OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES CAST AND CREATIVE TEAMS FOR 2026 SEASON

ASHLAND, OR (October 17, 2025) – The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is thrilled to announce select casting and creative teams for the plays of its 2026 season, a dynamic year featuring ten productions that span centuries, genres, and voices. This season invites audiences into stories that ask us to rise—whether in love, in struggle, or in community—and to discover that the path forward is rarely walked alone. 

From Shakespeare’s enchanted forests and fiery histories to groundbreaking American dramas, irreverent new comedies, and a reimagined classic, the 2026 lineup unites an extraordinary ensemble of OSF veterans and new artists. Together, they will embody a season that captures the resilience, wit, and creativity of live theatre at its best.

“Our 2026 season reminds us that theatre is a place of gathering and possibility,” said Tim Bond, OSF Artistic Director. “Each of these plays asks its characters—and, in turn, all of us—to rise to the challenges before us. I am thrilled to welcome these 10 productions, whose artistries and visions will bring audiences laughter and hope, demonstrating the power of meeting the moment together.”

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on December 2, with early access for OSF members starting in early November. For more information about the productions, casts, and creative teams, visit www.osfashland.org.
2026 CAST AND CREATIVE TEAMS*
*Casting is subject to change both before and throughout the season. Roles not listed are yet to be cast.


A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Marcela Lorca
March 13 – October 25
Angus Bowmer Theatre

“The course of true love never did run smooth”
When Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius flee into the woods, they do it in pursuit of personal freedom and their one true love. But making their way through the forest is particularly tricky under the influence of the mischievous Puck’s spells. The line between truth and illusion blurs as the couples are drawn into a dream world that is as dark and mysterious as it is marvelous and full of wonder, where magic reigns, and nothing is quite as it seems. Shakespeare’s timeless romantic comedy returns to OSF with original music by Justin Huertas (Lizard Boy) in an enchanting production, under the direction of Marcela Lorca (The Count of Monte Cristo). 

The cast: Saran Evelyn Bakari as Hermia, Alysia N. Beltran as Robin Starveling, Rhea Bradley as Helena, Alexis Edwards as Fairy, Al Espinosa as Nick Bottom, Alyssa Hertzog as Fairy, Justin Huertas as Puck / Philostrate, Anthony Kirby as Francis Flute / Peaseblossom, Armando McClain as Oberon / Theseus, Jonathan Luke Stevens as Demetrius, Lisa Tejero as Peter Quince / Cobweb, U. Jonathan Toppo as Snug / Egeus, Sheila Tousey as Tom Snout / Mustardseed, Tim Turner as Fairy, Jessika D. Williams as Titania / Hippolyta, and Jaysen Wright as Lysander.

Understudies: Royer Bockus, Teri Brown, Alexis Edwards, Alyssa Hertzog, Kate Hurster, Nathan Karnik, Anthony Kirby, Jonathan Luke Stevens, U. Jonathan Toppo.

The creative team: William Shakespeare, Playwright; Marcela Lorca, Director; Lili Fuller, Associate Movement Director; Luciana Stecconi, Scenic Designer; Montana Levi Blanco, Costume Designer; Carolina Ortiz Herrera, Lighting Designer; Justin Huertas, Composer; Joshua Horvath, Sound Designer; Jesse J. Sanchez, Music Director; Paul Adolphsen, Dramaturg; Micha Espinosa, Voice & Text Director; U. Jonathan Toppo, Fight Director & Associate Intimacy Director; Rocío Mendez, Intimacy Director & Associate Fight Director; Joy Dickson and Katja Zarolinski, CSA, Casting; Becca Rowlett, Production Stage Manager; Finlay Kuester and Citlalin Zapata Sanchez, Assistant Stage Managers; Alex Turos, Understudy Production Stage Manager; and Alex Turos and Vera Conrad, Understudies for Assistant Stage Managers.


Come From Away 
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein   
Directed by Laurie Woolery
Choreographed by Sunny Min-Sook Hitt
March 14 – October 24
Angus Bowmer Theatre

The day the world stopped  
In the hours following September 11, 2001, as planes were grounded and uncertainty swept the globe, 7,000 stranded air travelers landed in the remote town of Gander, Newfoundland. With no time to prepare, the people of Gander opened their homes, their hearts, and their lives to these complete strangers. This Tony and Olivier Award–winning musical, based on that astonishing true story, unfolds through a propulsive, folk-inspired score and a cast of unforgettable real-life characters. A heart-forward, joyful celebration of resilience, Come From Away reminds audiences of all ages of the power of community in the darkest of times.

