Oregon Shakespeare Festival

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is the reason most people first come to Ashland, and it shapes the whole feel of the town. Founded in 1935 by Angus Bowmer, it began as a few Shakespeare performances in the shell of an old Chautauqua building and grew into a professional repertory company that produces a long season of plays, with several shows running in rotation on different days. Alongside the Shakespeare there are classics from other eras, brand new commissions and a musical or two, so even travelers who think they have seen all of Hamlet they ever need tend to find something that appeals. The festival performs in three venues close together near the top of downtown. The Angus Bowmer Theatre is the large indoor house, the Thomas Theatre is a smaller and more experimental space, and the Allen Elizabethan Theatre is the open-air stage modeled on the playhouses of Shakespeare's own day, where summer evenings under the sky are the signature experience. Productions are staged by a resident company of professional actors, designers and directors, and the standard is high enough that many visitors plan an entire trip around two or three shows, with a backstage tour, a talk or a pre-show lecture in between.

Plan the dates first and everything else follows. The season generally runs from late winter into autumn, with the outdoor stage used in the warmer months, and the exact calendar, titles and ticket release dates change from year to year, so check the festival site for the current schedule before you book rooms. Popular shows and summer weekends sell out well ahead, so buy tickets early, and if you are flexible, midweek performances and the spring and autumn shoulder months are easier to get and often cheaper to stay for.

Look for discounted preview performances and partial-view or standing seats if the full price is more than you want to spend.

Dress for the venue and the weather. The Elizabethan Theatre is outdoors, and even a warm July day can turn cool after the sun goes down, so bring a jacket or a blanket and a cushion for the benches if you are sensitive to hard seats. Arrive early to find your seat and soak up the atmosphere of the courtyard before the doors open.

Indoor houses are comfortable year round and make the festival a good choice for rainy days outside summer. Check the age guidance for each production, because some plays include adult themes and the festival recommends minimum ages for certain shows.

Build the rest of your day around the stage. A matinee leaves the evening free for dinner and a walk in Lithia Park, and an evening show leaves the morning for a hike, a river trip or a drive toward Jacksonville. Backstage tours, offered in season, are a worthwhile hour for anyone curious about costumes, sets and how a repertory company switches between plays.

Restaurants near the theaters fill up before performances, so reserve a table or choose an early or late seating. If you are traveling in a group with different tastes, pick one show everyone is likely to enjoy and treat the rest of the trip as the outdoor half of Southern Oregon.

Accessibility is taken seriously, with assistive listening devices and wheelchair seating available in the theaters; ask the box office about options when you book. Parking near the theaters is limited, so many visitors walk from their hotels or use the town lots.