Jessica (The Merchant of Venice) usually extend and deepen existing dramatic conventions, and Jessica must be seen in a context of classical and Elizabethan conventions for such characters. Slights highlights comedies where children rebel against a miserly father, or romances where daughters defy a repressive father for love. These conventions would be familiar for both Shakespeare and an Elizabethan theatre audience, and, indeed, modern audiences tend to accept Jessica's actions as natural within the context of the plot. Her escape from Shylock's repressive household to Belmont a quest for freedom, and from misfortune to happiness. This view is supported by John Russell-Brown, the editor of
Shakespeare Tavern of six years, The Atlanta Shakespeare Company produced "Romeo and Juliet", "Much Ado about Nothing", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Merchant of Venice", "Twelfth Night", "The Two Gentlemen of Verona", and "The Taming of the Shrew" in the back room at Manuel's, and at the nearby Excelsior Mill, attracting national attention with articles in "The Wall Street Journal", "The New York Times", and coverage by CBS and CNN. In 1990, The Atlanta Shakespeare Company opened the Shakespeare Tavern at 599 Peachtree Street. Since the Tavern opened, The Atlanta Shakespeare Company has produced over 73 plays, presenting 1,600 plus performances, including