The cast: Royer Bockus as Bonnie / Martha, Teri Brown as Hannah / Margie, Kiki deLohr as Janice / Britney, Al Espinosa as Nick / Doug, Victoria Frings as Beverley / Annette; Justin Huertas as Kevin T. / Garth, Kate Hurster as Diane / Crystal, Nathan Karnik as Kevin J. / Ali, David Kelly as Claude / Derm, Amy Lizardo as Beulah / Delores, and Jonathan Luke Stevens as Oz / Joey.

Understudies: Kjerstine Rose Anderson, Alysia N. Beltran, Amy Lizardo.

The creative team: Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Book, Music & Lyrics; Laurie Woolery, Director; Sunny Min-Sook Hitt, Choreographer; Efren Delgadillo, Jr., Scenic Designer; Melissa Torchia, Costume Designer; Pablo Santiago, Lighting Designer; Val Turos, Sound Designer; Matthew DeMaria, Associate Music Director & Conductor; Micha Espinosa, Voice & Text Director; U. Jonathan Toppo, Fight Director & Associate Intimacy Director; Rocío Mendez, Intimacy Director & Associate Fight Director; Joy Dickson and Katja Zarolinski, CSA, Casting; Emily Robinson, Production Stage Manager; Jordan E. Moore and Quy Ton, Assistant Stage Managers; Meg Dockter, Rehearsal Production Assistant / Understudy for Assistant Stage Managers; and Jordan E. Moore, Understudy Production Stage Manager.

This production of Come From Away was licensed by Music Theatre International.


A Raisin in the Sun
By Lorraine Hansberry
Directed by Tim Bond 
March 15 – July 19
Angus Bowmer Theatre

“What happens to a dream deferred?” 
On the South Side of 1950s Chicago, the Younger family lives under one roof, bound together by love, struggle, and shelved dreams. When a life insurance check arrives after the death of their father, it sparks a chance to break free—from poverty, from their cramped apartment, and from the limits of a deeply segregated society. But each family member sees a different future, and the choices they make test everything they believe about identity, pride, and possibility. One of the greatest American dramas ever written, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is fierce, tender, and as urgent now as when it first debuted in 1959. OSF Artistic Director Tim Bond brings to life a powerful revival of this seminal work The New York Times called “The play that changed American theatre forever.”

The cast: Adebowale Adebiyi as Joseph Asagai; Saran Evelyn Bakari as Beneatha Younger, Chris Butler as Bobo, Preston Butler III as Walter Lee Younger, Justin Walter Cook as Moving Man; Lynnette R. Freeman as Ruth Younger, Armando McClain as Moving Man, Greta Oglesby as Lena Younger, Daniel T. Parker as Karl Lindner, Shariba Rivers as Mrs. Johnson; and Jaysen Wright as George Murchison.

Understudies: Chris Butler, Justin Walter Cook, Armando McClain, Mark Murphey, Shariba Rivers, Tim Turner, Jessika D. Williams.

The creative team: Lorraine Hansberry, Playwright; Tim Bond, Director; Sonia Dawkins, Choreographer; Scott Bradley, Scenic Designer; Helen Q. Huang, Costume Designer; Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz, Lighting Designer; Michael Keck, Composer & Sound Designer; Judith Moreland, Voice & Text Director; U. Jonathan Toppo, Fight Director & Intimacy Director; Joy Dickson and Katja Zarolinski, CSA, Casting; Sarah Dale Lewis, Production Stage Manager; Trixie Eunhae Hong, Assistant Stage Manager / Understudy Production Stage Manager; Caroline Villaseñor Wilkes, Rehearsal Production Assistant / Youth Performance Monitor / Understudy for Assistant Stage Manager; Quy Ton, Understudy Production Stage Manager; and Vera Conrad, Understudy for Assistant Stage Manager.

A Raisin in the Sun is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.


Yellow Face
By David Henry Hwang  
Directed by May Adrales
August 5 – October 23
Angus Bowmer Theatre   

A smart, semi-autobiographical comedy about the masks we wear
When DHH—a Chinese American playwright and staunch activist—protests the casting of a white actor in Miss Saigon, he never imagines he’ll make the same mistake himself. But after accidentally casting a white actor in the lead Asian role of his own play, he scrambles to cover his tracks, spinning an increasingly ridiculous web of half-truths, media frenzy, and personal contradictions. Pulitzer Prize finalist Yellow Face is a laugh-out-loud mockumentary that skewers the worlds of theatre, identity politics, and public image with razor-sharp wit. Fresh off a thrilling Broadway run, David Henry Hwang’s hilarious and thought-provoking Tony-nominated play comes to OSF in a new production directed by May Adrales (Vietgone).

