I always loved the name of this theatre company – Shakespeare Bash’d.

Recently, I had the chance to interview Julia Nish-Lapidus, the director of the company’s upcoming production of ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ via Zoom, along with husband-and-wife Hallie Seline and Cameron Laurie, who play love interests Portia and Bassanio.

Even before discussing the upcoming production, I wanted to know more about the significance of the theatre company's title.

Nish-Lapidus states that the company was not interested in presenting Shakespeare as it had been done in prior years. Too often, that felt somewhat pretentious and disconnected. Instead, the company aimed to discover excitement in Shakespeare’s high-energy plays and how they resonate with modern audiences.

The word ‘Bash’d’ means two things. When the company first started, the plays were performed in bars, so audiences went for the show and the social element of discussing the play afterward. It was a party atmosphere.

The other meaning of ‘Bash’d’ is that it was dismantling preconceived notions and ideas about what Shakespeare was believed to be. It wasn’t necessarily a time to sit back politely and watch. The company wanted audiences to lean forward and engage with what they were watching.

The apostrophe (Bash’d) felt more Shakespearean.

Clever, very clever.

‘The Merchant of Venice’ can be a confusing title. It refers to Antonio, a merchant gentleman who loans three thousand ducats to his friend Bassanio (Laurie) so that he may try to win the hand of the lovely Portia (Seline), a wealthy heiress who has a host of suitors waiting to win her hand.

Why is the title confusing?

High school students, for some reason, usually recall the story to focus on the secondary character Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, who accepts and will loan Antonio the three thousand ducats. There’s one condition – if Antonio is unable to repay the loan, then Shylock can claim a pound of flesh from Antonio.

Such a barbaric act will kill Antonio.

Moreover, Merchant is classified as a comedy. Hmmmm….this has always puzzled me.

I have always enjoyed teaching the play to high school students. I was looking forward to this online discussion, which would enlighten me even more, even though I’ve been retired from teaching since 2017. It doesn’t feel like a comedy in 2025, even though it might have been classified as one over 400 years ago.

Hallie Seline and Cameron Laurie attended the University of Toronto at Sheridan College in the joint Acting Program. Julia also attended the same program but smiled and said she was a few years older than Hallie and Cameron.

After four hundred years, why do Seline, Laurie and Nish-Lapidus still believe ‘Merchant’ is a story audiences need to see?

Cameron says the cast has been digging into the text and always discovering certain things about the plot and the play. For him, ‘Merchant’ is a story about who determines what justice, revenge, love and mercy are and what each term means. These themes resonate strongly with Cameron.

For Hallie, what excites her about ‘Merchant’ is the team that Julia has assembled. The team has all conveyed how the play intrigues and unsettles them. They’re all eager to dive into it. It genuinely feels like a collective of artists coming together at their respective points in life and exploring what ‘Merchant’ signifies for them.

To Julia, after 400 years, 'Merchant’ continues to feel relevant, even though structurally it feels confusing and uncomfortable. Nish-Lapidus seeks to reimagine it for this upcoming production. The visceral connection to certain scenes and the characters' language feels contemporary. Historically, for Julia, ‘Merchant’ has been used in various ways, often to the detriment of Jewish and marginalized communities. Numerous Jewish artists are involved in this production, each discovering their own voice and identity as they bring their perspectives to the play in a way that resonates with today's audience.

For all three artists, the world is a pretty horrific place right now. Julia doesn’t believe a play can heal or fix the animosity of those who feel certain things towards those who practice Judaism. This production of ‘Merchant’ will not reflect on anything specific. Instead, it is to try and tell a story of marginalized people and assumptions about people. It tells a story of how we treat each other and what cruelty can do. Different people will take different things from that.

Julia says some audiences may become upset with what happens to the characters in expected and unexpected ways. No one can predict anything in the theatre, as ‘Merchant’ has a history, and people have varying opinions on it.

For Nish-Lapidus:
“Our aim is to investigate the play. We’re not fixing or re-writing ‘Merchant.’ We’re exploring it as a group, which is why this team is so remarkable. The hope is that the audience will join the actors in this exploration at every performance. What audiences take away will vary for each individual. The actors’ goal is to provide additional perspectives for this investigation.”

This play features two storylines: one involves the merchant Antonio, Shylock, and Bassanio, the lending of money, and the bond, while the other centers on the love story involving Portia, Bassanio, and the suitors. Julia finds that most of the scenes start during a conversation. It is the audience that has to catch up on what’s going on.

Hallie finds it intriguing that the title refers to Antonio, yet the focus of the play is on Shylock and his quest for revenge regarding his money. Hallie and Cameron further discussed how the actors explore the tension within the play, particularly in the courtroom scene. During rehearsals, the actors genuinely notice harsh comments and actions taking place.

Some high schools may pair ‘Merchant’ with Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ highlighting the importance of understanding another person’s perspective by stepping into their shoes. For these three artists, discussions about hatred, mercy, and justice are valuable for young people, regardless of the lens used. As a director, Julia also highlights how much care and thought must be given if ‘Merchant’ is taught to secondary school students, especially considering the numerous horrific tropes associated with the character of Shylock.

Although no high school student matinees are planned, Lish-Napidus said some university groups are attending the production.

As we concluded our conversation, I asked what’s next for the three once ‘Merchant’ concludes at Toronto’s The Theatre Centre.

Cameron spoke about The Vault, a new play Incubator Space in the same building as Coal Mine Theatre. He will work on Michael Ross Albert's new play, ‘A Little Closer, ' in March. He and Hallie also run The Howland Company. They plan to announce the fall show shortly. The day after ‘Merchant’ closes, Julia and her husband James start directing ‘Romeo & Juliet’ at the George Brown Theatre School.

Shakespeare Bash’d presents ‘The Merchant of Venice’ at The Theatre Centre. Just a heads up, the website appears to show that all performances are sold out. However, you might want to take a chance and see if there are any returns on the day of the performance.

To learn more about Shakespeare Bash’d: https://www.shakespearebashd.com/

To check if tickets are available for ‘The Merchant of Venice’: https://theatrecentre.org/tickets/?eid=142100