Actors' Equity Awards Go to MERCHANT OF VENICE Cast

 The cast of Broadway's MERCHANT OF VENICE has swept the Actors' Equity Awards for classical theatre, which were announced earlier today.

Lily Rabe, who plays Portia in the play, was awarded the Joe A. Callaway Award, which is strictly for a man and woman in works written before 1920.  Matthew Rauch, who is also currectly starring in MERCHANT OF VENICE, won the other half of the award for his performance in The Duchess of Malfi.

Charles Kimbrough won the St. Clair Bayfield Award, which is awarded for best supporting performance in a Shakespeare play. Kimbrough plays the Prince of Arragon alongside Rabe and Rauch in MERCHANT OF VENICE.

Directed by Daniel Sullivan, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE will run through Sunday, January 9 at The Broadhurst Theatre (235 W. 44th Street). Tickets are on sale now for this limited engagement at Tele-Charge at 212-239-6200 or www.telecharge.com.

Al Pacino (Shylock), Lily Rabe (Portia), Byron Jennings (Antonio), Jesse L. Martin (Gratiano), Gerry Bamman (Duke of Venice), Heather Lind (Jessica), Matthew Rauch (Solanio), and Richard Topol (Tubal) reprise their roles in this acclaimed production.

New cast members who have joined the Broadway company include Marsha Stephanie Blake (Nerissa), Christopher Fitzgerald (Launcelot Gobbo), David Harbour (Bassanio), Peter Francis James (Salerio), Isaiah Johnson (Prince of Morocco), Charles Kimbrough (Prince of Arragon), and Seth Numrich (Lorenzo).

The company also features Happy Anderson, Liza J. Bennett, Glenn Fleshler, Luke Forbes, Herb Foster, Bryce Gill, Thomas Michael Hammond, Jade Hawk, Bethany Heinrich, Curt Hostetter, Tia James, Kelsey Kurz, BrIan Keith Macdonald, Dorien Makhloghi, Kim Martin-Cotten, and Baylen Thomas.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE is one of Shakespeare's most thrilling and controversial plays, rich with love and betrayal, forgiveness and revenge. The Jewish moneylender Shylock makes a loan to Antonio, a Christian merchant. Their loan contract, steeped in prejudice and centered on the play's infamous "pound of flesh," sweeps the two men and everyone in their worlds into chaos. Only the insightful Portia can imagine a way forward, but for her and those she loves, even "the quality of mercy" has its limits.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos

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