On February 22, 2024, the 24th Annual Thanksgiving Day, created an exquisite atmosphere that made the evening at Don Bosco High School and Jr. College, Naigaon, unforgettable.
Scripted and directed by Mrs. Dorothy Fernandes, the students beautifully staged an abridged version of the play, ‘The Merchant of Venice’ authored by the great playwright, actor and poet, William Shakespeare. This is a story that takes place in the beautiful city of Venice, in Italy. It is a story of a Jewish moneylender, Shylock who agrees to loan a Christian merchant, Antonio, a large sum of money on a condition that, if Antonio is unable to repay the loan, Shylock will take a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. Time passes and Antonio is unable to repay the loan. Shylock then insists on collecting his pound of flesh from Antonio. The court however, intervenes and forces Shylock to give up his bond and pay for his wicked intentions.
The play’s well-known statements from the main character Portia, the affluent heiress, portrayed by Delisha Gonsalves, a student of grade-9 and Shylock, the avaricious moneylender, portrayed by Gitanshu Routray from grade-9, represent the principles and morals of ‘Mercy’ and ‘Humanity’ respectively.
One of the main characters in the play Bassanio, played very well by grade 9 student Leroy Salins, has an undertone of selfishness because he allowed his friend Antonia—a kind-hearted merchant—to get into trouble for the money he borrowed for himself so that he could marry Portia. Brajvansh Jeevesh is another grade 9 student who plays Antonia.
Portia, seems to be an intelligent woman who can remain calm and think about a solution in nerve-wracking situations. The climax where Portia outwitted Shylock under the identity of Balthazar caught the audience by surprise and Shylock added to the effect with his fabulous acting. The climax had the audience feeling bad for Shylock but also a feeling of content for, he got what he deserved.
The students put in a lot of effort to make the play come to life with costumes that were strikingly realistic. The costume and art team worked really hard to make the set for the play and they succeeded in giving the 16th-century ambience of the old Venice. Each student, with roles big or small, did a great job and were thoroughly applauded by the audience for their performance. The play’s overall impression and enjoyment were enhanced by the incorporation of appropriate music and dances.
Considering the play is highly contentious due to differences in current beliefs and morals in the present, the students managed to pull it off leaving the audience with a message illustrating the dangers of greed, the value of friendship, the need to balance mercy and justice, and the importance of treating people with kindness and respect, regardless of their background or religion.
By – Dorothy Fernandes
