In this contemporary, spirited production of The Merchant of Venice, Golyak explodes Shakespeare’s complex play in his signature, inventive style. In a nightclub environment akin to a late-night comedy show, this Merchant brings Shakespeare’s 'festival' setting for the play into our modern world. Superheroes and their archenemies battle it out to protect good in the face of evil. Will love, justice and order prevail? Who defines love, justice and order?

The audience and cast wrestle with these questions and their dead-serious consequences. The Emcee, the charismatic T.R. Knight (Grey's Anatomy, Parade, Noises Off, Tartuffe), plays Antonio, the ring-leader who encourages the live audience to laugh, sing along, boo, and ultimately face a surprising and devastating twist of an ending.