TheaterWorks Hartford Announces New Venue for Circus Fire Performances

Press release

TheaterWorks Hartford Announces New Venue for Circus Fire Performances:

The World Premiere Production will be Performed at
The First Company Governor’s Foot Guard in Downtown Hartford

Written by Jacques Lamarre
Conceived by Jacques Lamarre, Jared Mezzocchi, & Rob Ruggiero
Directed by Jared Mezzocchi

Performances Run April 16 - May 17, 2026

TheaterWorks Hartford, under the direction of Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero and Managing Director Jeff Griffin, announces its upcoming World Premiere production of Circus Fire will be performed off-site at the historic First Company Governor’s Foot Guard in downtown Hartford.

Photo courtesy of The First Company Governor’s Foot Guard

The production will run from April 16 - May 17, 2026. Circus Fire is written by local playwright Jacques Lamarre (TWH’s Christmas on the Rocks, I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti), directed by Jared Mezzocchi (TWH’s Sandra), and is conceived by Lamarre, Mezzocchi, and Rob Ruggiero. The off-site move aligns with the play’s themes around remembrance and Hartford-centric history. It also offers an exciting canvas of space for the multimedia contents as well as the opportunity to perform the piece in the round.

The First Company Governor’s Foot Guard was created in 1771 and is the oldest continuously serving military organization in the United States with an unbroken lineage. The First Company Governor’s Foot Guard was created to serve and protect the governor in his travels between New Haven and Hartford. Today, the GFG provides escort to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and various dignitaries throughout the state of Connecticut. The First Company Governor’s Foot Guard is located at 159 High St. in Hartford, CT. For more information, please visit their website.

The decision to produce Circus Fire at this venue reflects TheaterWorks Hartford’s ongoing commitment to engage with the City of Hartford. By collaborating with the First Company’s Governor’s Foot Guard, TheaterWorks aims to create a theatrical, multimedia experience that honors the history and remembrance of the tragedy for the City of Hartford. The 12-person cast - including 2 Hartt Students - will be made up of all Connecticut / Hartford - based artists, to be announced at a later date.

Photo courtesy of Brian Prather

“CIRCUS FIRE is a centerpiece of our 40th season, and it reflects our commitment to telling stories that genuinely resonate with our community,” says TWH’s artistic director Rob Ruggiero. “I’m especially proud that we’re using an entirely Connecticut-based cast—ten remarkable local actors, joined by two student actors from our partnership with Kevin Ramsey and The Hartt School. It’s a wonderful opportunity to showcase the extraordinary talent that lives right here.

Collaborating with playwright Jacques Lamarre and visionary director Jared Mezzocchi makes this project deeply personal; their imaginations have shaped something truly special. And I love that we’re bringing this work out into the community. We’re grateful to The First Company’s Governor’s Foot Guard for opening their historic doors to us, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience this story in such a meaningful place.”

When asked about the project, director Jared Mezzocchi exclaimed, “Having an opportunity to return to Theaterworks Hartford for a 4th production is an incredible honor, but what makes CIRCUS FIRE an unique experience is that it is going to be site-specific, performed deep within the community. The First Company Governor's Foot Guard is filled with history and represents Hartford over multiple decades, so to be creating within its walls about an event within its history and performed by 12 local performers from the city... It's a dream project. Over the last two years of development with Jacques Lamarre and Rob Ruggiero, this story and script have given me a deep appreciation of Hartford, its citizens, and the complex history it holds. And the entire TWH production team has met this project with inspired enthusiasm to help us create a truly unique experience, incorporating innovative multimedia technology to fill the walls from floor to ceiling with image and sound. I know we will be making something special for this community."

“The impact of the tragic Hartford circus fire still reverberates in this community today,” says playwright Jacques Lamarre. “I am excited that TheaterWorks is combining this powerful piece of theatre with modern technology in a historic location that most Hartford-area residents pass daily on I-84 but have never entered."

About Circus Fire:
It’s July 1944. With the nation at war and a heat wave settling over the city, the residents of Hartford, Connecticut eagerly await the arrival of “The Greatest Show on Earth.” The unthinkable occurs when a fire turns the big top into an inferno. In the minutes, hours and days following the blaze, two communities – Hartford and the Circus – find themselves irretrievably intertwined by tragedy, blame, heroism, and healing. This multimedia World Premiere honors the power of community in our 40th Season. Performances of Circus Fire are Tuesdays - Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm. Tickets and more information on the production can be found on TWH’s website.