Find out which play is coming to the New Mexico Shakespeare Festival

The New Mexico Shakespeare Festival is shaking things up, staging a fall show for the first time with the Bard’s play “Coriolanus.”

“Coriolanus” is the story of a man struggling to be part of a society he doesn’t really fit into, Quinn Mander, show director, said.

Mander says the play follows anti-hero Coriolanus and is “often described as the searing political drama where loyalty is always in question and changes on a dime.”

“Coriolanus” will be at the North Fourth Theater from Friday, Oct. 10, through Oct. 24.

“‘Coriolanus’ is hardly ever produced. There’s been a few movies in the last couple of decades that have been done, but mostly, it’s one of his lesser-known plays,” Mander said.

Mander dove into analyzing the character of Coriolanus and his family dynamic to help plan the show. However, he said, even with all the study and research, he wanted the cast to be inspired to ask their own questions.

“It’s my responsibility as a director to come in with a clear vision and detail, not just for the cast, but for the production team,” Mander said.

“Ultimately, the characters they shape need to align with the vision of the show,” Mander said. “But there are going to be things that I didn’t think of. There are going to be qualities that they bring that I could never predict.”

New Mexico Shakespeare Festival artistic director, Levi Gore, said that the festival’s goals are to remind modern audiences that William Shakespeare’s stories are evolving and adapting to remain relevant to audiences that need that “connection with language, with stories and themes.”

“Everybody knows Shakespeare and classical works and theater, but art imitates life. So the art that we do is integral to our day-to-day operations,” Gore said. “It’s integral that we as a company maintain these stories and facilitate them for newer generations, older generations that haven’t seen the show.”

Mander said to modernize “Coriolanus,” he added a live percussive rhythm performed throughout the play.

“The set is going to incorporate various types of musical instruments, I’m talking about like chimes and bells and pieces of the set that you could hammer on, and scaffolding you can beat on,” Mander said.

“Rhythm gets into people’s bones and we have a visceral reaction,” Mander said. “And I want that to be kind of a bridge to allow the audience to have a visceral reaction to the text.”

The New Mexico Shakespeare Festival produced free shows during the summer but added a fall show this year to reach a broader audience.

“I really wanted us to be the New Mexico Shakespeare Festival and grow the company, broaden out to this growing and artistically heavy area of the country,” Gore said.

New Mexico Shakespeare Festival brings 'Coriolanus' to life