Will’n in Weslaco is an annual Shakespeare festival of the Mid-Valley Campus of South Texas College in conjunction with Weslaco’s Tower Theatre. In our inaugural year we are celebrating William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Will’n in Weslaco: The Julius Caesar Project will comprise of films, interdisciplinary lectures, reading groups, readings from and student contests about Julius Caesar, performances of the play, and a ShakesBeer toga party to wrap-up our celebration. Shakespeare festivals continue to thrive all over the world because his plays offer something for everyone. More than four hundred years after their publication, Shakespeare continues to be performed, studied, and read not because his writings are old or traditional, but because they speak beautifully and profoundly to the human condition. Shakespeare’s plays are celebrated and enjoyed across cultures because Shakespeare’s brilliance as a poet stems from his genius as a philosopher. Beautiful, true, and good, Shakespeare is enjoyed by all because he speaks to all. Shakespeare being both great and popular and with the firm belief that his plays only improve with familiarity, we have launched the Valley’s first annual Shakespeare festival. All are welcome! We are especially reaching out to the residents of the City of Weslaco and the Rio Grande Valley. For questions, please contact Bryan H. Smith bsmith8@southtexascollege.edu or call (956) 447 – 6619.
