Oregon Shakespeare Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oregon Shakespeare Festival |
|
|---|---|
Angus Bowmer and the outdoor theatre, the keystone of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival he created.
|
|
| Genre | Repertory theatre |
| Begins | Each April |
| Ends | Each December |
| Frequency | annual |
| Location(s) | Ashland, Oregon |
| Inaugurated | 1935 |
| Attendance | 400,000 (annual) |
| Budget | $32 million (annual) |
| Website | www.osfashland.org |
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a famous repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, USA. It was started in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. The Festival now shows many different plays, not just Shakespeare's. These include classic and modern shows. Each year, between five and eleven plays are performed daily, six days a week, in its three theatres. The Festival has welcomed millions of visitors over the years.
Contents
About the Festival
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a special theatre in Ashland, Oregon. It was founded in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. Every year, from late April to December, the Festival puts on 800 to 850 shows. These include classic plays and new ones, not only by Shakespeare. Almost 400,000 people come to watch each year. The Festival welcomed its 20-millionth visitor in 2015!
At any time, you can see between five and eleven different plays. They are shown daily, six days a week, across three theatres. Each year, two or three plays are performed in the outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre. Two or three are in the cozy Thomas Theatre. Four or five are in the traditional Angus Bowmer Theatre.
OSF has performed all 37 of Shakespeare's plays four times. This happened in 1958, 1978, 1997, and 2016. Since 1960, they have also shown plays by other writers. Since 2000, at least one new play has been shown each season. Many of these new plays have won awards. OSF also has many learning programs for students and teachers.
Festival History
In 1893, people in Ashland built a place for Chautauqua events. These were like big shows with speakers and music. Later, in 1917, a new building was put up. But it fell apart in the 1920s.
In 1935, a drama professor named Angus L. Bowmer had an idea. The old building's wall looked like an Elizabethan theatre. He thought it would be perfect for Shakespeare plays. The city of Ashland loaned him some money. They asked him to add boxing matches to make sure they didn't lose money. Bowmer agreed, thinking it fit the fun spirit of Elizabethan times.
A makeshift stage was built. Bowmer called it the "First Annual Oregon Shakespearean Festival." He put on Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice. He directed and acted in both! Tickets were cheap: $1 for reserved seats, 50 cents for adults, and 25 cents for kids. Funny enough, the plays made money, covering the boxing matches' losses.
The Festival has continued almost every year since then. It stopped only for World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic. It quickly became known for its great shows. In 1939, OSF took a play to a big fair in San Francisco. It was even broadcast on national radio!
From 1951 to 1973, NBC broadcast short versions of the plays. This made the Festival famous across the country. Life magazine even wrote a story about it in 1957. This attention helped turn Ashland into a popular place for theatre and tourism.
Angus L. Bowmer retired in 1971. Jerry Turner took over. He added plays by other famous writers like Molière. Later, Libby Appel became Artistic Director from 1996 to 2007. Then Bill Rauch led the Festival from 2008 to 2019. He brought in musicals and plays from different cultures. He also started a program to create up to 37 new plays about American history. Some of these new plays have won major awards.
Famous people have visited the Festival. Bing Crosby was an honorary director. Actor Charles Laughton visited in 1961. He said he saw the "four best productions of Shakespeare" he had ever seen.
Since 1952, there's been a special tradition. After the last outdoor play of the season, company members silently enter the dark theatre. They carry candles and listen to the tune "Greensleeves." Someone speaks lines from Shakespeare's The Tempest. Then, everyone blows out their candles and leaves quietly.
Green Show Fun
Before the evening plays, from June to September, there's a free outdoor "Green Show." Hundreds of people watch, even those not seeing a play. It happens Wednesday through Saturday nights.
The Green Show used to feature Elizabethan music and dancers. But in 2008, Bill Rauch changed it up. Now, the shows are very different each night. You might see a dance group from Mexico or India. Or clowns on stilts, or a classical music group. There could be a fire show, a juggler, or a magician. You might even hear rock-n-roll versions of Shakespeare! Performers bring all kinds of music and dance styles.
Festival's Impact
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is very important for Ashland's economy. Ashland is a small town with only 20,000 people. The Festival brings in money from ticket sales. But it also brings visitors who spend money at restaurants, hotels, and shops.
This spending creates a "multiplier effect." It means each dollar spent helps the local economy even more. For OSF, this effect is big. It creates a lot of economic activity for the region.
