Ashland

I am practically salivating to get to go to Ashland and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival this year! I want to see their Midsummer Night's Dream. It is difficult to justify the travel costs, the membership and the tickets when everything is so expensive and I am struggling to save money and pay down debt, but Ashland and OSF really rejuvenate my spirit.

Last year I saw The Rabbit Hole, a beautifully done drama about a family coping with the accidental death of their toddler son. It was heartrending and funny, and the tragedy was dealt with in a very real manner, and with a light touch rather than being over the top. It was staged in the New Theatre, which I love. It is so intimate that it makes me feel like we are in the know, we are part of the action. I have always loved black-box staging. The first show I saw there was Macbeth, and it was brilliant! They pared it down to bare-bones, with a mere 6 actors in the cast, no set besides a round stage with a blood pit at the center, plus thrones and other items brought on as needed. It was staged in the round, so actors entered and exited right next to you. During fights, actors would dip their hands into the pit and mark their opponent with blood. No weapons were used, just the pantomime and the blood, but it couldn't have seemed more realistic. It was magnificent.

We also saw On the Razzle last year in the Angus Bowmer Theatre, and I must say, I was a little disappointed with it. It was a farce, with mistaken identities, crooks on the lam, and young lovers trying to elope. All the makings of a great comedy, but it just felt hollow to me; it was over the top with the acting (yes, I realize a farce ought to be over the top--this was cloyingly so) and overdone. The set, I must say, was magnificent, as were the costumes. I just didn't really enjoy this show.

More later on my Ashland favorites!