Oregon Shakespeare Festival history

Since then, the festival—a membership organization incorporated in 1937 as the …

The Festival’s first “Year Round Publicity Plan” was created in 1938 by the public relations representative from the City of Ashland, Gordon Claycombe, as a joint initiative for both City and Festival.

In 1939, the OSF staged a production of The Taming of the Shrew at the Golden State International Exposition in San Francisco.

OSF resumes production as a new, larger Elizabethan Stage is built to replace the stage damaged by a 1940 fire.

In 1942, Angus was drafted to serve in the US Army.

In January 1945, Angus returned to Ashland and continued his post as English teacher and theater producer.

In 1947, the OSF returned with funding from the Ashland Chamber of Commerce.

In 1958, the OSF completed the Shakespeare canon with a production of Troilus and Cressida.

By 1959, the new Elizabethan stage designed by Richard L. Hay was opened to the public.

To mark Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary, the OSF was expanded in 1964.

Meanwhile, 1966 saw the establishment of the Endowment Fund.

1970s: In 1970, the Angus Bowmer Theatre was opened to the public with a production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.

In 1971, after having spent 36 years of his life with the OSF, Angus retired from his post.

In 1977, the OSF received the Governor’s Award for the Arts.

He passed away in May 26, 1979, leaving behind one of the most successful and long running regional theatre festivals in the country.

It went on to win a Tony Award for Outstanding Achievement in Regional Theatre and the Governor’s Association Award in 1983, then a Commendation award from the ACLU seven years after. recognizing its outstanding achievement in regional theatre.

The play company changed its name to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 1988.

OSF subsequently receives 1990 American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Commendation and 1990 Open Book Award for First Amendment Courage from American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA).

OSF receives an invitation to bring its world premiere production of Lillian Garrett-Groag's The Magic Fire, commissioned by OSF, to the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC in November 1998.

After working alongside Libby Appel throughout the 2007 season, Bill Rauch becomes Artistic Director.

Bill Rauch is named Artistic Director Designate to succeed Libby Appel in 2008.

A more recent reminder of the tightly knit connection between the two institutions was felt when the main support beam of the Angus Bowmer Theatre cracked on June 18, 2011, forcing the closure of the theatre while extensive repairs were made.