The Merchant of Venice (opera) 2013. Keith Warner directed the production, which was also supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the Grand Theatre – National Opera, Warsaw. The opera libretto follows the plot of the original play very closely, generally using Shakespeare's own words. Many of the minor characters are excised. Act I introduces the melancholy merchant Antonio, his friend Bassanio who asks Antonio for money to back his wooing of Portia, the Jewish moneylender Shylock, his daughter Jessica and her Gentile lover, Lorenzo. Despite evident mutual personal animosity, Shylock agrees to lend Antonio 3000 ducats against the pledge of a pound of the
Jessica Merchant Jessica Merchant Jessica Merchant (born 1983) is an American softball coach and former softball player. She is currently an assistant coach with the Minnesota Golden Gophers softball team. She previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts. She played professional softball in the National Pro Fastpitch league (NPF) for the New England Riptide (2005, 2007-2008) and Connecticut Brakettes (2006). In 2006, she was named NPF Offensive Player of the Year. Merchant also played college softball for the Michigan Wolverines softball team from 2002 to 2005. She was the captain of the 2005 Michigan Wolverines softball team that