08/28/2026
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (October 23-26) is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals, in partnership with The Mansfield Shakespeare Company. Tom Stoppard’s dark comedy tells the story of Hamlet from the worm’s-eye view of two bewildered minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Thrust into the spotlight, this Shakespearean Laurel and Hardy navigate a world where reality and illusion blur, and where fate leads them toward a tragic but inevitable conclusion. Celebrating its 60th anniversary this season, Stoppard’s best-known work remains a landmark of modern theatre. Performances: Friday October 23 and Saturday October 24 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday October 25 at 2:30 p.m., and Monday October 26 at 7:30 p.m..
CATO: The Play that Made a Nation - STAGED READINGS AND CONVERSATION (November 8 and 11). In the spring of 1778 the continental army endures the harsh winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Smallpox, disunity, and privation threaten the survival of the army and the new nation. In this time of crisis, General Washington defies Congress and orders the performance of a play for his soldiers. This play, Joseph Addison’s and Richard Steele’s Cato, follows the last days of Cato the Younger as he resists Julius Caesar’s rise to power. The popular work offered a model for civic virtue that inspired America’s Founding Fathers. This abridged version of the original script emphasizes Cato’s themes of liberty, duty, honor, and the conflict between personal conviction and political expediency. FREE VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION Sunday, November 8 at 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday, November 11 at 6:30 p.m..
The Play’s The Thing (March 5-8) by Ferenc Molnár adapted by P. G. Wodehouse features young lovers, a puffed-up theatre star, a zany group of servants, partners, and hotel guests, and a far-fetched scheme to set everything to rights. This combination made this witty and fast-moving farce an over-the top hit with New York audiences in 1926. When a young man listens to a romantic encounter between his fiancée and her leading man, his uncle – a business-savvy playwright – has to convince him that what he overheard was just a rehearsal for a play. The uncle then frantically writes and rehearses the new play to seal the deal. The title is a nod to Hamlet, and like Shakespeare’s masterpiece, this comedy delights in stepping over the line between reality and performance. Performances are Friday March 5 and Saturday March 6 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday March 7 at 2:30 p.m., and Monday March 8 at 7:30 p.m..
Live Long and Prosper - STAGED READINGS FEATURING EXCERPTS FROM UNPRODUCED SCRIPTS OF THE ORIGINAL STAR TREK SERIES. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Star Trek’s first season, faculty, staff, students, and community artists will present selected excerpts from unproduced original series scripts. Drawn from the collection Star Trek: The Original Series Scripts and Writer’s Guides housed in The Ohio State University Rare Books & Manuscripts Library and supplemented by related material and images from the Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute, these readings offer a unique look at the iconic series. A brief discussion will follow the reading. This FREE EVENT will take place on Monday, April 5 at 6:30pm in Founders Auditorium and Wednesday, April 7 at 4:00pm on the Columbus Campus in Thompson Memorial Library, Rm 150.
For tickets in advance, if you are current students, faculty/staff, or alumni, you can secure tickets at go.osu.edu/mansfield_tickets. For new users, if you have never ordered tickets for an event before, please call 614-247-4105 to purchase. Phone assistance is available Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m..
Tickets may also be purchased at the on-site box office beginning 45 minutes before each performance. All performances have ample seating and will not sell out. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before showtime to purchase your ticket and help ensure the performance starts on time.
For more information, Joe Fahey can be reached at [email protected] or 419-755-4276.
