There isn’t much we truly know about the personal life of the great Bard, William Shakespeare. We know that he was born in Stratford-upon-Avon to a father who was a glove maker and a mother whose family were landowners. He went on to marry, have children, and become not only the most famous but also the most important playwright of all time. Shakespeare’s works can sometimes seem intimidating to modern readers, even though they are highly entertaining. The main culprit is that it was written in a version of English that is hundreds of years old. Reading Shakespeare, especially if you haven’t read much of his work before, can seem like a foreign language. In a strange sense, it kind of is. However, the brilliance of his writing is that when performed on stage, this distant language suddenly makes perfect sense. Fortunately for us in Oregon, we have one of the biggest and best Shakespeare festivals in the entire world for families to visit.
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) in Ashland, Oregon, was founded in 1935 and attracts nearly half a million visitors yearly. There is so much to do during this annual festival, from attending plays to fine dining to a plethora of activities. It is a family vacation worth taking, even if you know little about Shakespearean plays. Ashland was the setting inspiration for the 2009 gothic stop-motion animation film Coraline, and you will immediately see its inspiration while there. This tiny town also fills up quickly with tourists, so booking your lodging sooner rather than later is highly recommended. The best type of lodging to reserve for the Shakespeare Festival is to reserve one of the many cottages located within a short walking distance to the theatres and restaurants. As lively as this little town is during festival season, you will still feel a peaceful ambiance within these homes.
The 2025 season for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival has already been announced. One of the plays being shown is the woodland fantasy, As You Like It. This Shakespearean comedy incorporates themes of love and perseverance, all set in a magical forest. Another production for the 2025 season is his romantic comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor—a tale of comedic reverse-deception that is guaranteed to have audiences of all ages belly-laughing. However, the festival also puts on plays other than just those by William Shakespeare. Another of their productions will be Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. This quick-witted theatrical production pokes light-hearted fun at the Victorian standards and expectations of the time. There are plenty more productions in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s lineup, and they all will be top-level performances.
Several theatres are used for the festival, but the Allen Elizabethan Theatre is the most famous. This beautiful outdoor venue was built to resemble the original Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare’s plays were first performed. The set’s design will transport you back to the time of William Shakespeare as if you entered a time portal. If you catch a production at this venue later in the evening, you will enjoy watching the play as the sun sets and the stage lights slowly brighten. Other events are offered at the festival, such as “Behind the Curtain” and “Engage and Learn,” as opportunities to see various behind-the-scenes functions. This is right in the heart of Ashland, Oregon—a quaint town with amazing restaurants, outdoor activities, shopping, and much more. There is something in this town for everyone.
Plays by William Shakespeare can at first come off as being quite intimidating. A seemingly endless sea of haths and thous, all sprinkled in with other words we have never heard before. There is also the stereotype that Shakespeare’s plays are only about people saying mushy love words to each other. But that is only a fraction of his canon of work. Instead, his plays are mostly filled with sword fights, monsters, and slapstick comedy. There are kings and fairies, battle scenes and shipwrecks, magic and love. Shakespeare’s plays are just as famous and well-known today as ever before because they resonate with the human experience, regardless of the period or region in the world where we live. So, take the family trip to Ashland and experience the grand Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Even the most reluctant person in your family will, at the very least, leave as a reluctant fan.
Alex is a devoted husband and father born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He is a professional artist, author, and advisor for both Yale and Harvard University’s arts departments. His book, ‘Selling Leonardo: The Art World’s Greatest Scandal’ is available wherever books are sold.