Die Fremden/Der Kaufmann von Venedig (review)

For obvious reasons, The Merchant of Veniceis a play directors and theater-makers have long considered too problematic to stage within the German theater landscape, but in 2017/2018 not only the Theater Muenster but also the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg (dir. Karin Beier) decided to brave it. Stefan Otteni's production in Muenster, however, was unusual for two additional reasons. First, it was the first staging to combine Shakespeare's unlikely comedy with textual elements of the "Hand D" portion of Sir Thomas Moreclaimed for Shakespeare, which in 2016 was published independently under the title Die Fremden( The Foreigners) in a German translation by Frank Günther. And second, the continuous breaking of the fourth wall included a staged protest in which "audience members" insulted a non-German speaking actor onstage, all of which guaranteed for a compelling, if highly uncomfortable, evening.

Otteni's decision to merge two different Shakespearean texts was reflected in the production's title, anticipating his larger focus on the "Other." But right from the outset, a few additional directorial decisions stood out. Peter Scion's stylish and reduced set design envisioned twenty-first-century Venice as a bare stage framed by Hans Holbein the Younger's The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb. Christoph Rinke's Shylock, in keeping with the modern setting and much younger than the character is normally cast, was a sleek, cynical businessman in his thirties. Another intriguing casting decision, though slightly confusing to begin with, was the inclusion of an unidentified female character who commented on other characters' lines, only visible to others when she chose to be. This figure, played by the excellent Carola von Seckendorff, later introduced herself as "Love," and so many of the lines she spoke encouraged characters to confess their feelings openly (Antonio and Bassanio already shared a passionate kiss in the opening scene) or to show mercy. In the cast list, she appeared as Love/Duke of Venice, which, although she spoke only a few of the Duke's lines, aligned these two characters as a choric figure who engaged with the audience.

Against the cold and money-driven world of Venice, the more relaxed Belmont featured linen-clad characters lounging in a form of large, revolving satellite disk. This light atmosphere reflected the directorial decision to heighten the absurd undertones of the love-plot, and, against that backdrop, the casket scenes were also played for laughs. Portia's first two suitors—the Princes of Hanover and Kazakhstan—were buffoonish figures, and here the production somewhat unnecessarily deviated from Shakespeare's text to gain additional laughter. While the overdone hilarity lulled the audience into a sense of security, the tone changed radically as soon as the Prince of Morocco, played by the Syrian-born actor Zainab Alsawah who also doubled as Jessica, entered the stage. Morocco responded to Portia's questions in Arabic, interjecting only a few lines of German. At first, Portia (Sandra Bezler) asked the Prince to speak German. When Morocco continued in Arabic, an audience member shouted from the auditorium " Würden Sie bitte Deutsch reden, ich verstehe Sie nicht" ("Would you please speak German, I cannot understand you"). Still, the actor continued in Arabic, prompting other audience members to cry out " Wir sind hier in Deutschland" ("This is Germany!"). After some fifteen to twenty increasingly aggressive interjections, she turned to the audience and erupted into a passionate rendition of Shylock's famous "Hath not a Jew eyes" speech (3.1.48–66), only substituting the word "Jew" with...