Ashland Oregon Visitors

Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2005 Schedule

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Angus Bowmer Theatre

Richard III February 18–October 30
Room Service February 20–October 29
The Philanderer February 19–July 10
Napoli Milionaria! April 19–October 30
The Belle’s Stratagem July 28– October 30

New Theatre

By the Waters of Babylon February 24–June 24
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom March 30–October 30
Gibraltar July 5–October 30

Elizabethan Stage/Allen Pavilion

Twelfth Night June 7–October 9
The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus June 8–October 7
Love’s Labor’s Lost June 9–October 8

Oregon Shakespeare Festival Outdoor Season

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The Oregon Shakespeare Festival opened its outdoor season on the Elizabethan Stage with Shakespeare’s glorious comedy “Twelfth Night” (through Oct. 9), followed closely by Christopher Marlowe’s epic masterpiece “The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus” (through Oct. 7). Closing the weekend will be Shakespeare’s high-spirited “Love’s Labor’s Lost” (through Oct. 8). Visit www.osfashland.org for availability and to buy online.

The three outdoor productions will join six other productions in the repertory. Playing at the New Theatre are the world premiere production of Robert Schenkkan’s “By the Waters of Babylon” and August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Currently running in the Angus Bowmer Theatre are William Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” Murray & Boretz’s “Room Service,” George Bernard Shaw’s “The Philanderer” and Eduardo de Filippo’s “Napoli Milionaria!”

June also heralded the opening of the outdoor Green Show, under the artistic direction of David Hochoy and the musical direction of Sue Carney and Patricia Maureen O’Scannell. The Green Show features OSF’s resident music ensemble, the Terra Nova Consort, and resident dance ensemble Dance Kaleidoscope. The show is free and held in the courtyard prior to each outdoor performance on the Elizabethan Stage. Performances begin at 7:15 p.m. through Sept. 4 and at 6:45 p.m. Sept. 6-Oct. 9 (music only).

OSF presents an exhibit of Shakespeare’s First Folio (published in 1623) on loan from the private collection of Paul G. Allen. The exhibit includes information on the history of the Folio and printing practices of the time. The Folio is on exhibit 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through Oct. 8. Tickets are $4. For information, call 482-4331.

THE SHOWS

“Twelfth Night,” directed by guest artist Peter Amster. Amster has directed four productions at OSF, most recently “Present Laughter” and “The Royal Family.”

This will be OSF’s 15th production of “Twelfth Night,” the Bard’s most produced play at OSF.

“The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus,” directed by OSF associate artist James Edmondson. The play was last produced at OSF 26 years ago, when Edmondson played Mephostophilis.

Twenty-five actors are cast, including Jonathan Haugen as Faustus, Ray Porter as Mephostophilis, Brent Harris as Lucifer and Demetra Pittman as Chorus.

“Love’s Labor’s Lost,” directed by Kenneth Albers. The play contains more than 200 puns and is the most heavily rhymed of the Bard’s plays. Set in the 1940s, scenic design is by guest artist Marjorie Bradley Kellogg, who designed last season’s set for “King Lear.”

Costumes are by guest artist Susan E. Mickey in her 12th season at OSF. Music composition is by John Tanner. Barry Kraft is dramaturge and Scott Kaiser is voice and text director for the show.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

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Oregon Shakespeare Festival
15 South Pioneer Street
Ashland, OR
(541) 482-4331
Oregon Shakespeare Festival website

Hours: Matinees and evening shows most days, dark (closed) Mondays
Reservations: Highly recommended
Cost: Ticket prices vary, with discounts for young people aged 6 through 17, and lower prices for previews
Location: Downtown Ashland, Oregon, driving directions below
How Long: Allow a half day to see one show, but many people spend several days here, watching a multi-part play or several individual performances
Best Time to Visit: The season runs from late February through the end of October; you'll find more to do mid-June through September, but tickets are cheaper February through June and in October

Oregon Shakespeare Festival Review
Founded in 1937 by a local drama professor, the festival has grown from a couple of shows to nine months of dramatic performances on three stages. The performance quality here rivals that anywhere in the country, and they won the Tony Award for Regional Theatre to prove it.
With a theater capacity of about 2,000 people, the festival doesn't stress this town of 20,000 as much as you might think, and things are quite calm even when it's almost showtime. However, it doesn't hurt to arrive early and make dinner reservations to ensure a trouble-free evening.

It's More Than Just Shakespeare
If you don't like Shakespeare but enjoy other forms of theater, don't dismiss the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. While half the shows are indeed Shakespeare's works, the other half encompass a wide range of works. The 2004 Oregon Shakespeare Festival season included A Raisin in the Sun, Humble Boy, Topdog/Underdog and The Royal Family. Online program notes for each play include age suitability if you're taking a young person along (who must be over 6 years old).

Performances are held in the 1,200-seat Elizabethan Open-Air Theater, the 600-seat Angus Bowmer Theater (named for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival founder) and New Theater, a configurable space of 250 to 350 seats.

Besides the plays, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival offers other actitivities, including:

Backstage Tours: Daily at 10:00 a.m., reservations required.
Festival Noons: Lectures, concerts and other events. These ticketed events are held at noon, mid-June through September.
Park Talks: Free, informal Q and A sessions with Oregon Shakespeare Festival performers. Held at noon, mid-June through September, most Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays in the Bill Patton Garden, outside Elizabethan Theatre Gate I.
Shakespeare's First Folio: One of the world's finest copies is on loan Microsoft executive Paul Allen's collection. It's on view every Thursday, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., mid-June through September. Tickets required
Green Show: A free, outdoor performance held before the evening show, mid-June through September in the Courtyard.

