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Oregon Shakespeare Festival: 11 Shows You Can't Miss

Oregon is not only a beautiful escape for your next vacation, it also brings destination theatre to life year after year at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. From February to November, you can travel to Ashland, Oregon, and enjoy 11 different productions showcased in three different theatres. Amy Richard, Media and Communications Manager for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, explains why she loves being a part of the Ashland community and such a great organization.

RAL: How is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival different from other festivals?
AR: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, or OSF, is a destination theatre held in Ashland. When most people think of festivals, they picture a weekend or week-long event. Our event is unique because we operate on almost a year-round schedule from February to early November. We have three theatres and many ancillary activities, including backstage tours, educational talks and workshops, post-matinee discussions, park talks, an evening Green Show with free music and performances before the shows (June through October), so it is a festival-like atmosphere in the summer months.

OSF produces 11 different shows which are performed in three different theatres: the Allen Elizabethan Theatre, the Thomas Theatre, and the Angus Bowmer Theatre. Founded by Angus Bowmer in 1935, the Allen Elizabethan Theatre is one of the oldest of its kind in the United States. The current stage house, built in 1959 and open to the stars, is patterned on London’s 1599 Fortune Theatre.

“Next year we will be celebrating our 80th anniversary, but that certainly does not diminish our excitement about this year’s festival. We have opened our sixth show of the year, so the festival season is moving right along.”

In 1970 and 1977 the Angus Bowmer Theatre and Black Swan Theatres opened to expand the season. In 2002 the Thomas Theatre replaced the Black Swan. Thanks to the longer season, we have an opportunity to perform a wide variety of shows that include not only Shakespeare, but also classic theatre, new works, and even some world premieres, providing audiences with a wide array of choices. While some theatres produce big hits year-after-year, for example, The Christmas Carol during the winter holiday season, OSF offers different productions each season.

RAL: How does the Oregon Shakespeare Festival benefit the community?
AR: The OSF and Ashland community have always had a close relationship due in large part to an understanding that we have to work together if we’re going to be economically strong. We are a small community of 20,000, located in the Rogue Valley of southwest Oregon, and our local businesses (hotels, B&B’s, restaurants, etc.) all work together to provide an outstanding experience for visitors who come to Ashland for OSF. For example, when we changed our evening start time to 8:00 pm, we notified the city businesses of the change. Our schedule definitely changes how some of the local restaurants do business, and they look forward to the Festival’s opening in February and the return of visitors to city.

Many other local businesses that work with us are advertisers who support us in our marketing efforts and with sponsorship opportunities. The Ashland Business Alliance, Ashland Chamber of Commerce and OSF work together to promote OSF and Ashland. We also have wonderful relationships with the Ashland Springs Hotel, Travel Oregon (a segment of the state’s Travel Commission), as well as with the Southern Oregon Visitors Association. We really try to work with other organizations and businesses to promote the area.

RAL: What will it be like to experience OSF first hand in 2014?
AR: Next year we will be celebrating our 80th anniversary, but that certainly does not diminish our excitement about this year’s festival. We have opened our sixth show of the year, so the festival season is moving right along.

We host performances every day of the week except Mondays. Some of the shows are performed three or four times per week. Most of the shows run for about five months and some run all season. Most people will see two or three shows, while others will try to see more. A few loyal theatre enthusiasts might even make it to all 11 shows!

Typically, our ticket sales total around 400,000, but because people buy tickets for multiple performances, the total number of people is about 125,000. We have not always drawn crowds that are this large, but we have always done quite well in terms of attracting people to Ashland and filling up the theatres. When we only had the Allen Elizabethan Theatre, we did not even have the capacity to host audiences as large as those we see these days.

Our audiences frequently include student groups, both junior high and high school, depending on what plays are offered. We also have adult groups and single ticket buyers. Most people travel more than 125 miles to attend OSF. Because our shows appeal to a large demographic, our audiences range in age from six to 90, while the average age is about 55.

RAL: What is OSF like for the people traveling great distances to attend the festival?
AR: A lot of tourists make the decision to drive to Ashland, but if a person flies to Medford (12 miles north of Ashland), once in Ashland it’s easy to get around the downtown without a vehicle. Southern Oregon University is located just south of the downtown within walking distance, and there are plenty of hotels and other lodging properties within our small community. Our summer months are predictably more crowded so it’s wise to book ahead if there is a specific hotel, resort, or B&B at which you would like to stay.

As far as scheduling, we have some matinée performances that begin at 1:30 pm in our indoor theatres, and all of our evening shows are held at 8:00 pm. If people are coming to Ashland for two days, it is possible for them to see up to four different plays. The way we schedule our plays is referred to as repertory theatre, which means we present a diversity of productions in rotation.

RAL: Are there any other unique events that take place during the festival?
AR: We have lectures, talks and workshops that typically take place around the noon hour, as well as post-matinee discussions with an actor. We have play readings throughout the year, and in August we produce an annual fundraising event for HIV/AIDS organizations. This season in September we will host CultureFest 2014, a celebration of multi-ethnic cultures with food, music, dance, and theatre.

In the summer months, from June to October, we host a Green Show. This is a free event held outside on the courtyard deck featuring a variety of live entertainment, which is popular with our local community. Green Shows start at 6:45 pm and last until around 7:15. They act as a pre-show to help jump start our 8:00 evening performances. Since our theatres are located in the downtown area, they are all located within close proximity of each other. The outdoor courtyard deck, where the Green Show is hosted, is located right in the midst of what we call “the bricks.” This is a central location within easy walking distance of all three theatres.

To learn more about the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, you can visit their website by clicking here.