Today was an exceptional one! Ashland, Oregon is a beautiful and special town in southern Oregon which is the home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF). In addition to employing over 100 artists every year, OSF is currently one of the largest regional theatres in America. To say that the festival resides in the town of Ashland is an understatement, the festival practically fuels the town and permeates the entire culture and sensibility of the area.
OSF was begun in 1935 by a man named Angus Bowmer. The story of it's inception is a remarkable one... involving a Chautauqua building, boxing matches, and a steady growth (check it out). From a beginning budget of $400 in 1935, today the festival now runs on a budget of over $26 million, and this year alone will have an attendance of approximately 400,000 people.
Our first meeting was with the Artistic Director of OSF, Bill Rauch. Bill took over the Artistic Director position in 2006, and has since shepherded gigantic strides in the success of the company. We were particularly excited to meet with him, because not only has he had a big impact on OSF, but he is also one of the founding members of the Cornerstone Theatre in Los Angeles, a groundbreaking theatre that has profoundly inspired us and which has come up in many of our discussions across the country.
In our research we discovered that one of the reasons that Bill and his friends began the Cornerstone Theatre Company was because in the 1980's they came across a stat that said that only 2% of the American public attended theatre. After graduating college Bill and his friends got into a van, traveled to different communities around the US, and made it their mission to reach out to the 98% of the population who were not attending theatre. Cornerstone has an unbelievable history and it was a true honor to be able to sit down and learn first hand from one of its founders.
We had an amazing meeting with Bill where he spoke with us about a lot of the successes and challenges he's experienced at OSF, as well as about his discoveries in founding, building, and growing Cornerstone to where he left it in 2006. Perhaps one of the most inspiring things about Bill is that even though he's running this giant organization with major money, esteem, and artistic merit, his focus still resides in reaching out to the minorities, the unheard, and the underprivileged.
Perhaps one of the biggest and most visible changes at OSF since Bill arrived has been the Green Show which is the free show that takes place each night before the shows on the festival outdoor stage. When he came into the festival, he changed the Green Show from a static show that remained the same all summer, into a performance opportunity for people in the community and around the world to show their work and be heard (which has brought performers from far and wide, and has greatly increased the attendence of the local community to the festival). Bill inspired us greatly as he passed on words of wisdom and advice to us as we found our own company. We will never forget this inspiring conversation for the rest of our lives! Thanks, Bill!
After our meeting with Bill, we went outdoors to meet Claudia Alick and sit on the stage where the Green Show is performed. Claudia is the Associate Producer/Community and is also the Curator/Producer for The Green Show. With her passion and dedication to diverse programming, she has been responsible for the success of the changes to The Green Show in recent years. These changes have been enthusiastically embraced by the community and it is also awesome that they are drawing more diverse audiences to OSF.
After our meeting with Bill, we went outdoors to meet Claudia Alick and sit on the stage where the Green Show is performed. Claudia is the Associate Producer/Community and is also the Curator/Producer for The Green Show. With her passion and dedication to diverse programming, she has been responsible for the success of the changes to The Green Show in recent years. These changes have been enthusiastically embraced by the community and it is also awesome that they are drawing more diverse audiences to OSF.
We first came across Claudia when she was named by TCG Magazine as one of the 25 theatre artists who will shape American Theatre in the next 25 years. Claudia has a brilliant and creative mind. We were enthralled listening to her speak about the future of American Theatre and how all of us can push the boundaries in how theatre integrates, involves, and inspires communities. We are incredibly excited to see her artistic and producing work evolve. She is also the Hip Hop Dramturg for OSF's Hamlet which is probably one of the coolest things we have ever heard! Thanks Claudia for philosophizing about theatre with us and challenging us to imagine new and exciting avenues for programming! We can't wait to come back and visit again someday soon!
After our two phenomenal meetings, we spent the day exploring the town of Ashland and learning more about the impact Oregon Shakespeare Festival has had on this beautiful community. Ashland is GORGEOUS. Walking through Lithia Park was one of the highlights of our stay! (Junior loved exploring the town!) And for dinner, we were lucky to meet up with Jay & Trish Dworsky who are 2 of our biggest supporters and friends from Punta Banda, Mexico! (We LOVE them!) Jay's sister Rona and her husband Herb retired in Ashland and are big fans of OSF. So it worked out perfectly that Jay could visit his sister and us on their vacation! We had an exceptional dinner at Thai Pepper. And of course, we had the best day ever and are looking forward to learning more about OSF during our stay tomorrow!
After our two phenomenal meetings, we spent the day exploring the town of Ashland and learning more about the impact Oregon Shakespeare Festival has had on this beautiful community. Ashland is GORGEOUS. Walking through Lithia Park was one of the highlights of our stay! (Junior loved exploring the town!) And for dinner, we were lucky to meet up with Jay & Trish Dworsky who are 2 of our biggest supporters and friends from Punta Banda, Mexico! (We LOVE them!) Jay's sister Rona and her husband Herb retired in Ashland and are big fans of OSF. So it worked out perfectly that Jay could visit his sister and us on their vacation! We had an exceptional dinner at Thai Pepper. And of course, we had the best day ever and are looking forward to learning more about OSF during our stay tomorrow!
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