Photo by Fred Stockwell

Ashland has an active and varied theatrical community. Home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland also boasts other theatre groups, which perform a wide variety of productions, including musicals, comedies and experimental theatre, all year long: The Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Ashland Community Theatre, Actors' Theatre, and the Southern Oregon University Theatre Arts Dept.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is known worldwide for the quality of its productions. In its 67th year, the Tony Award-winning OSF presents 11 plays in repertory, five by Shakespeare, and seven by other classic or contemporary playwrights. Its three theatres provide three very different experiences: the 1,200-seat outdoor Elizabethan Theatre, whose performance stage was inspired by the Fortune Theatre of Shakespeare's time; the modern 600-seat Angus Bowmer Theatre; and the state-of-the-art New Theater, a perfect setting for intimate performances. The Festival was recently acclaimed in the New York Times by theatre critic Ben Brantley, “Ashland is a reminder of the virtues of something Manhattan has long lacked: a full-fledged repertory company that trains and cultivates performers.” There are numerous volunteer opportunities at the Festival including ticket-taking, providing hospitality, administrative tasks, selling souvenirs for the Tudor Guild - (the Festival gift shop) - and more. Volunteering offers a way for residents to participate in the theatre activities and, if ticket-taking, see friends and neighbors. Early in each season is a time of excitement for resident theater-goers, as they compare notes on the new productions. The Festival often offers residents half-price tickets to selected performances during the spring and fall.

Photo by Christopher Briscoe

The Oregon Cabaret Theatre (OCT), is Ashland's "other" professional theater, and musical theater is its particular niche. Since 1986, OCT has earned a reputation for presenting top-notch musicals, revues and comedies in an elegant and inviting ambience. The theater is a former Baptist church that has been beautifully renovated into a nightclub-style theater with table seating on tiered levels and balcony, stained glass windows and a crystal chandelier from an old movie palace. The shows are fresh and lively, the performers are talented professionals from all over the country, and production values are high. In addition to the performance, patrons also have the option of gourmet dinners and Sunday brunch or just appetizers, desserts or beverages. It all makes for a festive night out where one can socialize with friends and family while enjoying food and drinks and an entertaining show.

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