Tag: Archives

The inclusion of a musical in the 2001 season has sparked conversations regarding the history of musicals at the Festival. Though it is true that many of our productions have included lots of music—which you will note in Doug’s current exhibit in the side gallery of the Bowmer Theatre—the first true musicals at OSF were initiated by necessity and pure good fortune.

In mid-July I opened an envelope sent from Seattle containing an obituary for Robert (Bob) Loper who had died suddenly the week before. I met Bob in 1987 while here to direct The Member of the Wedding. I clearly remembered him, and was aware of his long association with us.


Soon after, Richard Hay asked me for a list of credits for the memorial service. Also, Bob’s son Matt was to take a trip to Colorado and Ashland gathering memorabilia since the family had little.

We seem to have latched on to 1976 recently. In 2004, we produced all the Shakespeare from 1976. Well, only Henry VI, Part Two, not all three parts. Now we are staging Shaw with a dash of Ibsen. The 1976 connection is Ibsen’s Brand and Shaw’s The Devil’s Disciple.


In Jerry Turner’s discussion of that season’s playbill in the Fall/Winter issue of Prologue, he quoted something Shaw said in 1906—70 years earlier, yet another connection to this year...

In 1960, the Oregon Shakespearean Festival Association produced the play The Taming of the Shrew, the hotel down the street at 1st & Main opened a newly renovated, newly named Mark Antony Hotel, and there was a close presidential election.



In 2000, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival produced the play The Taming of the Shrew, the hotel down the street at 1st & Main opened a newly renovated, newly named Ashland Springs Hotel, and there was a close presidential election...

As the season draws to a close, the school visit program is about to take off. You may wonder how this terrific outreach program came about. It was all related to the opening of the Angus Bowmer Theatre, 35 years ago, and a multi-faceted approach to growing our audience. Here’s what Forbes (Buck) Rogers, education coordinator, had to say about the tour in the Fall/Winter 1971 OSFA Newsletter (now Prologue)...