Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Oregon Shakespeare Festival is a renowned theatre festival held annually in Ashland, Oregon, founded by Angus Bowmer in 1935, with the first production of Twelfth Night starring William Gratowski. The festival has since become a major cultural event, attracting visitors from across the United States, including New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The festival features productions of William Shakespeare's plays, as well as works by other playwrights, such as Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and August Wilson. Over the years, the festival has hosted notable actors, including Christopher Lloyd, Richard Thomas, and Kate Mulgrew, who have performed in productions of Hamlet, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

● History

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival was founded in 1935 by Angus Bowmer, a professor at Southern Oregon University, with the goal of producing Shakespeare's plays in a unique and innovative way, inspired by the Globe Theatre in London. The first production, Twelfth Night, was performed on a makeshift stage in Lithia Park, Ashland, Oregon, and was a huge success, attracting visitors from nearby Medford, Oregon and Klamath Falls, Oregon. Over the years, the festival has grown in popularity, with productions of Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, and The Merchant of Venice, featuring notable directors, such as Tyrone Guthrie and Sir Peter Hall. The festival has also hosted productions of non-Shakespearean plays, including works by Molière, Chekhov, and Ibsen, performed by companies such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.

● Productions

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival produces a wide range of plays, including Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V, as well as works by other playwrights, such as Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Tony Kushner's Angels in America. The festival has also produced musicals, including Sweeney Todd and My Fair Lady, featuring music by Stephen Sondheim and Frederick Loewe. Recent productions have included The Taming of the Shrew, The Comedy of Errors, and Pericles, Prince of Tyre, directed by notable directors, such as Joan Darling and Darko Tresnjak. The festival has also collaborated with other theatre companies, including the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the Public Theater, to produce innovative and critically acclaimed productions, such as The Glass Menagerie and A Raisin in the Sun.

● Venues

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is held in several venues in Ashland, Oregon, including the Angus Bowmer Theatre, the Thomas Theatre, and the Elizabethan Theatre, which is modeled after the Globe Theatre in London. The festival also produces plays in the New Theatre, which is a flexible, black-box theatre space, and the Outdoor Amphitheatre, which hosts productions during the summer months, including Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest. The venues are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including sound and lighting systems designed by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer. The festival has also partnered with other venues, including the Oregon Zoo and the Portland Art Museum, to produce site-specific productions, such as The Importance of Being Earnest and The Real Thing.

● Company

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival company includes a diverse group of actors, directors, and designers, including Sara Bruner, Daniel José Molina, and Royer Bockus, who have worked with notable companies, such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. The company also includes a team of artisans and technicians, who work behind the scenes to create the sets, costumes, and special effects for the productions, including Tony Award-winning designers, such as William Ivey Long and Ming Cho Lee. The festival has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, and has produced plays that showcase the work of underrepresented playwrights, including Lorraine Hansberry and August Wilson, and has partnered with organizations, such as the NAACP and the Human Rights Campaign, to promote social justice and equality.

● Education_and_Community

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival offers a range of educational programs, including workshops, classes, and lectures, taught by notable scholars, such as Marjorie Garber and Stephen Greenblatt. The festival also offers internships and apprenticeships for students and young professionals, who can work with experienced actors, directors, and designers, including Mark Rylance and Phylicia Rashad. The festival has also partnered with local schools and community organizations, including the Ashland School District and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's own Daedalus Project, to produce plays and provide arts education to underserved communities, including Native American and Latino communities. The festival has also collaborated with other organizations, including the Kennedy Center and the National Endowment for the Arts, to promote arts education and community engagement.

● Artistic_Direction

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is led by a team of artistic directors, including Nataki Garrett and Desdemona Chiang, who have worked with notable companies, such as the Public Theater and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. The festival has a strong commitment to artistic excellence and innovation, and has produced a wide range of plays, including Shakespeare's Hamlet and Macbeth, as well as works by other playwrights, such as Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. The festival has also collaborated with other artistic directors, including Oskar Eustis and Kwame Kwei-Armah, to produce innovative and critically acclaimed productions, such as The Glass Menagerie and A Raisin in the Sun. The festival has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, and has been recognized for its contributions to the arts by organizations, such as the National Theatre Conference and the Theatre Communications Group.