Fort Lauderdale, FL -- Launched October 28th, 2022 as theater on Vimeo, Merchants of Venice tells the story of the competitive relationships between Miami and Fort Lauderdale tailors, female tea room owners, and club proprietors in the 1930s, providing rich content rivaling the Shakespearean plot set in 16th-century Venice. Instead of religious conflicts, Merchants explores inter-generation disagreements about how to address civil rights and opportunities within the Black community.

South Florida playwright and director, Darius V. Daughtry, combines semblances of Shakespeare with contemporary lyrical conversation.

The cast features veteran actor, Kent Chambers-Wilson as Shylock, a money lender ascribing to Booker T. Washington philosophies, with three younger Black performers playing Bass, Antonio, and Lorenzo (Denzel McCausland, David Hepburn, and Douglas Goodridge respectively) talented men in pursuit of reliable work and property acquisition adhering to the school of thought espoused by W. E. B. DuBois. The two female characters, Portia and Nerissa (Marlo Rodriguez and Yamille Mercedes) represent entrepreneurial tearoom operators and nurses who aspired to become entertainers while negotiating dueling political views.

A singing Narrator with a bass-playing chorus guides the audience through various plot twists including the outcome of a love affair between Lorenzo and Jessica (Lauren Potts), Shylock’s daughter after they are brutally attacked.

The Video on Demand on Vimeo is the edited version of the final performance of the first run of Merchants in July 2022.  To Purchase or Rent Visit: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/merchantsofvenice

Our Mission:

Grace Arts Center produces and presents original visual art exhibits integrating documentary film, theater and design projects in Florida since 2011. For more information visit www.graceartscenter.org

What: Merchants of Venice Play on Vimeo

Where: Online Streaming: Vimeo on Demand

When: Available as of October 28th at 9 pm

Price: $15.99 to download and stream