I recently finished playing Antonio in a run of Merchant of Venice at Columbia University (directed by the immensely talented Rebecca Kratzer - http://www.miller-rebecca.com/).
What made this production particularly special was it's all-Jewish cast and the way we mined Jewish culture and tradition to tell an inherently Christian story. Using the framing device of a Purim spiel, we explored the staggering and problematic parallels between Merchant and the Book of Esther. As a Jewish-American, it was unique opportunity to explore the nuance of a character many see (and play) quite black-and-white, while also delving into the roots and complexities of my heritage.
Truly one of my favorite projects to date!