World Premiere
Spawned from what many would say is William Shakespeare's most controversial play, this modern rendering is a dark comedy that takes place where The Merchant of Venice leaves off. In it, banished Shylock returns to see his daughter, Jessica, who is now settled into a happy Christian marriage. Their reunion sets them both on a journey of personal discovery and identity. This exciting new play explores themes of anti-Semitism and faith, and the many facets of Shakespeare's most iconic characters. Runtime - 2:20
See what the Doorways are for this play.
Cast
Shana Eisenberg (Jessica) is thrilled to be making her debut performance in this world premiere with Six Points Theater. For almost 20 years, she's performed throughout the Twin Cities including Artistry, Old Log Theatre, Stages Theatre Company, Full Circle Theater, Lyric Arts Main Street Stage, and Sidekick Theatre. When not on stage, she works as a Jewish songleader focusing on infants to pre kindergarteners. Having spent the last few years doing primarily children's theater and singing in front of toddlers, Shana's very excited to work on a more mature piece of theatre for a more mature audience. Many thanks for all the love and support in her life!
Neal Skoy (Launcelot) is making his Six Points Theater debut. Previously he has been seen at Jungle Theater, (Next Fall, Noises Off!); Park Square Theatre, (The Skin of Our Teeth, Airness); Artistry, (Noises Off!), Open Eye Theatre, (The Beldenville Troll, Scrooge in Rouge); Theatre Forever, (The Venetian Twins); Theatre Pro Rata, (Elephants Graveyard); Lyric Arts Main Street Stage, (Noises Off!, Flavio Betrayed); HUGE Improv Theater, Playwright’s Center, Minnesota Renaissance Festival, and Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. When he isn’t performing, Neal teaches clowning and comedy, writes plays, and pets dogs.
Paul LaNave (Lorenzo) is happy to be returning to Six Points Theater after previously appearing in TRAYF, and before that, Significant Other. He has worked locally with Yellow Tree Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Dark & Stormy Productions, Playwrights' Center, Gremlin Theatre, and many others, and was a principal cast member of the award-winning Twin Cities-based web series Theater People.
Robert Dorfman (Shylock) is pleased to be onstage at Six Points Theater, playing Shylock again, having previously been in The Merchant of Venice at the Guthrie Theater. At Six Points Theater he appeared in Via Dolorosa and We Are the Levinsons. He also directed Oh my God! and the world premieres of Shul, Operation: Immigration and Groupthink. He currently heads up Wellsprings, the new play development at the theater. Other local credits include Guthrie Theater, (The Tempest, Playing with Fire, Sense and Sensibility, Indecent, Choir Boy, The Critic/The Real Inspector Hound, Freud’s Last Session, Uncle Vanya); Dark & Stormy Productions, (And So It Goes, The Hothouse); and Children’s Theatre Company, (Balloonacy). He has appeared on Broadway in To Be Or Not To Be, The Lion King, Social Security and the national tour of The Drowsy Chaperone.
Tony Larkin (Antonio) was last at Six Points Theater in The Wanderers, and in The People’s Violin playing several characters. Previously, he was in Significant Other. A recent transplant from Atlanta, Tony's been working in professional regional theater for the past 30 years, beginning at age 10, when he was in the national tour of Camelot. Since then, he's worked all over. Most notably: Alliance Theatre (Atlanta, Ga.), Jewish Theatre of the South (Dunwoody, Ga.), New Repertory Theatre (Watertown, Mass.), Acorn Theatre (New York, N.Y.), Bank Street Theater (New York, N.Y.), Highlands Playhouse (Highlands, N.C.), Penobscot Theatre Company (Bangor, Maine), and many others.
Production Artists
JC Cutler (Director) last appeared at Six Points Theater in Uncle Philip’s Coat, having previously made his debut in The People's Violin. For the past 38 years, he has made his home in the Twin Cities, performing in many venues including the Guthrie Theater (over 50 productions), Jungle Theater, Cricket Theatre Company, Park Square Theatre, History Theatre, Illusion Theater, Mixed Blood Theatre, Children's Theatre Company, and others. He’s traveled to Dublin, Moscow, and Morocco for various projects and most recently to London for the premiere of Tony Kushner’s Tiny Kushner. He’s grateful for the life he’s been able to spend in and out of the theater, due entirely to the love and support from his wife Judy, his kids, grandkids, and his two canine companions, Josie and Vinny.
Rick Polenek (Scenic and Properties Design) returns to Six Points having previously designed props for SURVIVORS, Sisters in Law, Two Jews Walk Into A War…, Shul and The Whipping Man and scenery for Mizlansky/Zilinsky, Chanukah in the Dark and The Wanderers. Rick has been active in the Twin Cities’ theater and design communities for over 50 years as a scenic designer, exhibition designer, commercial art director and college instructor. Recent projects include Fetal for Frank Theatre.
