The Merchant

WESKER, Arnold

ISBN 10: 0413516202 / ISBN 13: 9780413516206

Published by Methuen Student Edition, London, 1983

About this Item

First edition thus. 12mo. Perfect bound in glossy wrappers with price sticker on the back. A touch cocked, else fine. Signed and additionally Inscribed by Wesker to Tony Award-winning actress Marian Seldes, with more than 20 pages of Wesker's ink emendations. The lengthy message, dated December 11, 1985, takes up the entire inside front wrap and reads, in part: "As you will see - not only is this version different from the one we performed . it also contains subsequent alterations which I keep making. I even made one today while I was preparing this copy for you . One day this play will come into its own. Love and affection Arnold." The original 1977 production of the play starred Zero Mostel in a reinterpretation of Shylock from Shakespeare with Seldes playing his sister. Tragically, Mostel died after the first preview performance and was replaced by an ill-suited understudy. Seldes was Wesker's pillar of support during the stressful production, and the two formed a strong bond that last long after the play closed its one week run. A wonderful association with the original lead actress and the playwright who refused to give up on his play. Seller Inventory # 421605

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Merchant

Publisher: Methuen Student Edition, London

Publication Date: 1983

Binding: Softcover

Condition: Near Fine

Signed: Signed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis:

The original version of Wesker's imaginiative reworking of
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. With notes and commentary by
Glenda Leeming.

About the Authors:

Arnold Wesker F.R.S.L was knighted in 2006 for ‘services to drama’. He has written over forty-three plays, two opera libretti, various mechanical adaptations; four volumes of short stories, a children’s book, and a novel; two volumes of essays, an autobiography, a diary,and a book on journalism; and recently his first volume of poetry. His plays have been produced in cities from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo, from Paris to Moscow, from Montreal to Zurich, and The Kitchen – his most performed play has been performed yearly somewhere or other around the world for the last fifty years, and recently was revived by The National Theatre in 2011. Arnold Wesker was the recently featured in the Guardian ahead of revivals of his plays Chicken Soup With Barley (The Royal Court) and The Kitchen (The National Theatre): Guardian interview | Arnold Wesker

Jenny Stevens was an Associate Lecturer for the Open University and currently combines educational consultancy work with teaching and writing. She is the co-author with Pamela Bickley of Essential Shakespeare: The Arden Guide to Text and Interpretation (2013) and Shakespeare and Early Modern Drama: Text and Performance (2016).