FAIRMONT, WV – Be on the lookout! The Rustic Mechanicals will be holding a FREE performance of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar on the beautiful campus of Fairmont State University as part of their 2024 Lend Me Your Ears tour! Held on Thursday, March 21st, this will be the Rustic Mechanical’s 11th season in which Fairmont State has been a recurring venue, including Love’s Labour’s Lost in 2021, and The Comedy of Errors last summer. Founded by Celi Oliveto in the summer of 2014, The Rustic Mechanicals is the only troupe of actors in the state dedicated to touring the works of William Shakespeare and other classical playwrights.
In Shakespeare’s epic political tragedy, Caesar returns from war, all-conquering, but mutiny is rumbling through the corridors of power as the race to claim the empire spirals out of control. This production, dedicated to replicating Shakespeare’s true-to-life staging conditions, will feature modern music, a three-quarter thrust, and audience interaction that is sure to entertain, enthrall, and embrace the attention and hearts of its audience.
Directed by Jim Warren, with Technical Direction by David Byard, Costume Design by Jason A. Young, Hair, Make-Up, and SFX Design by Samantha Huffman, and Production Management by Niki DeWitt, the Mechanicals featured in this production include Josh Brooks, Calian Byard, Seret Cole, Isaac Covey, Samantha Huffman, Sinead Tobin, Jason A. Young, and Sarah Young.
Angela Schwer, The Professor of English at Fairmont State University, is ecstatic about the Mechanicals and their cause. “As the greatest English playwright , Shakespeare will continue to be an important element in our literature curriculum, and we’re grateful to the Rustic Mechanicals for making his work accessible to everyone, not just literary scholars.”
The Mechanicals will be touring Julius Caesar throughout the spring and fall, and holding a separate touring production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest in the summer. The Mechanicals also hold productions that they call, “a Play, a Pie, and a Pint,” focusing on making Shakespeare’s plays accessible to modern audiences by utilizing dynamic and extreme casting techniques paired with Shakespeare’s staging conditions. For more information on booking these touring shows, you can e-mail vtcrusticmechanicals@gmail.com.
This production of Julius Caesar will be held on Thursday, March 21st in the Wallman Hall at Fairmont State University. The performance will begin at 7:00 PM and tickets are completely free! To show your interest and support for the troupe, check out the Mechanical’s Facebook Event at https://fb.me/e/9I1Jx6CK4.