The play Washington chose: Ohio State Mansfield marks Veterans Day with historic reading of CATO

MANSFIELD – The theatre program at The Ohio State University at Mansfield will commemorate Veterans Day with two free staged readings of an abridged version of Cato, a tragedy about the end of the Roman Republic that inspired the leaders of the American Revolution.

This is the same play General George Washington ordered performed for the Continental Army following the brutal winter at Valley Forge.

Performances will be held Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day, at 6:30 p.m. in Founders Auditorium. Audience discussions will follow each performance. Admission is free, and tickets are not required. More information can be found at mansfield.osu.edu/theatre.

In the spring of 1778, the Continental Army faced one of its greatest tests. Smallpox, supply shortages and internal division threatened the survival of both the army and the fledgling nation.

In response, Washington ordered a performance of Joseph Addison’s and Richard Steele’s Cato, a drama that explores liberty, duty, honor and the responsibilities of leadership. The play’s influence would later be felt throughout the American Revolution and among many of the nation’s Founding Fathers.

This abridged production highlights the timeless tension between personal conviction and political expediency, themes that remain as relevant today nearly 250 years after they inspired America’s founders.

“It makes sense that General Washington would order a performance of this play for his soldiers during the winter at Valley Forge. It was a dark time for the Continental Army,” said Joseph Fahey, professor of theatre at Ohio State Mansfield and director of the theatre program.

“Washington connected deeply with the ideas of this play, with its recognition of the high cost of freedom and the consequences of abandoning one’s responsibility to future generations. I think we are called to hear these words today just as much as those men from nearly 250 years ago.”

In recent years, the theatre program has staged several productions tied to Veterans Day and the service of veterans. Fahey said Cato fits that tradition and provides an opportunity to reflect on the ideals of sacrifice, service and civic responsibility.

“At the heart of Cato is a message of sacrifice and service,” he said. “The central character and his soldiers are making a desperate last stand to defend the Roman Republic against the conquest of Caesar. That is a cause our founders connected to our own revolution.

“The play offers a rich range of characters. Some are young and idealistic, others are soured with age and experience, and others are challenged by the stark reality of the long odds they face. In the midst of this, we have a title character that inspires sacrifice in others even in the face of what seems like a hopeless cause. I think all of us could use that type of inspiration these days.”

Fahey invites community members to make this sacrifice feel more real by experiencing the performance and joining the discussion that follows:

“Through this play, you can better understand the ideals that motivated our Founders and the sacrifices they made to defend them against the most powerful empire of their time.”