The Festival also helps the community in other ways. It takes part in local celebrations like Martin Luther King Day and the Fourth of July Parade. The Green Show is free for everyone. The Daedalus Project is a fundraiser run by company members. It supports charities that help people with HIV/AIDS.
OSF Campus Tour
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is on a 4-acre campus. It's right next to Lithia Park in Ashland. The main buildings are the three theatres. There's also Carpenter Hall and the Camps, Pioneer, and Administration buildings. These buildings surround a central open area called "The Bricks." This area connects everything and is used for the nightly Green Shows. Other buildings off-campus include a production facility and rehearsal center.
Allen Elizabethan Theatre
The Allen Elizabethan Theatre is the outdoor stage. It has changed a lot since the Festival started in 1935.
First Outdoor Theatre
Angus L. Bowmer designed the first outdoor theatre. He based it on stages he saw in college. It was built inside the old Chautauqua theatre walls. Bowmer made a stage that stuck out into the audience, with a balcony. Actors also worked as stage hands. Lights were in coffee cans! This theatre was taken down during World War II.
Second Outdoor Theatre
A second outdoor theatre was built in 1947. It had a new stage shape and more entries. But the backstage areas were messy. It was torn down in 1958 because it was a fire risk.
Current Allen Elizabethan Theatre
The current outdoor theatre opened in 1959. It was renamed the Allen Elizabethan Theatre in 2013. It was designed to look like London's 1599 Fortune Theatre. The stage has many different areas for actors. A special roof covers the middle stage. Before each show, an actor opens a window, raises a flag, and a trumpet sounds. This signals that a play is about to begin!
The theatre has 1,200 seats. They are arranged in curves up a hillside. This gives everyone a great view. The old Chautauqua theatre walls, now covered in ivy, are still the outer edge of the theatre.
In 1992, the $7.6 million Paul Allen Pavilion was added. It has a control room and services for the audience. You can rent hearing devices, blankets, and pillows. Food and drinks are allowed inside. New entryways for actors were added.
Angus Bowmer Theatre
In 1968, a report showed that OSF was turning away thousands of people. It suggested adding an indoor theatre. This led to building the Angus Bowmer Theatre. It opened in 1970.
The first play there was Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. This showed that the Festival was ready to perform modern plays too. The Angus Bowmer Theatre seats between 592 and 610 people. It more than doubled the audience size. It also allowed the Festival to have shows in spring and fall.
The theatre's design is very flexible. All seats are close to the stage. The front part of the stage can move up and down. It can be a stage that sticks out, a traditional stage, or even an orchestra pit. The theatre walls can also move to change the stage size.
These pictures show how different the sets can be. The first is for Fences. The second, taken just two hours later on the same stage, is for The Clay Cart. Stage crews have to change these big sets quickly. This is what makes a true repertory theatre special. You can see different plays on the same stage on the same day. Actors also have to play different roles in different plays.
In 2011, a crack was found in the theatre's main ceiling beam. Shows had to move to other places. A temporary tent theatre was set up in Lithia Park. The Bowmer Theatre reopened a month earlier than expected after repairs.
Black Swan
The Black Swan (G on the map) was OSF's third theatre from 1977 to 2001. The building used to be a car dealership. Actors started using it for late-night play readings. The Artistic Director saw a chance to try out new and different plays.
It was hard to fit a theatre into the building. It could only hold 138 seats. Each director had to figure out how to work around a roof support in the middle of the stage. For example, in one play, it became a crucifix. The Black Swan is now used for rehearsals, meetings, and developing new plays.
Thomas Theatre
The Black Swan had some limits. So, a new theatre was designed and built. It opened in 2002 and was renamed the Thomas Theatre in 2013. This theatre offers flexible seating and more space. But it still feels cozy, with no seat more than six rows from the stage.
The seats can be set up in three ways. In "arena mode," the stage is surrounded by 360 seats. In "three-quarter thrust mode," 270 seats surround the stage on three sides. In "avenue mode," 228 seats are on two sides of the stage. The theatre also has special features like a trap room under the stage and a fly loft above.
Other Buildings
The Box Office (J) is next to the Thomas Theatre. The Administration Building (C) holds offices for artistic, business, and education staff. The Camps Building (A) has a lounge and marketing offices.
The Festival's costume shop is in the Pioneer Building. Staff create costumes and accessories there. They have studios, fitting rooms, and a paint room. They also have a wig shop.
Carpenter Hall (I) is used for lectures, concerts, and rehearsals. The Bill Patton Garden (K) hosts free talks by OSF actors in the summer. The Tudor Guild Gift Shop (B) sells souvenirs.
