Ashland, Ore. - Incoming Oregon Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Bill Rauch unveiled his inaugural season at a member event today in the New Theatre.
While continuing to maintain a strong commitment to Shakespeare and American classics, Rauch has also put his unique stamp on the playbill by including an epic text outside the Western canon, two new plays, a world premiere production that will head to Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center in July, and the first-ever 20th-century play to be produced on OSF's outdoor Elizabethan Stage. Joining OSF on the 11 artistic teams is an unusually high number of guest directors and designers new to OSF (please see below: Season at a Glance with design teams and general run dates).
The season will be anchored by four plays by William Shakespeare. A Midsummer Night's Dream will open the season in the Angus Bowmer Theatre, staged by sought-after Shakespeare director Mark Rucker. OSF veteran Laird Williamson will bring his directorial vision to the New Theatre for the first time with Coriolanus. On the Elizabethan Stage, Obie Award-winner Lisa Peterson will direct Othello and current Associate Artistic Director Penny Metropulos will direct a highly musical version of The Comedy of Errors.
Rauch has also included three American classics. In the Angus Bowmer Theatre, OSF commemorates the recent loss of two of America's greatest playwrights by juxtaposing their equally powerful visions of 1950's working class America: guest artist Leah C. Gardiner will direct August Wilson's Fences while current Artistic Director Libby Appel will direct Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge. And it is with great anticipation that Thornton Wilder's masterpiece Our Town will be the first 20th-century play ever staged under the stars on the Elizabethan Stage. It will be directed by guest artist Chay Yew.
Rauch's initial directorial effort as artistic director will be the Sanskrit epic The Clay Cart, attributed to Śūdraka . The production will run all season in the Angus Bowmer Theatre. Bursting with romance, political intrigue, traditional dance and comic subplots, OSF's first Indian classic is utterly Shakespearean in scale and spirit. Rauch hopes this will be the first in an ongoing series of non-Western world classics at OSF.
In addition, Rauch will direct Oregon native Jeff Whitty's hilarious comedy The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler in the Angus Bowmer Theatre (five years after directing OSF Emeritus Artistic Director Jerry Turner's translation of Ibsen's original play at OSF). Whitty received a Tony Award for his book of the Broadway musical Avenue Q.
In an exciting arrangement with the Kennedy Center, the world premiere production of Julie Marie Myatt's Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter, opening in the New Theatre, will tour to Washington D.C. after closing in Ashland. The play, directed by Steppenwolf associate artist Jessica Thebus, is an edgy and funny drama that centers on a female Marine returning from a tour in Iraq.
Last but not least, Luis Alfaro's delicious comedy, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, an outrageous and slightly surreal look at obesity, obsession and the meaning of true love, will play in the New Theatre and be directed by guest artist Tracy Young.
The 2008 season is sponsored by U.S. Bank, and Malia Wasson, President, U.S. Bank Oregon, was delighted with the announcement. "U.S. Bank welcomes Bill Rauch to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. His creative energy is reflected in the diverse productions unveiled today for the 2008 season. We are very pleased to have Bill join in the strong partnership between OSF and U.S. Bank."
The 2008 season will begin previews on February 15 and close on November 2.
2008 Design Teams (subject to change):
Angus Bowmer Theatre
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare February - October
Director: Mark Rucker; Scenic Designer: Walt Spangler; Costume Designer: Katherine Roth; Lighting Designer: Robert Peterson; Composer: Todd Barton.
The Clay Cart attributed to King Shudraka February - October
Director: Bill Rauch; Scenic Designer: Christopher Acebo; Costume Designer: Deborah M. Dryden; Lighting Designer: Christopher Akerlind; Composer: Andre Pluess; Choreographer: Anjani Ambegaokar.
Fences by August Wilson February - July
Director: Leah C. Gardiner; Scenic Designer: Scott Bradley; Costume Designer: Elizabeth Hope Clancy;
Lighting Designer: Dawn Chiang; Composer: Michael Keck.
The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler by Jeff Whitty April - October
Director: Bill Rauch; Scenic Designer: Christopher Acebo; Costume Designer: Shigeru Yaji; Lighting Designer: Geoff Korf; Composer: Paul James Prendergast.
A View From the Bridge by Arthur Miller July - October
Director: Libby Appel; Scenic Designer: William Bloodgood; Costume Designer: Deborah M. Dryden; Lighting Designer: Jane Cox; Composer: Irwin Appel.
New Theatre
Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter by Julie Marie Myatt February - June
Director: Jessica Thebus; Scenic Designer: Richard L. Hay; Costume Designer: Lynn Jeffries; Lighting Designer: Allen Lee Hughes; Composer: Paul James Prendergast.
Coriolanus by William Shakespeare March - October
Director: Laird Williamson; Scenic Designer: Richard L. Hay; Costume Designer: Deborah M. Dryden;
Lighting Designer: Robert Peterson; Composer: Todd Barton.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner by Luis Alfaro July - October
Director: Tracy Young; Scenic Designer: Robert Brill; Costume Designer: Nephelie Andonyadis; Lighting Designer: Russell H. Champa; Sound Designer: Jeremy J. Lee.
Elizabethan Stage/Allen Pavilion
Othello by William Shakespeare June - October
Director: Lisa Peterson; Scenic Designer: Rachel Hauck; Costume Designer: Christopher Acebo;
Lighting Designer: Alexander Nichols; Composer: Paul James Prendergast.
The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare June - October
Director: Penny Metropulos; Scenic Designer: Michael Ganio; Costume Designer: Paul Tazewell; Lighting Designer: Robert Peterson; Composer: Sterling Tinsley.
Our Town by Thornton Wilder June - October
Director: Chay Yew; Scenic Designer: Richard L. Hay; Costume Designer: Anita Yavich; Lighting Designer: Robert Peterson; Composer: Todd Barton.