OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2024 SEASON

ASHLAND, OR (September 20, 2023) – Today, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) announces its 2024 season, presenting a powerful, diverse array of large and small-scale plays and musicals, including iconic works from Shakespeare’s canon, stories inspired by the Bard’s legacy, new works, and a series of one-person shows featuring cherished OSF alumni. These selections present incisive reflections on what it means to be an outsider, the consequences of keeping secrets, and ultimately, the power of human connection. The season will run March 19 – September 15, 2024, with a total of nine shows, including four opening in March and two more added by June, offering theatregoers a wide array of choices in all three theatres.

OSF’s newly appointed Artistic Director Tim Bond said, “The 2024 Season is a personification of the perseverance, dedication, and commitment our artists, staff, crews, generous supporters, and the Ashland community have for our beloved Festival. As the industry continues to face a tough economic landscape, we feel a sense of immense gratitude to be sharing a nine-show season that will delight our audiences and provide the world-class theatregoing experience OSF is known so well for.”

The season opens in the Angus Bowmer Theatre with former OSF Associate Artistic Director Evren Odcikin’s muscular, meaty production of Macbeth. Inspired by the original Scottish setting of this masterwork, Odcikin’s staging promises a compelling reflection on the perils of political ambition. Mirroring the Bard’s themes of vengeance and anarchy is Liz Duffy Adams’s dark comedy Born with Teeth, a seductive fictionalization directed by Alley Theatre (Houston) Artistic Director Rob Melrose about an ill-fated meeting of the minds between a young William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.

The season continues in the Thomas Theatre with a special series of four one-person productions created and performed by storied OSF alumni. The series begins with Lisa Wolpe’s Shakespeare and the Alchemy of Gender. Wolpe, who has arguably played more of the Bard’s male roles than any woman in history, illustrates Shakespeare’s insight into the human condition in this deeply personal production. Rodney Gardiner returns to OSF in his one-man comedy, Smote This, A Comedy About God... and Other Serious $H*T, a story of his journey as an undocumented Black boy growing up in 1980s Miami. OSF veteran Robin Goodrin Nordli makes her triumphant return to the Festival in Virgins to Villains, a witty, insightful, and revealing show that draws on Nordli’s experience of performing in 61 productions of 30 different Shakespeare plays. The series concludes with Behfarmaheen (If You Please), Barzin Akhavan’s one-man show that tells a true story of a young immigrant trying to find belonging in two worlds divided.

The Thomas Theatre will also be home to the warm-hearted indie-rock musical Lizard Boy, conceived by Justin Huertas and directed by Brandon Ivie. Fresh from its 2023 Off-Broadway run, this new cult-favorite musical explores an unconventional superhero’s journey of self-discovery with an exhilarating book and an infectiously funny, beautiful score.

In the historic Allen Elizabethan Theatre, the outdoor season begins with one of Shakespeare’s most iconic comedies, Much Ado About Nothing. Directed by 17-year OSF fan favorite Miriam A. Laube, this hilariously delicious, Renaissance-inspired staging will feature dazzling visuals and music. Finally, one of the most recognized heroines in literary history takes center stage in Elizabeth Williamson’s West Coast Premiere adaptation of Jane Eyre. Dawn Monique Williams directs this gothic romance, following her critically acclaimed staging of Twelfth Night (2023).

OSF Board Chair Diane Yu said, “The OSF Board of Directors appreciates our loyal patrons and donors for their generous support for and commitment to keeping our theatres open, which is good news for the region and American theatre itself. We owe a major debt of gratitude to Interim Artistic Director Evren Odcikin, whose contributions were invaluable in programming the upcoming season. In addition, we recognize the tireless and inspired efforts of our leadership team of Interim Executive Director Tyler Hokama and Artistic Director Tim Bond that helped the Festival reach this happy moment. We all look forward to a brilliant and memorable season!”

The 2024 season will also usher in the return of OSF’s School Visit Program. Originated by founder Angus Bowmer, this outreach initiative boasts an indelible legacy of introducing students to live theatre and Shakespeare’s plays in performance by bringing teaching artists into their schools. Interim Executive Director Tyler Hokama said, “Our Education programs are a critical part of OSF’s purpose. Their reach and impact are immeasurable, with many of our artists’ and audiences’ first theatre experience being through participation in these decades-long traditions. I’m especially proud and ecstatic that our Education team and staff are reviving our much-beloved School Visit Program after its pandemic pause.”

In the School Visit Program, students will experience performances, talkbacks, and workshops that will take place in theatres, auditoriums, and gymnasiums in schools and universities all over the West Coast. Launching in the fall of 2024, the program will feature a 40-minute accessible adaptation of William Shakespeare’s political drama Julius Caesar, and “The Seven Ages,” a literature program that uses Shakespeare’s famous speech from As You Like It. The Festival will also continue to offer tours, workshops, and engaging discussions on the OSF campus for audiences of all ages.

Full creative teams and casting for the 2024 Season, along with more details about education programming, will be announced throughout the winter and early spring. Members will get early access to tickets for the season in early November 2023, with general public sales beginning in late November. More information can be found at osfashland.org/2024.

“The 2024 season is a feat. It’s a labor of love. It’s a collection of powerful stories that our artists and audiences are yearning for now more than ever. March 2024 cannot come soon enough!” said Tim Bond.

For media inquiries, please contact Javier Dubon at [email protected].