Anthony Vaughn Merchant
Actor
AEA
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The role of Bottom, the most egotistical of the workingmen-actors, is always a golden comic opportunity for an actor, and Anthony Vaughn Merchant runs with it, especially in his supremely ridiculous death scene. Bottom, not satisfied with having been cast as the play’s male lead, wants everyone else’s roles too. For unrelated reasons, Oberon (Michael Early), the fairy king, has him turned into a donkey.
The one who most frequently stole the show and delighted audiences was Anthony Merchant. Merchant takes several liberties (to put it lightly) with the character of Bottom but his risk-taking was well-rewarded. Some Bardophiles might be offended by the choices but classic theatre isn’t supposed to be a rote repetition. It’s supposed to be adaptable to the culture and times. Merchant plays Bottom with a jazz musician’s ear for improvisation as he plays off the audience and other characters for a virtuosic performance.
The Tempest
But kudos to Anthony Vaughn Merchant, who’s game for anything as the clownish Trinculo. Decked out in doofus-y breeches, Merchant delivers kersplatting somersaults, Jay Z-inspired shoutouts about “99 problems” and drunken belches followed by apologies of “lo siento.” There’s a lot going on in his portrait.
The clowns do well, though, particularly Anthony Vaughn Merchant’s Trinculo, given to expressing pique in bursts of Spanish. When Caliban, enslaved by Prospero, teams up with Trinculo and his drunken comrade, Stephano (Emmanuel Brown), hoping they’ll help him gain his “liberté,” it’s hard not to root for them a little. Mr. Cofield goes for a queasy-making laugh when Trinculo shelters under Caliban’s cloak, but otherwise, they’re fun to watch.
But, just as his daughter falls for the prince, the audience’s heart belongs to fools Trinculo (Anthony Vaughn Merchant) and Stephano (Emmanuel Brown), who pepper their drollery with saucy asides in Spanish and slapstick.