In 2013, OSF opened a large Production Building in nearby Talent, Oregon. This 71,544 square foot building has advanced facilities. It's where they build sets and props. It also stores over 50,000 costumes and 15,000 costume props. These are rented out to other theatres and movie makers.
The old scene shop was turned into the Hay-Patton Rehearsal Center. It has six rehearsal halls with special floors to prevent injuries. They are big enough to copy the stages in the theatres. The building also has recording studios and warm-up rooms.
How the Festival Works
OSF is a non-profit group. It is run by a Board of Directors. The Festival also has an endowment, which is like a savings account. It helps support the yearly costs.
OSF offers different ways for people to support the Festival. Ticket prices have been lowered to make shows more affordable.
Festival Staff
The Festival has many paid staff members. They work in artistic, production, education, and other areas.
The Artistic Director chooses the plays and directors each season. They also pick the 70-120 actors, musicians, and dancers. Nataki Garrett became the Artistic Director in 2019. She has a lot of experience directing and producing new plays.
Voice and Text Directors help actors with their voices and how they speak. They work on posture, breathing, and how to make sounds. They also help actors understand the play's words. They coach actors on different accents and dialects.
Intimacy Directors make sure actors feel safe during emotional or close scenes. They help make sure the director's vision is achieved while keeping actors comfortable.
The production staff makes the costumes, lighting, props, and scenery. They also handle sound and stage operations. About 60 people work on costumes. A crew of 30 stagehands moves the scenery. Many others work on lighting, sound, and props. A team of stage managers makes sure the shows run smoothly.
Education is very important at OSF. The Festival's founder was an English professor. The Education Department wants to help people love theatre and Shakespeare. They offer programs for students, teachers, and audiences of all ages.
Students can get discounted tickets. OSF actor-teachers lead workshops. The Bowmer Project helps local teachers teach plays. It includes tickets, backstage tours, and talks with actors. Summer Seminars for high school students teach about acting and theatre management.
For those who can't visit, the School Visit Program sends actors to schools. They perform short Shakespeare plays or scenes. They also lead workshops. OSF also works with Ashland High School. This partnership has helped many students become theatre professionals.
OSF offers many programs for adults too. These include talks, seminars, and tours. Some tours even go to England or Greece to learn about theatre history!
Access Services
The Festival wants everyone to enjoy the shows. Its Access Services program helps people with disabilities. They offer wheelchair seating and stair-free access. Service dogs are allowed. All theatres have elevators and accessible restrooms.
For blind and visually impaired people, audio describers explain what's happening on stage. Braille, large print, and audio playbills are available.
For deaf and hearing-impaired people, Assistive Listening Devices are available. Caption services let you read the script on a tablet. American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted performances are also scheduled.
Archives
OSF keeps a huge collection of its history. This includes documents, photos, recordings, and costumes. Archivists collect and save these materials. You can search the archives online.
The archives have records from the Education department since 1947. They include reports, brochures, and study guides. There are also audio and video recordings of shows and school visits.
In 2013, OSF received a grant to digitize old tapes and films. This means over 2,600 recordings are being made available online. They show the Festival's history from 1935 to 2012. This collection has recordings of 541 plays! It also includes interviews with artists and lectures. You can even see home movies of founder Angus Bowmer.
Volunteers
About 700 volunteers help the Festival each year. They give thousands of hours of their time. They welcome visitors, answer questions, and help with information. They also work as ushers and ticket takers.
Behind the scenes, volunteers help in the archives, box office, and costume shop. They help with office tasks and transcribe interviews. They also help with special events like the Daedalus fundraiser.
Soroptimists Club members provide blankets and cushions for the outdoor theatre. Tudor Guild volunteers work in the gift shop. Ashland Garden Club members make flower arrangements for events.
Each November, the Festival thanks its volunteers with a special party and show.
Stage Technology
Modern technology helps create amazing effects on stage. Small computers, LEDs, and batteries are built into props, costumes, and scenery. Lights, sounds, and even moving parts can be programmed. Actors or remote controls can operate them. Wireless technology allows communication between the control room and the effects.
For example, LEDs in a dress can light up and change colors during a show. Lanterns, candles, and fireflies in props also use these electronics.
Publications
All playgoers get a free Playbill. It has a summary of the plays, cast lists, and artist information. Each year, the Festival publishes guides for school groups and adult groups. These guides have information on the plays, suitable ages, and discounts.
The Festival also publishes a Bard Scorecard. It lists all of Shakespeare's plays. You can check off which ones you've seen at OSF.
See also
- Production history of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
