theatre | by Morgan Palmer Actor Donald Adams has come a long way Vancouver theatre Secondary and his Donald Adams Tackles Shylock For Bard On The Beach amateur Little debut in West Vancouver since the school drama productions at West Theatre's production The Lodge.Th'\s summer he will play the ever-provocative role of Shylock in Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival's production of The Merchant Venice. at Simon Fraser University and of and that Shylock would not be played as a villain or a buffoon. "He is a business man who is good at what he does and has the wealthy lifestyle to show for it." Donald states that "in the beginning of the play Shylock is not out for revenge, but simply out to change the way things have been for him in the past." He is treated horribly and "spit Shylock is by far Donald's biggest role with Bard and he feels a tremendous responsibility to bring his best to the part. His first goal in creating Shylock was to examine the character as a man to rather spend than time of as an ethnic care in stereotype. Being non-Jewish, he felt it very important researching and the When asked if he had a favourite quote from The Merchant of Venice, one would think that the response would be the famous words: "If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, do we not revenge?" (Act III, Scene 1). But Donald's response was quite different, replying with a line from the suspenseful court scene the history Jewish on and kicked" by Christians such as Antonio. It is true that Shylock does some very nasty things but as Donald says, "He has been driven to do it. Nobody is black and white and nobody has clean hands." Bard on the Beach continues Tuesdays through Sundays in Vanier Park until September 21. ^ ^ W i -u&t/Ji JLuu!" o\esr^ (Ati T*e., ^ i e *vb&/r>fY. ice /jve 1) where Shylock is defending his right to the bond: "T-ile/f>6*i/>vfü Since receiving professional training The Vancouver Playhouse Acting School, Donald has become a well-respected BC actor and has played many Shakespeare roles for Bard on the Taming Beach of the including Gremio in Shrew, Antonio in The The Tempest and Touchstone in As You Like It. The Merchant The Comedy of of Venice Errors plays while on the the epic Mainstage in repertory with the merry farce adventure Pericles, Prince of Tyre runs for July and August only on the Douglas Campbell Studio Stage. The plays are staged in open-ended tents, with the real-life backdrop of mountains, sea and sky framing the imaginary world on the stage. For a performance schedule check www.bardonthebeach.org or call the Bard Box Office at 604.739.0559. religion, especially the medieval period. Over the years there have been many opinions on how Shylock should be portrayed and luckily the views of Donald and director Katrina Dunn have meshed perfectly. They were both very clear from the beginning that the production must be balanced and dignified, July | August