Plays to See: Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2015 Season

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, located in scenic Ashland, Oregon, is a repertory theatre that produces roughly ten shows during its February to October season. There are always several Shakespeare plays (though not as many this year), in addition to classic, modern, and premiere shows that support OSF’s dedication to the language of theatre.

The city of Ashland boasts quality restaurants with farm-fresh ingredients; the restaurants are so good that, aside from Starbucks, chain restaurants simply can’t survive there. Nature enthusiasts will be interested in beautiful Lithia Park, which boasts scenic forests along the banks of Ashland Creek.

The following is some of the 2015 season’s plays that look especially strong:

Guys and Dolls (by Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling, and Abe Burrows, dir. Mary Zimmerman)

Runs February 22 through November 1

As I mentioned in my My Fair Lady review, OSF has a consistent record of staging tired Broadway go-tos in innovative and fascinating ways, most notably Bill Rauch’s Pleasantville-style Music Man from the 2009 season. Guys and Dolls has some of the catchiest music of its time, and the combination with OSF’s musical interpretations is very exciting.

What builds even more confidence is the revival under the direction of Mary Zimmerman, typically known more for directing her own mythological works, like 2013’s outstanding White Snake. Guys and Dolls seems like a departure for someone who hardly ever works with material on this side of 1900, but it has its own share of larger-than-life characters and mythological feats (Sky winning a high-stakes gambling game in “Luck Be A Lady”, for instance).

Jeremy Peter Johnson plays Sky Masterson in this production; I most remember him as Cinderella’s Prince in 2014’s Into the Woods. The ability to do goofy material seriously will fit him well as he takes on the role, and I’m excited to see what he does with it. I also eagerly await the hilarious Richard Elmore as imposing gangster Big Jule.

Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land (by Stan Lai, dir. Stan Lai)

Runs April 15 through October 31

Metatheatre (think Noises Off!) is a divisive genre, but one that OSF is unafraid to stage as part of their commitment to the language of theatre. Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land is a delightfully meta piece of theatre that also happens to be one of Taiwan’s most influential and powerful modern plays. The fact that the original writer and director, who semi-improvised the original piece in the 80s, is steering the helm turns the play from a curiosity into a true privilege to see.

Many historical pieces, including some at Ashland, possess a kind of dourness, but Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land combines wit and poignancy in an interesting interpretation of both Chinese ancient and modern history. Authentic non-Western theatre is difficult to find in the States, making Secret Love an amazing opportunity.

Long Day’s Journey into Night (by Eugene O’Neill, dir. Christopher Liam Moore)

Runs March 25 through October 31

It’s one of the greatest plays of the 20^th century, starring Michael Winters (King Lear), directed by the person responsible for 2013’s stellar Streetcar Named Desire. I’m not sure what more needs to be said.

The Count of Monte Cristo (by Alexandre Dumas, adapted by Charles Fechter, dir. Marcela Lorca)

Runs June 4 through October 11

The Count of Monte Cristo remains one of the world’s premiere swashbuckling adventure stories, and though many adaptations exist, OSF decided to go with an old, wildly popular version that starred Eugene O’Neill’s father in its original run. This play is a more sophisticated attempt at adventure theatre after 2013’s Heart of Robin Hood, which also indicates the theatre company’s attempt to diversify their theatre styles.

The part of Edmond Dantés, the story’s central character, was given to Al Espinosa, who played assorted roles in mostly Shakespearean or early 20^th-century plays in the past four seasons. The Yale-educated actor combines dashing charisma with a true grasp of difficult texts, which gives him an advantage in Count of Monte Cristo.

Bay Area Theatres

If you have another theatre to recommend, let me know in the comments!
Last updated May 2016.

San Francisco

PianoFight: Self-described as “San Francisco’s next landmark entertainment venue”, the PianoFight space plays host to sketch comedy troupes, audience-judged playwriting competitions, and surf rock bands. It’s also within walking distance of the Powell Street BART station!

Magic Theatre: A classic theatre located in northern San Francisco, famous for being the artistic home of gritty American playwright and film actor Sam Shepard.

Crowded Fire Theatre: A small theatre company in Potrero Hill that produces diverse plays by local playwrights.

ACT:  One of San Francisco's largest and most famous nonprofit companies, ACT puts on a variety of modern plays and musicals.

San Francisco Playhouse: Located close to Union Square, the San Francisco Playhouse combines old favorites with challenging new works.

Cutting Ball Theatre: A small theatre in the Tenderloin that performs risky, experimental plays.

Peninsula

Palo Alto Players: An 80-year-old community theatre that performs classic shows and occasionally branches into more experimental artists like Sarah Ruhl.

TheatreWorks: The biggest regional theater in the Peninsula, especially famous for its New Works Festival. Performs shows in Palo Alto (at the Lucie Stern Center) and in Mountain View (in the city's Center for Performing Arts).

Pear Theatre: A small but ambitious Mountain View theatre company that performs both the 20^th Century’s greatest plays and more esoteric work. Their Playwrights’ Guild produces a festival of short plays every year.

Dragon Theatre: Another small theatre company, located in downtown Redwood City. Most Dragon plays are by little-known playwrights or apocryphal works by the greats. Within walking distance of a Caltrain station and a lot of good restaurants.

Hillbarn Theatre: Foster City's community theatre, which performs some of Broadway's most beloved musicals.

South Bay

City Lights Theatre Company: A midsize theatre in downtown San Jose that produces a variety of interesting shows. Usually serves snacks after performances, but you may want to save room for the dozens of excellent restaurants in the area.

Tabard Theatre: This family-friendly theatre, located literally across the street from some of San Jose’s best restaurants, has an intimate space with an interesting “corner” stage construction.

San Jose Theatre Company: Modern plays – and twists on the classics – performed on an arena stage in downtown San Jose.

Silicon Valley Shakespeare: A seasonal outdoor theatre near Saratoga that performs Shakespeare plays along with a few modern plays in a fun, casual setting.

East Bay

Gritty City Repertory Youth Theatre: A youth theatre in Oakland that stages plays – both Shakespeare and modern – with relevant themes for young people and people of color.

California Shakespeare Theater: Located in the hills near Orinda, Cal Shakes performs a four-play season during the summer in their outdoor arena stage.

Shotgun Players: An edgy Berkeley theatre company that directly responds to issues in the larger theatrical community: For example, selling $5 tickets to audience members under 25.

Berkeley Rep: Berkeley's longstanding theatre, most notable for its repeated collaborations with director Mary Zimmerman.

Impact Theatre: Another Berkeley company, this one dedicated to producing new work.

North Bay

Marin Rep:  Marin's most notable nonprofit theatre, which puts on mostly modern plays with serious artistic merit.

Notable College and University Theatres

Santa Clara University

Foothill College

Notre Dame de Namur University