book Cover — District Merchants Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

120 mins 19th Century Role(s) for Black Actor(s) Multicultural Casting Unit Set/Multiple Settings Period Costumes Comedy

Synopsis

Love, loss, litigation and predatory lending are examined in surprising ways in this uneasy comedy, which wades fearlessly into the endless complexities and contradictions of life in America by reworking The Merchant of Venice with modern flair.

Set among the Black and Jewish populations of an imagined time and place that is simultaneously Shakespearean, Reconstruction-era Washington, D.C., and today, District Merchants is a remarkable tale of money, merchandise and mercy brought to the stage by award-winning playwright and director Aaron Posner.

Press Reviews

"As efforts go in making Shakespeare’s thornier plays more digestible, its concerns more relevant to contemporary playgoers, you’d be hard pressed to find a more admirably intelligent reworking of The Merchant of Venice than playwright Aaron Posner’s District Merchants… Posner invokes a complex social dynamic of a sort Shakespeare could never have envisioned – that of the alternately symbiotic and tense relationship of American Blacks and Jews, and their separate, powerful claims to the story of oppression."
— Washington Post

"Posner dexterously weaves together the interests of [the] characters, giving them all –even the ones descended directly from Shakespeare’s characters – new and fascinating personality traits. …it’s a well-balanced play, as hopeful and joyous as it is revealing of bankrupt moral systems. …While Posner doesn’t offer easy answers, the sturdy balance among his characters does create something that feels very truthful, worthwhile, and profound."
— TheaterMania

"District Merchants explodes with layers of complexity… Posner has faced the most problematic aspect of Shakespeare’s play here full-on: he turns the question of anti-Semitism on its head, layering in the difficult relationships between two groups historically treated as ‘Other’ in America."
— DC Metro Theater Arts

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Shylock a prosperous, angry, intelligent, difficult, long-suffering merchant and moneylender. An observant Jew. A man of intelligence and conviction. A widower. 50s or 60s.	—	50s	a prosperous, angry, intelligent, difficult, long-suffering merchant and moneylender. An observant Jew. A man of intelligence and conviction. A widower. 50s or 60s.
Jessica Shylock’s sheltered, independent, big-hearted, lovely daughter. Fueled by a passionate need for a different kind of life. 20s.	female	20s	Shylock’s sheltered, independent, big-hearted, lovely daughter. Fueled by a passionate need for a different kind of life. 20s.
Benjamin Bassanio a smart, ambitious, charming, practical, ruthless, insightful, very light-skinned African American man. Very determined. 20s or 30s.	—	20s	a smart, ambitious, charming, practical, ruthless, insightful, very light-skinned African American man. Very determined. 20s or 30s.
Finneus (Finn) Randall a bold, charming, unscrupulous, enthusiastic, curious, and highly susceptible Irish rascal. Big-hearted, too. 20s or 30s.	—	20s	a bold, charming, unscrupulous, enthusiastic, curious, and highly susceptible Irish rascal. Big-hearted, too. 20s or 30s.
Portia a wickedly smart, witty, shrewd, passionate, jaded, law-obsessed, very, very wealthy and privileged white woman. 20s or 30s.	female	20s	a wickedly smart, witty, shrewd, passionate, jaded, law-obsessed, very, very wealthy and privileged white woman. 20s or 30s.
Nessa Portia’s servant and friend. Quick-witted, sharp-tongued, deeply insightful, and radically honest. African American. 20s or 30s.	—	20s	Portia’s servant and friend. Quick-witted, sharp-tongued, deeply insightful, and radically honest. African American. 20s or 30s.
Lancelot Shylock’s servant. Curious, confused, erudite, funny, hopeful, and heartfelt in word and deed. African American. 20s or 30s.	—	20s	Shylock’s servant. Curious, confused, erudite, funny, hopeful, and heartfelt in word and deed. African American. 20s or 30s.
Antoine Dupre a prosperous, insightful, shrewd, even merciless African American merchant. A smart and successful leader in his community. Unmarried. A man of intelligence and conviction. 50s or 60s.	—	50s	a prosperous, insightful, shrewd, even merciless African American merchant. A smart and successful leader in his community. Unmarried. A man of intelligence and conviction. 50s or 60s.