Oregon Shakespeare Festival

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) in Ashland, Jackson County, is one of the oldest and largest professional nonprofit theater companies in the United States, staging between 10 and 12 productions each season from February through November across three distinct venues. Founded in 1935 by Angus Bowmer on a former Chautauqua site, OSF has grown from a local summer Shakespeare celebration into a nationally recognized institution drawing approximately 400,000 attendees annually. Productions span Shakespeare's complete works in rotating multi-year cycles alongside contemporary American plays and world premieres, many with a focus on culturally diverse storytelling. The Allen Elizabethan Theatre, an open-air stage seating 1,200 with a replica Elizabethan-era facade, hosts the festival's largest productions under the sky from June through October; summer performances in this setting beneath the Siskiyou Mountains rank among the most atmospheric live theater experiences in the American West. The 600-seat Angus Bowmer Theatre — named for the founder — is an indoor proscenium stage used from February through November. The intimate 350-seat Thomas Theatre stages experimental and contemporary works in a black box configuration. Pre-show talks, backstage tours, and educational seminars are available for most productions and significantly enrich the experience. Ashland itself is a prosperous small city with a concentration of restaurants, wine bars, and shops that have developed around the festival's visitor base. Southern Oregon's mild summer climate and the proximity of the Cascade and Siskiyou ranges make Ashland an appealing destination beyond the festival calendar.