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604 Fair Oaks Ct, Ashland, OR 97520

Local’s Guide To The Oregon Shakespeare Festival

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional theatre in Ashland, Oregon featuring various plays both modern and historical and by no means all Shakespearian. From March through October each year, the Festival offers 750 to 850 matinee and evening performances. OSF was founded in 1935 by Angus Bowmer and is comprised of 5 theatres as of 2019: the Angus Bowmer Theatre, Allen Elizabethan Theatre, Thomas Theatre, Mountain Avenue Theatre, and the Hay-Patton Rehearsal Center.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon
Photo Courtesy of OSF

What You Need To Know About The Oregon Shakespeare Festival

A quick scroll through the Oregon Shakespeare Festival website will turn up everything you need to know about the theatre, purchasing tickets, and any other questions you have about attending an OSF play. That said, we want to break things down for you from a locals perspective to ensure that your OSF experience is an amazing one.

Where Is The Oregon Shakespeare Festival?

As we mentioned earlier, OSF is comprised of 5 theatres. The big 3 (Bowmer, Elizabethan, and Thomas) are all located in the OSF campus in downtown Ashland along with the Hay-Patton Rehearsal Center, Tudor Guild gift shop, and all of the other OSF facilities. The newest venue, the Mountain Avenue Theatre, was added in 2018 in response to Southern Oregon’s severe wildfire smoke that choked the Valley all summer long. This new theatre is located at Ashland High School, but don’t be fooled, the AHS theatre is an incredible venue that could rival many professional theatre venues around the country.

Angus Bowmer Theatre

Address: 20 E Main St, Ashland, OR 97520

Allen Elizabethan Theatre

Address: 15 S Pioneer St, Ashland, OR 97520

Thomas Theatre

Address: 15 S Pioneer St, Ashland, OR 97520

Hay Patton Rehearsal Center

Address: 200-298 Enders Alley, Ashland, OR 97520

Mountain Avenue Theatre

Address: 201 S Mountain Ave, Ashland, OR 97520

When Is The Oregon Shakespeare Festival?

The OSF season runs annually from the beginning of March until the end of October in Ashland, Oregon. Each play has a different schedule, with some performances running all season long and others with a shorter window to attend. You can find the full OSF schedule of performances here.

OSF season is a great time to visit Ashland Oregon
A stroll through the Ashland Plaza is a great way to kick off your OSF experience.

What To Wear To The Oregon Shakespeare Festival?

One of the most unique characteristics of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is that it is a destination theatre that attracts patrons from around the world to its seats. National and international guests mixed with the local crowds make the experience of attending an OSF play enjoyable. It is fun to mingle with fellow thespians before the plays start (perhaps at the daily Green Show) and one thing you will immediately notice is the blend of casual and formal attire. Overall, the attire is very casual compared to other urban theatres, but you will see some people coming from a fancy dinner dressed in fancier evening attire. This is not the norm, so feel free to wear whatever you are most comfortable in.

The OSF Green Show

If you’re catching an evening performance, one of the best ways to experience OSF is to spend a few hours in the afternoon walking through downtown Ashland, grab a bite to eat in one of Ashland’s amazing restaurants, and attend the Green Show performance before the start of the play. The Green show is a free outdoor performance with a different lineup of entertainment each evening. You can experience dance performances, live jazz, chamber music, theatrical performances, and more.

OSF Green Show Performance Are at the OSF Plaza

The Green Show is offered four nights a week (Wednesday through Saturday) at 6:45 p.m. from June through September.

OSF Schedule

Whether you’re planning which performances you would like to see months in advance or curious what is playing today, the OSF calendar is always available on their website where you can purchase tickets to any performance quickly and easily.

Click here to see the current season’s calendar.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is one of the most exciting attractions in Ashland, Oregon. Whether you live here or are traveling from out of town, we hope your OSF experience is a great one!

And, if you’re looking for the best places to eat in Ashland? Check out our Local’s Guide To The Best Restaurants In Ashland.

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