Shakespeare Fest to offer free performances at the James Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor

MENTOR, Ohio - Shakespeare Fest will offer free performances at the James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor this weekend.

It's a presidential election year and Ohio has a rich presidential history. Eight commanders-in-chief were from the Buckeye State. One of those Presidents is James Garfield from Mentor. The James A. Garfield National Historic Site stands there today.

Garfield was only president for four months before he was assassinated. But he was a fascinating character and had a lot of interests, including Shakespeare.

Shakespeare’s picture hangs in Garfield's Mentor memorial library and a few of his plays fill the shelves there. And this weekend, June 30 and July 1, the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival will perform two of Shakespeare's play right on the back lawn of Garfield's home.

"Garfield and his wife both really loved Shakespeare and in fact Garfield even talked about Shakespeare in his diaries in the plays he was reading," said Todd Arrington, PhD, Chief of Interpretation and Education at the James A, Garfield National Historic Site.

A rendition of Henry VIII will be performed Saturday, June 30, at 7 p.m. As You Like It will be Sunday night, July 1, at 7 p.m. And the best part about this: it's free.

The Garfield site is located at 8095 Mentor Avenue in Mentor.

Click on the video to watch Josh Boose's report on the history and life of President Garfield and a look at some of the things people will find at the national historic site.