OSF | Dangerous Common Sense

Destiny of Desire

By Galen|2018-03-03T20:23:03-08:00March 3, 2018|osf, plays|

Ashland, Oregon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Destiny of Desire by Karen Zacarías directed by José Luis Valenzuela Destiny of Desire is an evening of a schlocky, cheesy, unbelievable, perfectly-executed, spectacularly entertaining, brilliantly-written live telenovela. Before I write my 1000 words of "Oh my God, I loved it, here's why...", a picture: Vilma Silva, Ella Saldana North, Esperanza America. Photo by Jenny Graham. The photo is truly worth more than 1000 words of descriptive praise. (Click on it to see it full size.) But, here goes... Director José Luis Valenzuela has directed Destiny at four theaters -- everywhere it's been produced (or [...]

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Othello

By Galen|2018-03-03T19:01:35-08:00February 25, 2018|osf, plays|

Ashland, Oregon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Othello by William Shakespeare directed by Bill Rauch I know I have seen Othello before, at least a couple of times. But, I never experienced this deliberate, painful story with believable Evil, blinded goodness, and flawed purity. Other Othellos were classic SHAKESPEARE. This was 2018 artistry. I left the theater wondering if Othello's tragedy is personal or is the real sadness that racism, dislike of foreigners, faux-Christian superiority and male dominance has changed so little in 400+ years? Othello (Chris Butler) is certainly flawed and succumbs too completely to Iago's (Danforth Comins) suggestions of marital infidelity. [...]

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Henry IV, Part 2

By Galen|2017-08-27T09:58:12-07:00August 22, 2017|osf, plays|

Ashland, Oregon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Henry IV, Part 2 By William Shakespeare Directed by Carl Cofield Daniel Jose Molina as Prince Hal. Photo by OSF/Jenny Graham. This production is unique in my Ashland experience. Not in a good way. At all. The Festival is allowing an actor to go onstage who does not know his lines and cannot read them from the script he's holding on a clipboard. It is bizarrely unbelievable that this nationally-known repertory theater has hired an actor for a single role which he cannot do. And, they have left him in the role, [...]

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The River Bride

By Galen|2016-09-05T11:56:59-07:00September 5, 2016|osf, plays|

Ashland, Oregon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival The River Bride by Marisela Treviño Orta Some plays are so mystical and rich with meaning that I feel inadequate. I know I should be getting more from the plot, from the language, from gestures, from everything. I am not worthy to be viewing the performance and should only be allowed back in the theater after completing a refresher course of Symbolism 201. Either that, or the play itself actually is thin, obvious, and over hyped. My ego makes me choose the later reason for my reaction to The River Bride. Ensemble from "The River Bride". [...]

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Twelfth Night

By Galen|2017-01-02T14:28:10-08:00September 5, 2016|osf, plays|

Ashland, Oregon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare Director Christopher Liam Moore invented a brilliant, fun concept for this workhorse comedy: set it on a 1930's movie musical set. Emphasize the scripted music and add more song and dance! Unleash the voices and tapping toes! Keep the Shakespeare give it 20th Century Foxiness! Scenes are sharp, funny homages to classic the musical films of the day. Susan Tsu's costumes are elegant and completely right. You get your ticket's worth from the fashion show alone. Twelfth Night - photo by OSF You will be talking for years about Moore's [...]

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Sweat
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Sweat

osf, plays

Sweat

By Galen|2015-08-27T07:57:54-07:00August 19, 2015|osf, plays|

Ashland, Oregon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Sweat by Lynn Nottage | World Premiere Jack Willis, Carlo Alban, and K.T. Vogt in "Sweat".photo by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Sweat is Lynn Nottage's brilliant story of people and community in collapse. Before writing this commissioned American Revolutions series play, Nottage talked to residents of America's poorest city of 2001, Reading, Pennsylvania. Her work shares the residents' pain, losses, and self-immolation as their good jobs are eliminated in relentless, financially logical, corporate-mandated factory closings and union busting. I knew the story's outline coming into the theater. I expected satisfying liberal ranting and raving at the [...]

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The Best Season Opening

By Galen|2015-03-06T13:53:26-08:00March 4, 2015|osf, plays|

Oregon Shakespeare Festival's season opening this past weekend showcased four excellent productions. It was the strongest festival start that I -- and my more experienced Ashland friends -- have experienced. Bravo! I hope to write full reviews of each performance. But, here are my snap judgements, listing the four plays in my overall order of enjoyment. Fingersmith by Alexa Junge based on the novel by Sarah Waters Syntax says: photo by Oregon Shakespeare Festival This world premiere commissioned by the festival is full of "Wow" plot twists delivered with exquisite attention to language and the style of the times (1861). [...]

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