A. Emily Heaney (Costume Design) is pleased to return to Six Points Theater, after working on The Wanderers last spring. She recently costumed the world premiere of Cold Planet, Warm Heart for Fortune’s Fool Theatre. She has costumed shows for theaters around the Twin Cities, including Park Square Theatre, Lakeshore Players Theatre, Gremlin Theater, Walking Shadow Theatre Company, Shakespeare & Company, and Theatre in the Round. Regionally, she has worked for Paul Bunyan Playhouse in Bemidji, MN, and Pioneer Place on Fifth in St. Cloud, MN. Emily is the National Costume Rental Coordinator at Norcostco in Golden Valley.
Paul Epton (Lighting Design) returns to Six Points Theater, where he's designed more than 70 shows. Favorites include Uncle Philip’s Coat, The Whipping Man, My Name is Asher Lev, Photograph 51, The Triangle Factory Fire Project, Rose, Old Wicked Songs, and The Chosen. He's designed for many other companies in town and out-state, including Commonweal Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, and Off-Leash Area. Over the past 30 years, he's also hung lights at the Guthrie Theater, Children’s Theatre Company, and many others around town. You can tell where he’s working when you see his bicycle with its fairing parked outside.
C Andrew Mayer (Sound Design) is back at to Six Points Theater having designed over a dozen shows including Sisters in Law, The People's Violin, Significant Other, Actually, and Photograph 51. He has worked at many other fine theaters in the Twin Cities and elsewhere. He was a McKnight Theatre Artist Fellow in the summer, and serves as the Producing Director of the Acadia Repertory Theatre on Mount Desert Island in Maine.
Brady Whitcomb (Technical Director) is returning to Six Points Theater after making his debut with Sisters in Law. Other theaters he's worked at include: Lakeshore Players Theatre, (La Cage aux Folles, Calendar Girls, Christmas Story, Singin' in the Rain); SOAR Regional Arts, (Grease, Clue, Addams Family, Mary Poppins JR., The Sound of Music, The Diary of Anne Frank); and Cross Community Players, (Footloose, Legally Blonde). Brady works as a set designer and technical/build director for multiple north west Twin Cities schools. He's from Andover, Minn., and in addition to being a scenic designer, he's also an artist of many mediums including photography, mixed media, and animation.
Jo Holcomb (Dramaturg) returns to Six Points Theater where she’s worked on Groupthink, Two Jews Walk Into A War…, The People's Violin, Promise of America, Operation: Immigration, Oh my God!, and Shul. At the Guthrie Theater Jo was involved in more than 75 productions, including Indecent, Watch on the Rhine, and Native Gardens. She has also worked as a dramaturg at Ten Thousand Things Theater and Macalester College, and teaches in the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program and the O’Neill National Theater Institute.
Elizabeth Desotelle (Intimacy Director) has been in the performing arts for over 30 years and is honored to be working with Six Points Theater. Intimacy Directors help actors, and all members of a production, advocate for equity, consent and safer boundaries in the workplace. Elizabeth has received the Consent Forward Artist Certification from Intimacy Directors & Coordinators (IDC) in New York City. Her credits include over 100 hours of combined studies and workshop classes at IDC and Theatrical Intimacy Education (TIE) in North Carolina. Recent credits: Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, (Jersey Boys and Beautiful - The Carole King Musical), History Theatre, (Diesel Heart and The Defeat of Jesse James).
Miranda Shunkwiler (Stage Manager) returns to Six Points Theater after working on Sisters in Law, The Wanderers, TRAYF, Uncle Philip's Coat, Groupthink, the New-Play Reading Festival, Chanukah in the Dark, and The People's Violin. Born and raised in the Twin Cities, she has been blessed to be a part of the theater community, working with companies such as History Theatre, Theater Mu, New Native Theatre, Stages Theatre Company, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Classical Actors Ensemble, and many more.
André Johnson, Jr. (Assistant Stage Manager) is excited and honored to return to Six Points Theater having previously worked on TRAYF. He has worked as a Stage Manager in the Twin Cities for eight years for companies such as The Winding Sheet Outfit, Theater Pro Rata, Transatlantic Love Affair, and more.
Martin Coren (Playwright) earned an MFA in Playwriting from Columbia University. His plays have been produced here and abroad. He has won two Best Play awards. Martin lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, their daughter, and their French bulldog. Many thanks to Six Points Theater for this wonderful opportunity.
Individual Producer
Rhoda and Don Mains
Producers Circle
Morrie Hartman and Michael Bahr
Myron Frisch
Jeffrey and Katherine Tane
Mary Ann and David Wark
LOCATION
Highland Park Community Center Theater
1978 Ford Parkway St. Paul, MN, 55116
Free and easy parking