Buying Oregon Shakespeare Festival Tickets
Ticket sales for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival start in late January. Order online through their website, where you can select and pay for multiple performances all at once. A few hints about ordering tickets:

Order as far ahead as you can.

Check the location of the best avaialable seats in each section. I saved $17 per ticket by doing this, snagging seats only 2 spots away from the more-expensive ones.

Take care when using the festival schedule calendar. Their calendar is set up Tuesday through Sunday, so the rightmost day is Sunday, not Saturday. Be sure you double-check the date and order for the right day.

When you order, ask for the tickets to be held at Will Call. That way you can't lose them or leave them at home. Print your reservation confirmation and carry identification with you, just in case you need them.

What about rain for the outdoor performances? The show goes on, but you can get a voucher if you choose to leave because of rain during the first hour and 15 minutes of the performance.

If you need to exchange tickets, they must be received at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Box Office at least 7 days before the performance. There is a $1 per ticket exchange fee.
Getting to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Ashland is located on I-5, 350 miles north of San Francisco and 285 miles south of Portland, Oregon. You can find detailed driving directions at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival website.
You can find parking in a paid lot near the Oregon Shakespeare Festival entrance, or park in one of the public lots downtown, a few blocks away, with no time limit after 8:00 p.m.

Ashland Oregon Directory

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Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 15 S. Pioneer Street, +1 541-482-4331 (boxoffice@orshakes.org). February through November, no plays on Mondays. One of the largest venues for production of Shakespeare's plays in North America, the OSF provides a continuous run of theatrical works from early spring until late fall. In a weekend adventurous theater lovers can fit in 3-4 plays. Performances usually include 2-3 Shakespeare pieces per season, as well as one or two contemporary pieces. The staging and acting is of consistently high quality, but the festival is very popular and buying tickets in advance is almost mandatory. Last-minute travelers can pick up spare tickets at the on-site box office. $30-50 (discount during spring and fall, 25-50% discount for youth and seniors). http://www.orshakes.org/

Regional Activities

Rafting on the Rogue River (check out the storefront on the Plaza near the Black Sheep)
Fishing in the Rogue River
Water recreation on Emigrant Lake
Skiing on Mt. Ashland
Hiking on Mt. Ashland (Pacific Crest Trail proximity)
Crater Lake National Park (a significant drive)
Lithia Artisans' Market downtown (seasonal, weather permitting)
Impressive Halloween crowd downtown.
The Fourth of July Parade is a big event for the town; it draws visitors from around the region.

Lodging

Our Ashland Oregon Inns offer a variety of accommodations to suit most tastes with a range of prices to fit almost any budget. We believe that our guests are entitled to hospitality.

The Flagship Inn, located in Ashland, Oregon directly across Siskiyou Blvd. from the Southern Oregon University Campus, is close to the Ashland, Oregon's Shakespeare theatres and downtown Ashland, Oregon: http://www.ashland--oregon.com

Hospitality is the rule at the Knights Inn in Ashland, Oregon.Our commitment to you is to provide real value - quality service at an affordable price: http://www.ashland--oregon.net

The Cedarwood Inn is located in one of Ashland, Oregon's finest residential areas, less than two miles from downtown Ashland, Oregon and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The complex has 58 rooms and family units arranged in an attractive setting, creating an appealing atmosphere: http://www.ashland-oregon.org/

Theaters

Live Theaters

Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Elizabethan, Angus L. Bowmer and New Theaters)
The Green Room
Artattack

Movie Theaters

Varsity Theater (Some smaller run and independent films--located downown near Ashland Springs Hotel)
Ashland Cinema (First-run movies--located in the Ashland Shopping Center at southwest end of town)

Bookstores

Bloomsbury Books
The Blue Dragon (used books)

Dinning

Most dining in Ashland is not inexpensive, but is generally of very good quality--you will probably not go wrong. Most places have many vegetarian choices. Here's a stab at some places by price and area:

Mid-range Downtown

Pangea (wraps, sandwiches, salads and soups)
Ashland Bakery Cafe (breakfast and lunch; breads, cakes and other goods)
Greenleaf Cafe (Hot sandwiches, soups, salads and specialties)
Geppetto's

Splurge Downtown

Pasta Piatti (Italian cuisine and extensive wine selection)
Thai Pepper (Thai cuisine)
Southwest end
Omar's (traditional fine dining)
Plaza Cafe

Drinks

Brewpubs

The Ashland Creek Bar and Grill
Standing Stone (microbrewery with several beers and full menu)
The Black Sheep (English-style pub offering a full menu of many pub food classics and specialties as well as draft and bottled beers and spirits.)

Coffee Shops

The Beanery (Ashland and Walker Streets - Southwest end)
Rogue Valley Roasting Company (East Main and Eighth Streets)
Key of C Coffee House and Bakery- 116 Lithia Way, (541) 488-0302, Hours: Monday-Saturday 6am-4pm, Sunday 7am-3pm. This little shop has handmade bagels that are fantastic. Get there early and get them hot with cream cheese or have them make a sandwich with one. They have other typical cafe treats and an extensive (hand drawn) menu of tea, mostly exotic.
Bloomsbury Books has a coffeehouse in its second-floor loft