The cast: Sun Mee Chomet as Leah Anne Cho / Ensemble, William Thomas Hodgson as Ensemble, Paul Juhn as HYH / BD Wong, David Anthony Lewis as Reporter / The Announcer, Amy Lizardo as Ensemble, Eddie Lopez as Marcus G. Dahlman, and James Ryen as DHH.

The creative team: David Henry Hwang, Playwright; May Adrales, Director; Timothy Mackabee, Scenic Designer; Sara Ryung Clement, Costume Designer; Alan C. Edwards, Lighting Designer; Andre Pluess, Composer & Sound Designer; Shawn Duan, Projection Designer; Leela Kiyawat, Dramaturg; Joy Lanceta Coronel, Voice & Text Director; U. Jonathan Toppo, Fight Director & Associate Intimacy Director; Rocío Mendez, Intimacy Director & Associate Fight Director; Joy Dickson and Katja Zarolinski, CSA, Casting; Quy Ton, Production Stage Manager; , Assistant Stage Manager, Understudy Production Stage Manager; and Finlay Kuester and Vera Conrad, Understudies for Assistant Stage Manager.

Yellow Face is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service imprint. (www.dramatists.com)


You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! 
By Keiko Green
Directed by Zi Alikhan
April 16 – August 21
Thomas Theatre 

A raucous comedy about the unthinkable
Greg’s been so good: he recycles, eats right, loves his wife, and has only a slightly uncomfortable relationship with his grown-up kid. But when he’s faced with a terminal illness, he becomes obsessed with climate change and the fate of the planet while his wife and child try to cope with their own worlds ending. This play about grief—and cringe-y family dinners, and lawnmowers, and Greta Thunberg, and gay bars, and awkward support groups—is an exquisitely touching and hilarious story that anyone who’s ever lost a loved one (or laughed at a funeral) can relate to.

The cast: Tim Getman as Greg Murphy, Rafael Goldstein as Will / TV Narrator, Winter Olamina as M Murphy, Kat Peña as Lila / Greta, Amy Kim Waschke as Viv Murphy, and Kate Wisniewski as Janet / Dr. Thomas.

Understudies: Julie Oda, Kate Wisniewski.

The creative team: Keiko Green, Playwright; Zi Alikhan, Director; Dana Wilson, Choreographer; Sibyl Wickersheimer, Scenic Designer; Lux Haac, Costume Designer; Barbara Samuels, Lighting Designer; Palmer Hefferan, Composer & Sound Designer; Nicholas Hussong, Projection Designer; Elisa Gonzales, Voice & Text Director; Rocío Mendez, Intimacy Director & Fight Director; Joy Dickson and Katja Zarolinski, CSA, Casting; Chris Schweiger, Production Stage Manager; Charlie Mooz, Assistant Stage Manager / Understudy Production Stage Manager; and Hal Day, Understudy Assistant Stage Manager.


August Wilson’s King Hedley II 
By August Wilson 
Directed by Tim Bond 
July 16 – October 24
Thomas Theatre

“I want everybody to know that King Hedley II is here...” 
It’s 1985, and King returns to his family and community, determined to take control of his life after having served seven years in prison. He patches together odd jobs—some legal, some not—, hoping to open a video store and build a new future. Two-time Pulitzer Prize–-winning playwright August Wilson has created a mythic and metaphysical landscape full of unabashed lyricism amongst the crumbling Black neighborhood of Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Like the hero of a Greek tragedy, King seeks redemption from a past that still haunts him: the murder that changed his life, old vendettas that won’t die, and an explosive secret his mother has kept hidden. Director Tim Bond brings his love of August Wilson, along with a powerhouse cast, to this poetically tragic epic about systems of violence and intergenerational poverty, the ninth play in Wilson’s American Century Cycle.

King Hedley II continues OSF’s commitment to August Wilson’s monumental American Century Cycle.

The cast: Chris Butler as King Hedley II, Preston Butler III as Mister, Lynnette R. Freeman as Tonya, Deidrie Henry as Ruby, Kevin Kenerly as Elmore, and Tyrone Wilson as Stool Pigeon.

Understudies: Shariba Rivers, Kelvin Shepard.

