"An entertaining musical portrayal of this overdone story...It felt like the audience helped decide what was going to happen next in the plot! For this, the director should truly be commended. This production is not bogged down with set, lights, or props. It is purely about the relationship of the characters to one another and to the audience. It is basic and beautiful...Some actors were more comfortable with the language than others, but with what some lacked others made up for."
Read more

"This ‘Merchant’ marks the first time I was able to watch without getting angry, and actually enjoy the story and its players…The answer to how Laws achieves this feat lies not only in his confident and playful staging, but in the judicious cuts made to the text. Most significant among these cuts are the grotesque extremes around the problem of Shylock...I do wonder, with the nastiness cut out, if it is still the same play. Honestly, though, I prefer this version."
Read more