The Rustic Mechanicals Bring Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Marlinton
On a July afternoon in Marlinton, the Pocahontas County Opera House will become a doorway into Shakespeare’s enchanted woods, where fairies stir up trouble, young lovers lose their way and one unlucky actor wakes to find himself transformed in the most memorable way possible.
The Rustic Mechanicals, West Virginia’s only professional touring Shakespeare troupe, will present William Shakespeare’s beloved comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 12, 2026, at the Pocahontas County Opera House.
Known for their fast-paced, “unplugged” style, The Rustic Mechanicals bring Shakespeare off the pedestal and into the room, making the Bard’s language lively, playful and accessible for modern audiences. Their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream invites audiences into a world where the line between the everyday and the magical disappears, with mistaken identities, accidental enchantments, fairy magic and one very famous donkey-headed surprise.
“The Opera House is the perfect vessel for this story,” said director Jim Warren. “It’s intimate, historic and just a little bit magical, much like the woods of Athens themselves.”
Founded in 2013, The Rustic Mechanicals have built a reputation for bringing Shakespeare to communities across West Virginia and beyond with energy, clarity and a healthy dose of theatrical chaos. The company focuses on making Shakespeare’s plays approachable without losing the poetry, humor and heart that have kept them alive for more than 400 years.
The performance is available for a $10 donation, and guests 17 and under are admitted free. Advance reservations are recommended due to limited seating. Tickets are available online at pocahontasoperahouse.org, at 4th Avenue Gallery in Marlinton or at the door, as space allows.
The Pocahontas County Opera House is located at 818 Third Ave. in Marlinton.
The Opera House Performance Series is made possible through the generous support of grants from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. The series also benefits from the backing of Pocahontas County Dramas, Fairs and Festivals, and the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau, reflecting the community’s continued commitment to preserving and celebrating its rich cultural heritage.
For more information, visit pocahontasoperahouse.org.
