Don’t-Miss List August 9-August 15: Shylock and Cupid face off

By Kelly Kleiman
The cast of ‘Merchant of Venice’ doubles as the cast for ‘Shylock and his Daughter.’
The cast of ‘Merchant of Venice’ doubles as the cast for ‘Shylock and his Daughter.’ Courtesy of First Folio
The cast of ‘Merchant of Venice’ doubles as the cast for ‘Shylock and his Daughter.’
The cast of ‘Merchant of Venice’ doubles as the cast for ‘Shylock and his Daughter.’ Courtesy of First Folio

Don’t-Miss List August 9-August 15: Shylock and Cupid face off

By Kelly Kleiman
WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.
The cast of ‘Merchant of Venice’ doubles as the cast for ‘Shylock and his Daughter.’ (Courtesy of First Folio)

The Dueling Critics won’t return to the air ‘til next Friday, August 17, when we’ll review Eugene O’Neill’s Ah, Wilderness at Eclipse Theatre. Meanwhile, console yourselves with one of these:

Shylock and His Daughter, this and next Thursday at 8:15 p.m., First Folio Theatre in Oak Brook, $10.

If you’ve ever wondered what The Merchant of Venice would look like from Shylock’s perspective, come check out First Folio’s staged reading of this play from the Yiddish theater. Merchant director Alison C. Vesely is at the helm, and the reading features the actors from Merchant reprising (and reinterpreting) their roles. It should be an excellent complement to Vesely’s thoughtful interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s most difficult comedies. There are only these two performances, though, so don’t tarry.

Cupid Has A Heart On: A Musical Guide to Relationships, Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. beginning August 11 at Stage 773 on Belmont, $20.

Brian Posen, who operates Stage 773 as a rental house for other companies, brings his own troupe over from iO where this long-form improvisation piece about getting it together and getting it on has been playing to rapt late-night audiences for roughly ever.  Come check out the show in an environment not dictated by Cubs traffic.