about the play

A trade is not about interest as security but about the heart of the merchant. A woman (disguised as a man) brings the following course of the court to an unexpected outcome. And of course there is love! Antonio loves his best friend Bassiano and Bassiano wants to marry the rich Portia. But to ask for her hand in marriage, one must engage in a daring „gamble“.

In the piece, everything is traded. With love and even the own body.

But why use a heart as a pledge for a deal? Between the lines you can guess that one has been humiliated and teased by the other for years because of his Jewish descent. For him, it's a battle that can be won that way.

In the play there is drama but no drama queen. Each character behaves according to the situation. For the viewer, these are comprehensible actions.

Concept

I chose the color red because of the bloody matter that is present all the time in the play. And I chose the color blue because the sea plays a very subtle accompanying role. If the merchant ships lost at sea were to appear, there would be no need for a heart as a pledge.

The different layers that form on the poster are a metaphor for the multi-layered characters and a representation of intestines.

The thought bubbles are the thoughts of Shylock, the Jewish merchant, who tries to justify his demands to himself and asks himself unhealthy questions. The speech bubbles represent the conversation between Portia and her friend just before they disguise themselves as men to turn the courtroom upside down. The speech bubbles are also meant to make the audience curious to see the play.

You will understand the rest of the poster when you look at it. (But I don't think you will live long enough to see this magnificent play.) ;)

Poster

Billboard

Ticket

Regarding the ticket, I thought it fell into a pool of blood and the phrase of desire, a supporting phrase in the piece, is the only thing shining through the blood. Here the colors really bite each other!

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