SHYLOCK to Play White Theatre, 5/30-31

Kansas City audiences have just two chances to see Olivier Award winning producer, actor, director and writer Guy Masterson in Shylock, a nationally-touring show exploring the tragic, tempestuous, often unbelievable life of fiction's most famous - and divisive - Jewish character.

Shylock opens at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 30 with a 2 p.m. performance on Sunday, May 31, both at the White Theatre at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, The J, 5801 W. 115 Street in Overland Park.

"The fact that the play has been around for 17 years and over 1,000 peformances is testament to how good it is," said Masterson who produced the play originally in 1998 with Gareth Armstrong in the leading role. "Audiences will not be disappointed - and they will laugh!"

One of the most controversial figures in Shakespeare's canon and one that divides Jewish opinion is given a powerful voice in Shylock, which provides intelligent and entertaining insight as it confronts and confounds the stereotypes of The Merchant of Venice from a Jewish perspective.

"Shylock is, first and formost, a rollicking good piece of theatre with comedy, pathos, lots of interesting characters and Shakespeare!" said Mastersoon. "But it also takes us into the world of one of theatre's most controversial characters and gives him a context from where he can be truly and fairly judged."

Tickets can be purchased at thejkc.org/boxoffice or by calling 913-327-8054.