Welcome to the final play of Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 2023 Season! We’ve made it here because so many folks stepped forward over the last six months. I am thankful for our staff who made impossibilities happen every day; our artists and crews who recommitted their talents and craft to these glorious productions despite daily uncertainties; and our audiences and donors who showed up when we needed you the most.
Despite the challenges, we have a lot to celebrate in 2023: Almost 4,900 people donated to help make our “The Show Must Go On” campaign a success. Many of our most loyal champions donated beyond that campaign at unprecedented levels to secure the completion of our 2023 Season. Our houses have been full and responses to our productions passionate. Our education and engagement programs, the heartbeat of our organization, have come back strong.
And what an appropriate way for this miracle season to culminate! In Where We Belong, renowned Shakespeare director and scholar Madeline Sayet honors and celebrates the indelible power of language, words, and names. She weaves loving stories of her family and illuminates the lives and legacies of Mohegan people. She dives into her love for our namesake playwright while wrestling with the way Shakespeare was used to violently assimilate Indigenous communities. Her intricately built solo work reminds us that history and the present are inexplicably linked, and the personal and the political cannot be separated.
As embodied by Jessica Ranville (and understudy Jen Olivares) and in the expert hands of director and visual metaphor builder Mei Ann Teo, this piece joyfully continues the tradition of OSF as the place for robust explorations of Shakespeare’s works and legacy, as well as a home for contemporary plays that invite artistic and political dialogue. I cannot wait to experience the passionate conversations this play will inspire.
On a personal note: It has been the honor of my career to help shepherd this organization over the last four years through the most cataclysmic crises that our field, our region, and our world have faced in a generation, and still make great art despite those unprecedented circumstances. Over the last few months, I’ve been humbled to serve as Interim Artistic Director, picking up the torch from the expansive vision of Nataki Garrett and setting the stage for Tim Bond’s much-anticipated homecoming. Thank you to all who have made my time at OSF so memorable. Like many others before me, I have OSF in my blood, and I know I won’t be away for long. As an artist, audience member, and donor, I am committed for life.
Your presence and support means the world to all of us at OSF. As we continue to face a long recovery process, we will continue to count on you. Great things lie ahead for OSF, and we cannot wait to welcome you back to our theatres next season and beyond!
Onward—
—Evren Odcikin