Oregon Shakespeare Festival - Ashland, Oregon - An Award Winning Festival

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival was founded in 1935. It is one of the largest and oldest professional non-profit theatres in the United States. The festival season runs from February through October. During that timeframe, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival produces eleven plays using three stages.

Typically, a season at the festival will include three plays on an outdoor stage, which is called the Elizabethan Stage or the Allen Pavilion. Five plays are usually produced in the Angus Bowmer Theatre, and the other three take place in the New Theatre. The festival also includes non-Shakespearean plays, although there are normally three to five Shakespearean plays each season.

The Elizabethan Stage is modeled after the 1599 Fortune Theatre in London. The stage itself is trapezoidal. There is a shingled roof with a windowed gable. In keeping with Elizabethan tradition, one of the actors opens the window prior to every performance, runs a flag up the pole while a trumpet sounds, and doffs his cap to the audience. This signifies that a play is in progress. The Paul Allen Pavilion contains the control room, balcony seating, and two box seats.

When attending a performance, patrons will receive a Playbill, which includes the cast list, a synopsis of the play, and any statements from the directors. More detailed information on the play, the playwright, and the actors can be found in the annual Souvenir Program. The Souvenir Program provides biographies and pictures of all of the actors. It also lists many of the people who work behind the scenes.

In the warmer months (typically from June through October), there is a Green Show prior to the actual play. The Green Show has transformed over the years. Now, patrons can expect to see anything from dance groups to jugglers. The Green Show has also been known to feature a fire show or clowns doing ballet on stilts. The Green Show may also consist of individual performers, bands, or improvisation.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival also generates support through membership. They offer four different levels of membership: sustainer, donor, patron, and benefactor. Sustainers pay the least to become members, and benefactors pay the most. All four levels of membership offer the ability to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public. Benefactors are able to purchase tickets the earliest, followed by patrons, then donors. Sustainers are the last group to be able to buy tickets before they go on sale to the general public. Members also receive a magazine that lists the plays offered each season. This magazine is called Prologue, and it also provides members with information on the actors, costumes, props, and directors.

In any given season, there are more than 780 performances, and yearly attendance is estimated to be about 400,000 people. The festival has an operating budget in excess of $26 million. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is a Tony Award-winning festival.

The company includes roughly 325 full-time employees. In addition, there are about 600 volunteers that support the festival. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival has the distinction of being listed in Shakespeare Festivals Around the World as a Major Festival.