The Rude Mechanicals

For 2025, we're so full of the holly and the jolly we just might burst.

What the RMs are up to, in upcoming weeks:

Tuesday Dec. 2, Dickens Downtown:

Reading classic holiday and winter stories and poems near the Kentuck Courtyard of Wonders yule fire, running from 5:30 until event's end. The main feature will be a one-hour reading of "A Christmas Carol," beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Monday Dec. 8, tree-lighting ceremony prior to the West Alabama Christmas Parade:

On the county courthouse lawn, we'll be leading a 15-minute singalong, of all-familiar holiday tunes, from 6:05-6:20. Lyrics will be available. The parade itself begins at 6:30.

Saturday, Dec. 13, Kentuck Queen City, for the second annual Christmas Art Market:

At 1 p.m., we'll host the circa 2003 Holiday Singalong, running about 90 minutes, or until everyone's had their fill of sung figgy-pudding demands. This will be outdoors, near art and artists.

At 4 p.m., we're cooking up a staged reading of "A Christmas Carol." This will be indoors at KQC (the old bathhouse/MWWTM), and consist of the same tightly-cut script from Dickens Downtown, but with more ... stuff. Folks moving around, props, costumes, and sound effects and lights and such.

Dancing Fezziwigs! Tim, and other tiny tots aglow! Chained and unchained phantoms!

And Belle and Scrooge will sing the newly-composed song, "Good As Gold."

You know: Staged.

Contact Mark for more, either through this book of faces, or at [email protected].

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"I hate ingratitude more in a man
Than lying, vainness, babbling, drunkenness,
Or any taint of vice whose strong corruption
Inhabits our frail blood."

Lest we be guilty of crossing (puns always intended) Viola/Cesario: Sincerest thanks to all who came to enjoy with us our 20th anniversary performances of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

You not only showed in numbers (probably our biggest overall, or at least equivalent to earlier "Midsummer" productions, and "Macbeth"), but gave most generously.

Such largesse not only helped us pay for professional photography (by the great Porfirio Solorzano), but for odds and ends, and dinner with friends (at the lovely Roll Call, atop the Alamite).

The leftover, a healthy amount, will aid us in growth toward non-profit status. Look for more in the coming year.

We'll recall you not just by the numbers, of course, but by the shared time, the laughter, the awws and oohs at all sweet things.

You were in the room where it happened.

"Thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings."