The Shakespearean character Shylock — the Jewish money lender whose role has been a focal point of debate for centuries — is coming alive this weekend.
The Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe is presenting William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" at the Gloucester Stage, 267 East Main St., Gloucester, with its final performances set for tonight at 8 and tomorrow afternoon at 3.
"The Merchant of Venice" deals with the interaction of the privileged Venetian upper class with Shylock, who is billed as a "Jewish money lender from the ghetto."
It portrays the hypocrisy and bigotry that infused Venice in the 16th century (and beyond) and the tragic results of Shylock's attempt to gain revenge for the many inequities heaped upon him.
The play is directed by Joseph Stiliano, and features David Adams, Dave Cocco, Gordon Baird, Ray Jenness, Michael McNamara, Kierstin Searcy, Elinor Teele and Ben Wildrick in the major roles. Others appearing in the piece include Carol Ciulla, Andrew Hoover, Beebe Nelson, Alison Potoma, Donald Roby, Matt Schwabauer, Joan Wardwell.
"There have been many fine portrayals of Shylock on stage and screen, but I envisioned a different kind of Shylock than the usual," Stiliano noted in a Nov. 13 letter to the Times. "I see him as a vigorous middle-aged man who has toughed it out in an alien and sometimes hostile society, and who, despite the odds, is a successful and respected member of the Venetian Jewish community.
"The play deals with bigotry, but is not bigoted," he added. "It portrays the Venetians locked into a school of thinking promulgated by religion and xenophobia that placed the Jewish people into a sub-social order unequal to their Christian counterparts. In the play, this prejudice and the hypocrisy it engenders hangs upon the Venetians like a dusty Sirocco and exposes them for the incomplete human beings they are. Their anti-Semitism is an illness that rots an otherwise sound community."
Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 student/senior and are available at the door, Toad Hall Books, Rockport, The Bookstore of Gloucester or may be reserved by e-mail at cast2008@prodigy.net. More information about the group is available at capeannshakespearetroupe.blogspot.com.
Gloucester rocker in Boston
Gloucester resident Tom Hauck, guitar player and songwriter in the 1970s punk/pop band the Atlantics, made a rare appearance on stage the Boston nightclub Church, playing with the Big City Rockers, a group that includes former Atlantics guitarist Fred Pineau plus five top Boston musicians.
"For over 25 years friends and fans have been asking me about an Atlantics reunion," says Hauck. "This is as close as we are ever going to get. Singer Ted Whiteside is a powerhouse, and the Big City Rockers have worked up six of the Atlantics' biggest hits including 'Lonelyhearts' and 'One Last Night.'"
Gloucester fans will remember that the Atlantics performed at Little Earl's on Rogers Street.
"We had a great group of fans in Gloucester," said Hauck. "We always loved playing on the North Shore at clubs — the Summit Room in Peabody and Grover's in Beverly."
The Atlantics were formed in 1976 and were part of the punk-new wave music scene that exploded from New York, Boston, and London.
In 1978, the band released its first LP "Big City Rock." The follow-up single "Lonelyhearts" was the No. 1 single on rock radio in Boston in 1980. The Atlantics broke up in 1982, but their catalogue is available today on digitally remastered CDs and downloads.
The Big City Rockers appeared as part of the International Pop Overthrow festival at Church.
