Montana Shakespeare in the Parks will perform William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" at Anchor Park on Tuesday, August 4, with the curtain going up at 6 p.m. Admission is free, and the company is encouraging people to arrive early for a pre-show performance before the main event.
The Anchor Park show is the second night of this year's Shakespeare in the Parks run in Helena. The touring company, based out of Montana State University in Bozeman, has been bringing free outdoor Shakespeare to Montana communities for more than five decades, and its Helena stops are a reliable summer fixture for families looking for something to do on a weeknight that doesn't cost anything.
"The Merchant of Venice" is one of Shakespeare's more contested comedies, built around the merchant Antonio, the moneylender Shylock, and a casket-choosing love plot in Belmont — with a courtroom scene that has generated debate about the play's treatment of justice and difference for generations of audiences. Bringing a lawn chair or a blanket and a picnic is standard practice for the Anchor Park crowd. The park is located on the west side of Helena near the Missouri River headwaters area.