The creative team: August Wilson, Playwright; Tim Bond, Director; Scott Bradley, Scenic Designer; Helen Q. Huang, Costume Designer; Dawn Chiang, Lighting Designer; Michael Keck, Composer & Sound Designer; Rocío Mendez, Intimacy Director & Fight Director; Joy Dickson and Katja Zarolinski, CSA, Casting; Chris Schweiger, Production Stage Manager; Charlie Mooz, Assistant Stage Manager / Understudy Production Stage Manager; and Caroline Villaseñor Wilkes and Meg Dockter, Understudies for Assistant Stage Manager.

August Wilson’s King Hedley II is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. (www.concordtheatricals.com)


Smote This, A Comedy About God...and Other Serious $H*T
Created and performed by Rodney Gardiner  
Directed by Raz Golden
August 27 – October 24
Thomas Theatre

An encore of the hit solo show from Rodney Gardiner
Back by popular demand, this sharp and hilarious solo show follows actor Rodney Gardiner as he attempts to abandon God—no easy feat for a devoutly raised, undocumented Black boy growing up in tumultuous 1980s Miami. For young Rodney, dealing with racial unrest, an immigration crisis, and the drug war is just another Tuesday. Smote This spins an entertaining web of personal stories and hilarious tangents that land with equal parts heart and heat. OSF is thrilled to welcome back Rodney, who has riveted our audiences for years in everything from musicals to Shakespeare.

The creative team: Rodney Gardiner, Playwright; Raz Golden, Director; Alice Risser, Costume Designer; Valerie Pope, Lighting Designer; Joshua Horvath, Sound Designer; Micah Stieglitz, Projection Designer; Andrew Carney, Properties Designer; Joy Lanceta Coronel, Voice & Text Director; U. Jonathan Toppo, Fight Director; Rocío Mendez, Intimacy Director; Hal Day, Production Stage Manager; Vera Conrad, Production Assistant; and Finlay Kuester and Chris Schweiger, Understudy Production Stage Managers.


The Taming of the Shrew
By William Shakespeare   
Directed by Shana Cooper 
June 5 – October 11
Allen Elizabethan Theatre 

All’s fair in the war of love 
Sweet-natured Bianca has her choice of suitors, but there’s a problem: she can’t get married until her older sister, Kate, also gets hitched. And Kate—strong-willed, sharp-tongued—is not onboard with any of that. When a stranger, Petruchio, comes to town, he hatches a plan to win Kate, but it’s not easy romancing an unbothered single woman who dishes out insults at lightning speed. Wordplay crackles and passions run high as this iconoclastic couple forges an unconventional path to love in this uproarious Shakespeare comedy. Directed by Shana Cooper (The Unfortunates, Indecent), this bold production turns the tables on tradition, inviting us to question everything we think we know about courtship, gender, and power. 

The cast: Kjerstine Rose Anderson as Tranio, Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey as Tailor / Widow, Amelio García as Grumio, Michael J. Hume as Gremio, David Kelly as Vincentio / Curtis, Ava Mingo as Bianca, Daniel Molina as Petruchio, Mark Murphey as Baptista Minola, Conner Neddersen as Lucentio, and Erica Sullivan as Kate.

Understudies: Adebowale Adebiyi, Kiki deLohr, Alejandra Escalante, Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey, Victoria Frings, Amelio García, Michael J. Hume, Reginald André Jackson, Conner Neddersen.

The creative team: William Shakespeare, Playwright; Shana Cooper, Director; Tiffany Rachelle Stewart, Choreographer; Andrew Boyce, Scenic Designer; Raquel Adorno, Costume Designer; Marcella Barbeau, Lighting Designer; Paul James Prendergast, Composer & Sound Designer; Ursula Meyer, Voice & Text Director; Gregory Linington, Dramaturg; Rocío Mendez, Intimacy Director & Fight Director; Joy Dickson and Katja Zarolinski, CSA, Casting; Sarah Dale Lewis, Production Stage Manager; Jordan E. Moore, Assistant Stage Manager; Caroline Villaseñor Wilkes, Production Assistant; Emily Robinson, Understudy Production Stage Manager; and Meg Dockter, Understudy Production Assistant.


