Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Elizabethan Theatre
Ashland Oregon was hot this year with 110° temps, matched by equally hot onstage performances at OSF. I arrived back home inspired and excited to continue work on “Dreamhaven II.” More info on this latest book with you come January, but right now I’ll recommend three plays from Ashland, in case they reach a stage near you.
- Hannah and the Dread Gazebo by Jiehae Park – the world premiere of a funny, fabled and well-staged play about a Korean family in crisis. The show had plenty of universal appeal. I laughed and, yes, I cried too.
- Shakespeare in Love – I loved the film and feared disappointment. But this U.S. premier rocked. The adapted script, amazing actors, and full-on Elizabethan costumes cast their spell. Again.
- Homer’s The Odyssey – Lead actor, Christopher Donahue, brought the ancient tale to life in the outdoor Elizabethan. I love this quote from Director Mary Zimmerman: “The Odyssey outdoors…feels like a bit of a homecoming…to be back in the open air where it was first told and heard, under the same old stars that witnessed it then.” She was oh so right. A magical night of theatre.