Oregon Shakespeare Festival opens March 13 with three productions in the Bowmer Theatre

By JIM FLINT for Ashland.news

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 2026 season opens the weekend of March 13 with three productions launching the first phase of a 10-show repertory lineup that will run through Oct. 25 across the festival’s three theaters.

The season begins in the Angus Bowmer Theatre with William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” opening Friday, March 13, followed by the Tony-winning musical “Come From Away” on March 14 and Lorraine Hansberry’s landmark drama “A Raisin in the Sun” on March 15.

In addition to the productions themselves, OSF is introducing a new digital ticket-delivery system this year that replaces the former option for patrons to print tickets at home.

Three openings launch the season

The first production of the season, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” runs March 13 through Oct. 25 in the Bowmer Theatre. Directed by Marcela Lorca, the comedy of romance, illusion and transformation features original music by Justin Huertas, who also plays the mischievous Puck.

The production includes Al Espinosa as Bottom and Jessika D. Williams as Titania, bringing together OSF ensemble members in one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays.

“Come From Away” opens the following evening in the Bowmer. It will run through Oct. 23. Directed by Laurie Woolery, the musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein recounts the true story of the Newfoundland town of Gander, which welcomed 7,000 stranded airline passengers after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The cast includes Victoria Frings as Beverley, David Kelly as Claude and Amy Lizardo as Beulah.

Compassion and community

OSF Artistic Director Tim Bond said earlier that the production reflects the festival’s ongoing interest in stories of compassion and community.

“As we face the attacks on our democracy and on immigrants,” he said, “it felt important to celebrate a moment when a community stepped up to support folks who arrived from other places on the planet to seek refuge.”

The third opening production, “A Raisin in the Sun,” begins March 15 and runs through July 19 in the Bowmer. Bond directs the revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking drama about a Black family navigating opportunity and discrimination on Chicago’s South Side.

The cast features Greta Oglesby as Lena Younger, Preston Butler III as Walter Lee and Lynnette R. Freeman as Ruth.

“I’m excited to direct what is arguably one of the greatest American dramas ever written,” Bond said. “It’s powerful, it’s poignant and it speaks to people of all ages. I can’t wait to see what our phenomenal acting company brings to this piece.”

The Bowmer lineup will later add “Yellow Face,” David Henry Hwang’s satire about identity and representation in the theater world. Directed by May Adrales, the production will open Aug. 5 and run through Oct. 23.

Digital ticket system introduced

A notable change for the upcoming season is OSF’s new ticket-delivery system, developed with the company True Tickets.

The platform replaces the long-standing option that allowed patrons to print their tickets at home. Beginning this season, with one exception, entry to performances will require a digital ticket accessed through a mobile device.

Under the new system, patrons receive access to a secure digital wallet that stores their tickets and displays a QR code to be scanned when they arrive at the theater. No separate app is required; tickets can be accessed through a phone’s web browser or saved to Apple Wallet. A Google Wallet option is expected soon.

Festival officials say the change is designed to simplify ticket sharing among groups and improve security for patrons.

“We heard repeatedly that the OSF website was a suboptimal experience, especially when it came to sharing tickets with friends and family,” box office staff said in an email response. “True Tickets makes it very, very easy to do exactly that, while also protecting all parties involved with an ultra-secure platform.”

The system will also allow ticket holders to transfer individual seats to members of their party digitally before arriving at the theater.

The exception: Traditional printed tickets have not disappeared entirely.

OSF confirmed that visitors who prefer a physical ticket can still receive one at the box office in Ashland.

“The adaptation of True Tickets just means that patrons can no longer print tickets at home to bring to the theaters,” a box office representative said.

Patrons will receive instructions on accessing their digital tickets about seven days before their performance.

More shows arriving through spring and summer

Additional productions will roll out over the following months across OSF’s three theaters.

In the Thomas Theatre, the first show will be “You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!,” a new play written by Keiko Green and directed by Zi Alikhan. The production opens April 15 and runs through Oct. 24.

The story centers on a man confronting mortality while obsessing over climate catastrophe, blending comedy with questions about family and the future. Tim Getman stars as Greg Murphy. Amy Kim Waschke portrays his wife, Viv.

Later in the Thomas season, OSF continues its long-running commitment to August Wilson’s American Century Cycle with “King Hedley II.” Directed by Bond, the drama opens July 8 and runs through Oct. 23. Chris Butler plays the title role of an ex-convict trying to rebuild his life in 1980s Pittsburgh. The cast includes Deidrie Henry as Ruby and Kevin Kenerly as Elmore.

The Thomas lineup concludes with the return of “Smote This, A Comedy About God … and Other Serious $H*T.” The autobiographical solo show by Rodney Gardiner opens Aug. 27 and runs through Oct. 24. Directed by Raz Golden, the piece blends humor and storytelling to explore Gardiner’s experiences growing up as an undocumented immigrant and navigating faith and identity.

Three-play outdoor repertory returns

Summer will also mark the return of three productions in rotating repertory at OSF’s outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre, a tradition that has not occurred since 2019.

The outdoor season begins June 5 with Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” directed by Shana Cooper and running through Oct. 11. Erica Sullivan plays Kate opposite Daniel Molina as Petruchio.

Opening the following evening is “Henry IV, Part One,” directed by OSF Associate Artistic Director Rosa Joshi. Running June 6 through Oct. 10, the history play follows Prince Hal’s journey toward leadership amid political unrest. The cast includes Reginald André Jackson as King Henry IV, William Thomas Hodgson as Prince Hal and Daniel T. Parker as Falstaff.

Completing the Elizabethan lineup is “Emma,” Kate Hamill’s theatrical adaptation of the Jane Austen novel. Directed by Meredith McDonough, the production opens June 7 and runs through Oct. 9. Alejandra Escalante stars as the well-meaning but meddlesome matchmaker Emma Woodhouse, with Conner Neddersen as Mr. Knightley.

A season spanning centuries

Altogether, the 2026 season includes three Shakespeare plays, a musical, two classic American dramas, new works and contemporary adaptations.

With productions in rotating repertory from March through late October, audiences can see multiple shows during a single visit.

“Our 2026 season reminds us that theater is a place where we come together to reflect, to celebrate, and to find courage,” Bond said earlier when the season was announced.

“These plays center characters who are asked to rise — sometimes for themselves, sometimes for others — and who discover that the path forward is rarely walked alone. It’s a season for audiences to see the possibility of what happens when we meet the moment.”

Additional information about the productions, schedules and ticketing is available at osfashland.org.

• OSF’s 2026 season opens March 13 and closes Oct. 25, with 10 plays in the festival’s three theaters. For more information and to contact the box office go to osfashland.org or call 800-219-8161.

Freelance writer Jim Flint is a retired newspaper publisher and editor. Email him at [email protected].

This story was originally published on Ashland.news, a nonprofit news site in Ashland.