Henry IV, Part One
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Rosa Joshi
June 6 – October 10
Allen Elizabethan Theatre 

A kingdom on the brink
King Henry IV is in trouble: a faction of his allies, including a valiant youngster named Hotspur, have turned on him and are now gunning for his throne. And his own son, Prince Hal, is no help, spending all his time languishing with his low-life drinking buddies and a corrupt knight, Falstaff, who holds a strange sway over the kid. Will Hal ever come around and act like the king he will be one day? Shakespeare’s iconic history play is a stirring coming-of-age story, filled with humor, romance, and intrigue. Associate Artistic Director Rosa Joshi (Henry V, Julius Caesar) directs. 

The cast: Amelio García as Prince John / Gadshill, Rafael Goldstein as Mortimer / Blunt, William Thomas Hodgson as Prince Hal, Michael J. Hume as Westmorland / Bardolph, Reginald André Jackson as King Henry IV, Ava Mingo as Poins / Lady Mortimer, Daniel Molina as Hotspur, Daniel T. Parker as Falstaff, James Ryen as Peto / Douglas, U. Jonathan Toppo as Northumberland / Glendower, Sheila Tousey as Mistress Quickly, Amy Kim Waschke as Lady Percy / Vernon, and Kate Wisniewski as Worcester.

Understudies: Sun Mee Chomet, Tim Getman, Rafael Goldstein, David Anthony Lewis, Eddie Lopez, Kat Peña, James Ryen, Tim Turner, Jaysen Wright.

The creative team: William Shakespeare, Playwright; Rosa Joshi, Director; Jaclyn Miller, Choreographer; Sara Ryung Clement, Scenic Designer; Melissa Torchia, Costume Designer; Jesse W. Belsky, Lighting Designer; Palmer Hefferan, Composer & Sound Designer; Paul Adolphsen, Dramaturg; Elisa Gonzales, Voice & Text Director; U. Jonathan Toppo, Fight Director; Rocío Mendez, Intimacy Director & Associate Fight Director; Joy Dickson and Katja Zarolinski, CSA, Casting; Alex Turos, Production Stage Manager; Hal Day and Finlay Kuester, Assistant Stage Managers; Vera Conrad, Production Assistant; Sarah Dale Lewis, Understudy Production Stage Manager; Citlalin Zapata Sanchez, Understudy Assistant Stage Manager; and Caroline Villaseñor Wilkes, Understudy Production Assistant.


Emma 
By Kate Hamill
Based on the novel by Jane Austen
Directed by Meredith McDonough 
June 7 – October 9
Allen Elizabethan Theatre

Game. Set. Matchmake.
Jane Austen’s beloved Regency-era heroine takes center stage in this fast, funny, feminist adaptation by Kate Hamill, featuring contemporary pop music and a screwball-comedy spirit. Emma believes she has it all figured out, especially when it comes to other people’s love lives. The self-appointed matchmaker means well, but in a world with few options for women beyond marriage, her meddling leads to a bevy of misadventures, mishaps and misunderstandings, leading her to confront the difference between toying with matters of the heart and truly experiencing them. Meredith McDonough makes her OSF directorial debut with a bold, genre-bending romp that turns Austen on her head.

The cast: Royer Bockus as Harriet Smith, Rhea Bradley as Mrs. Elton, Kiki deLohr as Jane Fairfax, Alejandra Escalante as Emma Woodhouse, Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey as Mrs. Weston, Kate Hurster as Miss Bates, Nathan Karnik as Frank Churchill / Robert Martin, Kevin Kenerly as Mr. Elton, Conner Neddersen as Mr. Knightley, and Tyrone Wilson as Mr. Woodhouse / Mr. Weston.

Understudies: Alysia N. Beltran, Rhea Bradley, Alexis Edwards, David Kelly, Ava Mingo, Daniel Molina, Erica Sullivan.

The creative team: Kate Hamill, Playwright; Jane Austen, Author; Meredith McDonough, Director; Emily Michaels King, Choreographer; Lex Liang, Scenic & Costume Designer; Jackie Fox, Lighting Designer; Palmer Hefferan, Composer & Sound Designer; Jill Walmsley Zager, Voice & Text Director; Rocío Mendez, Intimacy Director & Fight Director; Joy Dickson and Katja Zarolinski, CSA, Casting; Emily Robinson, Production Stage Manager; Becca Rowlett, Assistant Stage Manager / Understudy Production Stage Manager; Citlalin Zapata Sanchez, Rehearsal Assistant Stage Manager; Meg Dockter, Production Assistant; Quy Ton, Understudy Production Stage Managers; Jordan E. Moore, Understudy Assistant Stage Manager; and Vera Conrad, Understudy Production Assistant.

Emma is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by TRW PLAYS, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.trwplays.com.


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