At The Foster Festival we have been championing Canadian theatre for 10 years. Our plays are written by Canadians, directed by Canadians, designed by Canadians, and performed by Canadians. And so we are extremely proud to present the all-Canadian world premiere of Mechanically Inclined by Steve Ross, for just 13 performances - August 14-24, at the Mandeville Theatre, Ridley College, St. Catharines.

The second play to come out of the 2024 Fostered Playwrights Festival, Steve Ross has written a witty, heartfelt look at the mess, magic, and meaning of making theatre. Abby Taylor is directing a community theatre production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a cast of colourful misfits, everyday people who have a shared passion they try to escape to from their complicated lives. As rehearsals progress, Abby quickly discovers more drama outside the rehearsal hall than in it, with personality clashes, life struggles, and creative differences.

Mechanically Inclined stars Brad Austin as Terry Finn, Shauna Black as Abby Taylor, Ben Skipper as Ben Flatley, Pierre Simpson as Robert Browning, Chris Vergara as Jacob Moynihan and Blair Williams as Mason Adams.

From performances at theatres across the country to the stages of the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, we extend a warm welcome to the cast of Mechanically Inclined - all making their on-stage debuts with The Foster Festival. (Blair Williams previously directed Here on the Flight Path in the Festival's inaugural 2016 season.)

Mechanically Inclined is directed by Jamie Williams with the design team of Beckie Morris (Set Designer), Alex Amini (Costume Designer), and Stacy Graham (Lighting Designer). Michael Panich is the Stage Manager and Sarah Flanigan is the Apprentice Stage Manager.

MECHANICALLY INCLINED - For tickets visit fosterfestival.com.

Buy tickets to Mechanically Inclined and be automatically entered in a draw to WIN a FOUR-PACK of tickets to The Foster Festival's 2026 Season!

All Mechanically Inclined ticket buyers will be entered in the draw.

If you prefer to talk with someone in our Box Office, please call 1.844.735.4832 x3 (Mon.-Fri. - 10am-4pm).

MEET THE CAST OF MECHANICALLY INCLINED:

 • Brad Austin is happy to part of The Foster Festival's season. He spent many a summer doing Norms' plays all over our beautiful country: The Melville Boys (Drayton Entertainment/ Bluewater); Hilda’s Yard (Drayton/Chemainus); A Pack of Thieves, The Foursome, Halfway There (Lighthouse); Bedtime Stories (Drayton).

 • Shauna Black's theatre credits include six seasons at Theatre Aquarius including the title roles in Shirley Valentine and Sylvia; five seasons at the Shaw Festival; Othello, The Three Musketeers, graduate of The Birmingham Conservatory (Stratford Festival); as well as performances at Blyth Festival, CanStage, Festival Of Classics, Sudbury Theatre Centre, Drayton Entertainment, and Theatre Grottesco, University Of Notre Dame, Iowa State University.

 • Ben Skipper's credits include: Willard in Footloose (Stage West Calgary); Larry the Fairy/Diablo in Sleeping Beauty…A Fairy’s Tale, Buttons in Cinderella…If the Shoe Fits! (Theatre Orangeville); Steve in 12 Dinners, Wyatt in Frog Song (Here For Now); Tok in Wizard of Oz: The Panto!, Leslie in It Runs in the Family (Drayton); And I Never Stopped Dancing (Smile Theatre); Boatman in Sunday in the Park with George (Eclipse Theatre Company); Sam in Every Silver Lining (Toronto Fringe/ Nextstage); Newsies, The Stars of Mars, The House of Martin Guerre (Theatre Sheridan).

 • Pierre Simpson was born and raised in Welland. His credits include Benevolence, Strawberries in January (Great Canadian Theatre Company); La cantatrice chauve, Dom Juan, Le Dîner de cons (Théâtre français de Toronto); When It Rains (2b theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Canadian Stage); It’s a Wonderful Life (Theatre New Brunswick); The Bookshop (National Arts Centre); Dangerous Liaisons (Third Wall); On Golden Pond, A Christmas Carol (Showboat Festival Theatre).

 • Chris Vergara's theatre credits include: Jacob in La Cage aux Folles, Tom in Wendy and Peter Pan (Stratford Festival); Angel in RENT (Rainbow Stage); Boutons in Cinderella, Charlie/Chadwick and Buddy u/s in Elf (Neptune Theatre); Nam in A Perfect Bowl of Pho (Toronto Fringe, Patrons' Pick Winner); Rust in Small Gods the Musical (Factory Theatre); A Christmas Carol (Magnus Theatre); Cannibal! The Musical (Starvox Entertainment, US premiere and tour); High School Musical (Theatre Aquarius); Friar/Tybalt and Choreographer in Romeo & Juliet (Fiasco Theater Conservatory, off-Broadway, NYC).

 • Blair Williams' theatre credits include: Liars At A Funeral (Blyth); A Bellyful, The Mystery Of Irma Vep (Theatre Aquarius); Oslo (Studio 180/Mirvish); Pig (Buddies In Bad Times); The Game’s Afoot (Vertigo Calgary); Flesh And Other Fragments Of Love (Tarragon); Cloud 9 (Mirvish); What The Butler Saw (Soulpepper); Betrayal (Theatre Calgary); and more than 20 productions with the Shaw Festival.