Wanting to belong is a powerful force: It drives us to search for love, strive for fortunes, rail against injustice and embrace happiness. Shakespeare’s provocative comedy, “The Merchant of Venice,” starts with Bassanio’s quest for Portia. Funded by an ill-conceived loan drawn against Antonio’s expected fortunes, the road to true love will not be smooth. When plans go awry, betrayal and blind anger face off against a cry for compassion and a clever young lawyer in disguise. In the end, on a moonlit night in Belmont, all are left to question justice, the power of love and how far people go just to belong. Founded in 1975, Actors from The London Stage is one of the oldest established touring Shakespeare theater companies in the world.
