Ashland, Ore.-Incoming Artistic Director Bill Rauch is well into preparations for the 2008 season, holding readings of the '08 plays with actors and directors, and working with his staff to develop new programs. In addition to overseeing the production of 11 plays for the February 15, 2008 opening, he has launched a U.S. History Cycle, Hip Hop Boot Camp, community-based Green Show and Festival Latino.
Rauch has created what he feels to be his "ideal" first season that meets eight goals: presents at least four Shakespeare plays in all three theaters (A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Angus Bowmer Theatre; Coriolanus in the New Theatre; Othello and The Comedy of Errors on the Elizabethan Stage); includes one non-Western classic (a 2000-year-old comic love story, The Clay Cart, by Śūdraka ); do more 20th-century American classics (August Wilson's Fences, Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge, Thornton Wilder's Our Town); stretch the boundaries of what is possible on the Elizabethan Stage (will present the first 20th-century play outside, Wilder's Our Town); present at least one world premiere (Julie Marie Myatt's Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter); produce other new plays (Jeff Whitty's The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler, Luis Alfaro's Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner); produce one play with musical elements (The Comedy of Errors); include plays by African American, Latino and Asian authors (Wilson's Fences, Alfaro's Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Śūdraka's The Clay Cart). (For video, audio, director, designer, cast lists and other information about 2008, visit our play pages and multimedia page ).
With support of his artistic team, Rauch has launched a number of new artistic programs:
A comprehensive and exciting new program is the U.S. History Cycle, spearheaded by Alison Carey, cofounder of Cornerstone Theater with Rauch and now a part of the resident OSF artistic staff. This decade-long project will present readings and performances of commissioned works about American history. The company hopes to mount the first full production in 2010.
Claudia Alick, associate producer, community, who joined OSF's artistic staff in September, will curate OSF's community-based Green Show, presented throughout the summer months before the evening performances. This all-new Green Show will feature a vibrant and diverse schedule of excellent performers--some of whom will collaborate--so that audiences might see renaissance dancers, mariachi singers or a youth marimba band with a jazz sextet. Performers will include past artists and new ones from the local community and around the country.
Also organized by Alick, is the OSF Hip-Hop Boot Camp, in progress currently for company members and guest artists. The camp is a four-day intensive where internationally recognized practitioners will meet to explore the intersection of nexthetics (hip-hop and spoken word aesthetics) and classical theatre. The goals of the camp are to create new relationships, develop material for future production, and develop language and concepts specifically around the conjunction of classical work and nexthetics.
New marketing programs and pricing have also been developed for 2008. Military veterans, reservists and active duty service people will have the opportunity to receive two complimentary tickets to the new play Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter. The play, told with great humor and heart, is about a female marine's fears of returning home from the Iraq war. The play asks the question what is our responsibility to the men and women coming home from war? Rauch was passionate about making this discount available as a way for OSF to include and honor those who have served and are currently serving our country.
Community partnerships have been created to develop new relationships. OSF is pleased that The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Grizzly Post 353, has agreed to be a Community Partner for Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter, and will work with us in reaching out to our community and its veterans. OSF's other Community Partner is La Clinica Del Valle, which will assist OSF in developing new events and relationships around Luis Alfaro's Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
In an effort to form additional community relationships, Festival Latino will be held July 24-27. The event will celebrate Hispanic/Latino music, dance and culture. More information about the event will be posted to the website in late spring of 2008.
For the first time ever, OSF is discounting youth (6-17 years) tickets at a 50% through the entire season. In addition, all C section tickets throughout the season are $20.
Member presale begins November 5. General sales begin November 26. Visit us here to learn about the benefits of membership. For further information, call the Box Office at (800) 219-8161 or (541) 482-4331.
(end)