meet the board

Rudd Johnson,
Board President

Letter from the President

Dear Friends of OSF:

Welcome to Oregon Shakespeare Festival's 2011 season!

Last season marked our 75th anniversary, and thanks to our members, returning patrons, and new theatergoers OSF reached a new attendance record of nearly 415,000 tickets. Now, we look forward to bringing you another outstanding playbill in 2011.

As always, we present 11 plays in our three theaters in a season lasting for more than eight months. But in addition, we are offering a twelfth production -- a new event called WillFul-- taking place mostly outdoors, with the audience guided by actors to various places on the OSF campus in an exciting example of "site- specific" theater.

William Shakespeare, our namesake playwright, is well represented in all three theaters in 2011. In the Angus Bowmer Theatre, the complex tragicomedy Measure for Measure receives its first OSF production in 13 years. Henry IV, Part Two and Love's Labor's Lost appear on the Elizabethan Stage, and the New Theatre presents the great historical drama Julius Caesar.

The popular The Pirates of Penzance, our first-ever musical on the Elizabethan Stage, is a sure highlight of 2011. Another is our world premiere production of Ghost Light, based on the tragic 1978 assassination of San Francisco mayor George Moscone. That play, staged in New Theatre, will be directed by Moscone's son, accomplished theater director Jonathan Moscone.

Those, and more, allow you to put together a rich variety of drama, comedy, and music when you choose your Ashland plays.

Our theater and our town remain an affordable and entertaining vacation and cultural experience. You’ll find not only world-class theater, but also a small-town atmosphere with wonderful restaurants, great accommodations and a wide range of family activities to complement your stay, including golf, skiing, river rafting, fishing, gallery browsing, or a walk through Lithia Park.

Order your tickets online or talk by phone to our talented and friendly Box Office staff, who can answer your questions and take your ticket orders. The membership section of the website will tell you more about the benefits of joining and supporting OSF.

We look forward to seeing you in Ashland for another great season.

Sincerely,
Rudd Johnson