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Nerd Nite NYC Friday Jan 9, 2026 with obsessed Julius Caesar fans, DIY Sword Restoration, and Amazon is watching you. And trivia! promotional image
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Nerd Nite NYC Friday Jan 9, 2026 with obsessed Julius Caesar fans, DIY Sword Restoration, and Amazon is watching you. And trivia!

Presentation Trivia Comedy

What’s Happening?

Imagine Jeff Bezos watching an audience watching a performance of Julius Caesar. With rusty swords. Nerd Nite NYC eagerly kicks-off the new year with three fun-yet-informative presentations about obsessive Julius Caesar fans, the misadventures of a DIY sword restoration project gone awry, and why surveillance capitalism and moms rely on Amazon Prime. Shakespeare. Swords. Shopping Surveillance! And just as importantly, Matt and his trivia return too, so bring some pals and win some perfectly adequate prizes. Tickets here.

Nerd Nite NYC
Friday January 9, 2026
Trivia + Presentations $16 at 7pm (doors at 6:30pm)
Presentations-only $12 at 8:15pm (doors at 8pm)
Littlefield: 635 Sackett Street, Brooklyn (Park Slope/Gowanus)

Tickets here: https://littlefieldnyc.com/event/?wfea_eb_id=1968322088352

Back to the Lectures At-Hand:
*Presentation #1
Why Julius Caesar Is My Roman Empire – And I’m Not Alone
by Meryl Federman

Description: Friends, Nerds, Countrymen: people involved in politics love William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, but why? Its ideology is shrouded, and its text adamantly refuses to take a side. Without clear heroes, villains, or political aims, how did Caesar become Shakespeare’s “political” tragedy, where others like King Lear or Macbeth resonate on a more emotional or psychological level instead? From John Wilkes Booth’s obsession with Brutus to the infamous “Trump Caesar” in the Park in 2017, the overly-plugged in politics-followers of the English speaking world love this play – and you might too! Here’s why.

Bio: In eighth grade, Meryl Federman decided that she wanted to read “the play with the speech” (that’s “Friends, Romans, countrymen”, of course) and she’s been obsessed with Julius Caesar ever since. From using the screenname “Cassius” in high school to directing a Zoom production of the play in 2021, she’s been all about Caesar, which she credits with kicking off her Shakespeare fandom in earnest. While Richard II now claims a joint “favorite play” spot in her heart, Caesar will always be first.

*Presentation #2
Removing Curses and Rust From a Real Sword
by Matt Storrs

Description: Matt Storrs found a rusty sword on the streets of NYC. Understandably, he took it home and set out to remove the rust and restore the sword to its former glory. Using bathroom brushes, wire cutters, and various chemicals, he set out to work. Matt did not know what he was doing… Over the next few months, through trial and error, and with some mild risk to his marriage, Matt rejuvenated the sword. With Matt’s guidance, you’ll be prepared when you face your destiny and find a sword on the street.

Bio: Matt Storrs is a comedian and storyteller based out of NYC and originally from Phoenix, AZ. He has been featured in Newsweek, on NPR, and on PBS. Matt is known for sharp stories and his esoteric comedy. Matt Storrs is a humor person. He can be found online at @mtstorrs

*Presentation #3
Surveillance Capitalism & Digital Secrets You Wish Your Family Didn’t Know About You
by Luke Strathmann

Description: Tech companies track, profile, and monetize us, but sometimes the real risk and embarrassment comes not from Big Tech, but from the people who can see our digital behavior up close: our families who we share passwords with. In this presentation, Luke explores what tech companies actually know about us, what our digital footprints accidentally reveal, and why the biggest threat to your privacy is coming from inside the house (e.g. the people you love who have access to your account history).

Bio: Luke is a comedian and writer and runs the communications team at Yale’s Department of Economics

Imagine Jeff Bezos watching an audience watching a performance of Julius Caesar. With rusty swords. Nerd Nite NYC eagerly kicks-off the new year with three fun-yet-informative presentations about obsessive Julius Caesar fans, the misadventures of a DIY sword restoration project gone awry, and why surveillance capitalism and moms rely on Amazon Prime. Shakespeare. Swords. Shopping Surveillance! And just as importantly, Matt and his trivia return too, so bring some pals and win some perfectly adequate prizes. Tickets here.

Nerd Nite NYC
Friday January 9, 2026
Trivia + Presentations $16 at 7pm (doors at 6:30pm)
Presentations-only $12 at 8:15pm (doors at 8pm)
Littlefield: 635 Sackett Street, Brooklyn (Park Slope/Gowanus)

Tickets here: https://littlefieldnyc.com/event/?wfea_eb_id=1968322088352

Back to the Lectures At-Hand:
*Presentation #1
Why Julius Caesar Is My Roman Empire – And I’m Not Alone
by Meryl Federman

Description: Friends, Nerds, Countrymen: people involved in politics love William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, but why? Its ideology is shrouded, and its text adamantly refuses to take a side. Without clear heroes, villains, or political aims, how did Caesar become Shakespeare’s “political” tragedy, where others like King Lear or Macbeth resonate on a more emotional or psychological level instead? From John Wilkes Booth’s obsession with Brutus to the infamous “Trump Caesar” in the Park in 2017, the overly-plugged in politics-followers of the English speaking world love this play – and you might too! Here’s why.

Bio: In eighth grade, Meryl Federman decided that she wanted to read “the play with the speech” (that’s “Friends, Romans, countrymen”, of course) and she’s been obsessed with Julius Caesar ever since. From using the screenname “Cassius” in high school to directing a Zoom production of the play in 2021, she’s been all about Caesar, which she credits with kicking off her Shakespeare fandom in earnest. While Richard II now claims a joint “favorite play” spot in her heart, Caesar will always be first.

*Presentation #2
Removing Curses and Rust From a Real Sword
by Matt Storrs

Description: Matt Storrs found a rusty sword on the streets of NYC. Understandably, he took it home and set out to remove the rust and restore the sword to its former glory. Using bathroom brushes, wire cutters, and various chemicals, he set out to work. Matt did not know what he was doing… Over the next few months, through trial and error, and with some mild risk to his marriage, Matt rejuvenated the sword. With Matt’s guidance, you’ll be prepared when you face your destiny and find a sword on the street.

Bio: Matt Storrs is a comedian and storyteller based out of NYC and originally from Phoenix, AZ. He has been featured in Newsweek, on NPR, and on PBS. Matt is known for sharp stories and his esoteric comedy. Matt Storrs is a humor person. He can be found online at @mtstorrs

*Presentation #3
Surveillance Capitalism & Digital Secrets You Wish Your Family Didn’t Know About You
by Luke Strathmann

Description: Tech companies track, profile, and monetize us, but sometimes the real risk and embarrassment comes not from Big Tech, but from the people who can see our digital behavior up close: our families who we share passwords with. In this presentation, Luke explores what tech companies actually know about us, what our digital footprints accidentally reveal, and why the biggest threat to your privacy is coming from inside the house (e.g. the people you love who have access to your account history).

Bio: Luke is a comedian and writer and runs the communications team at Yale’s Department of Economics

More about Nerd Nite NYC
Monthly event series since 2003 featuring three fun-yet-informative presentations while the audience drinks along
When & Where
Jan 9, 2026, 7:00pm to 10:00pm Timezone: EST
$14.86


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