NASHVILLE SCENE theater critic, Martin Brady, reports his pleasure this week with Naked Stages’ production of The MERCHANT of VENICE by declaring that “the cast members … are a joy to watch.” He sites Lane Davies for his “cooly assured” performance of Shylock, the moneylender. Davies, he says, avoids the “stereotypical pitfalls” of the role with his “strong and confident” performance. Ruth Cordell, he continues, offers a “pliant and vulnerable” Portia while Marin Miller, Ensemble member Richard Northcutt, and “newcomers” Taylor Jones and Darci Stebbins are singled out for their engaging performances.

Martin credits AD Mark Cabus‘ cagey staging of the play for keeping the audience “on edge.” It’s Cabus’ “deft handling,” he says, that leaves “tantalizing” questions in the audience’s mind as to key relationships and plot points throughout the play. He admires the abridged script (running at under two hours), which still allows for savoring “the Bard’s marvelous language.” He concludes with saying, “Cabus pushes a few buttons, but he does it gently while still honoring the play’s genius.”

If you haven’t seen Naked Stages’ The MERCHANT of VENICE yet, you still have four performances left: Wednesday through Saturday, October 17-20, at Belmont’s new Black Box Theater (2100 Belmont Avenue). Call 615-460-8500 for tickets.

To read the full review, click here.