Document text
OSF opens with 'Julius Caesar,' 'Henry IV: Part 1,' 'Shakespeare in Love' and 'Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles' Nancy Rodriguez, VIVIS, Sabina Zuniga Varela, Jahnangel Jimenez and Lakin Valdez reenact the arduous crossing of the Mexican desert to the United States in OSF's production of "Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles. [Photo by Jenny Graham] Thursday Feb 23, 2017 at 12:01 AM Feb 23, 2017 at 11:34 AM Laurie Heuston Revels The Oregon Shakespeare Festival officially kicks off its 82nd year of repertory on Friday, Feb. 24, with William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" in its Angus Bowmer Theatre. The Bard's "Henry IV: Part I" opens Saturday, Feb. 25, in the Thomas Theatre. The drama and tragedy that is Caesar's fate and the comedy and history of Henry IV and his capricious son, Prince Hal, will be followed Saturday, Feb. 25, by English playwright Lee Hall's stage adaptation of "Shakespeare in Love," and OSF resident playwright Luis Alfaro's "Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles" on Sunday, Feb. 26, both in the Bowmer theater. OSF Artistic Director Bill Rauch praises the continued relevance of 2017 season's four Shakespeare selections.  "We knew when we picked the season early last year, we'd be coming off a hotly contested presidential election," he says in a press release. "I don't think any of us could have predicted just how timely and necessary 'Julius Caesar' and both parts of 'Henry IV' feel right now. I can't wait to see how audiences engage with these potent stories, and I am thrilled we have 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' and 'Shakespeare in Love' to bring us the joy and laughter that feel just as necessary." Look for a mix of premieres this season — including the comic, surreal "Hannah and the Dread Gazebo" by Jiehae Park, opening April 2 in the Thomas Theatre; "UniSon," a new musical by UNIVERSES, opening April 23 in the Bowmer; and "Off the Rails," by Native American playwright Randy Reinholz, opening July 30, in the Bowmer. "Henry IV: Part 2" opens July 8 in the Thomas Theatre; "The Merry Wives of Windsor" June 16 in the Allen Elizabethan Theatre. OSF also presents director Mary Zimmerman's adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey," on June 17, and "Disney's Beauty and the Beast," with music by Alan Menkin, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and book by Linda Woolverton, on June 18, in the Allen Elizabethan Theatre. “The 2017 season is going to be tremendously exciting and entertaining,” Rauch says. “It also will embody the core values of this company, as our art illuminates our collective humanity from as diverse an array of perspectives as possible.” The excitement begins at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, in the Bowmer with "Julius Caesar," directed by Shana Cooper, who says she sees the parallels between Shakespeare's Rome and 2017 America. “Both worlds are going through a period of intense political transition which is causing a sense of unrest and disease,” she says in a press release. "It’s often difficult to tell the difference between a passion for leadership and a passion for power. I’ve heard many people describe the recent U.S. election results as a waking nightmare, which is what citizens of Rome are experiencing as omens, ghosts, soothsayers and unruliness of nature surround Caesar’s assassination.” OSF's production features Danforth Comins as Brutus, Rodney Gardiner as Cassius, Armando Duran as Julius Caesar, Jordan Barbour as Mark Antony, Barret O’Brien as Decius Brutus and Jon Cates as Trebonius. Scenic design is by Sibyl Wickersheimer; costumes by Raquel Barreto; lighting by James F. Ingalls; music composition and sound design by Paul James Prendergast; and choreography by Erika Chong Shuch. Barry Kraft is dramaturg. At 1:30 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Thomas Theatre, OSF journeys through the political intrigue, machinations and battles of early 15th-century England, with a healthy dose of Falstaff-style comedy thrown in. While Henry Bolingbroke endures uneasy reign as king, his wayward son Prince Hal is under the spell of Sir John Falstaff and his merry band of hooligans at the Boar’s Head Tavern. But it's time for the prince to step up. It is director Lileana Blain-Cruz' first foray into a Shakespeare history play. “I’m excited about how we make a Shakespeare history play feel vibrant and alive to us right now in America,” she says in the release. “Something about where we are as a country feels like something is falling apart.” OSF's cast features Jeffrey King as King Henry, Daniel Jose Molina as Prince Hal, G. Valmont Thomas as Sir John Falstaff and Tyrone Wilson as Northumberland and Sheriff. Scenic design is by Adam Rigg, costumes by Dede M. Ayite, and lighting by Yi Zhao. Composer and sound designer is Palmer Hefferan, and dramaturgs are Lydia G. Garcia and Amrita Ramanan. "Shakespeare in Love," a fictionalized account of Shakespeare's early misadventures in playwriting and courtship, opens at 8 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Bowmer. Audiences will see young Will with a terrible case of writer's block as he hungers for something more than the comedy his patrons want. Enter Viola de Lesseps, a smart beauty who ignites his creative flame ... and also possesses quite a secret. It's a warm, witty, music-filled adventure full of theater in-jokes and thought-provoking takes on the origins of several Shakespeare characters. "This play is as funny and witty as you would expect from a script that Tom Stoppard co-authored," says director Christopher Liam Moore. "It's also a beautiful testament to the power of company and ensemble, and how the journey of two souls is so intimately wrapped in the creation of art." William DeMeritt appears as Will Shakespeare, Ted Deasy as Kit Marlowe, Brent Hinkley as Henslowe, Tony DeBruno as Fennyman, Al Espinosa as Wessex, Kevin Kenerly as Burbage, U. Jonathan Toppo as Tilney, Kate Mulligan as Queen Elizabeth and Jamie Ann Romero as Viola. David Reiffel composed the music, to be performed by vocalist Austin Comfort, Mark Eliot Jacobs on lute and guitar, and Michal Palzewicz on cello, viola da gamba and violin. Scenic design is by Rachel Hauck, costumes by Susan Tsu, lighting by Xavier Pierce, sound by Amadon Jaeger and choreography is by Jaclyn Miller. Martine Kei Green-Rogers is dramaturg. Alfaro's bracing adaptation of the classic Greek myth of Medea, "Mojada," opens at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 26. The play's proven to be a juggernaut in its previous productions, winning the “Jeff” Best New Play Award in Chicago in 2013 and three Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle Awards for the 2015 Getty Villa version. Alfaro refines his script for its OSF debut, which features two actors — Sabina Zuniga Varela as Medea and VIVIS as Tita — from the L.A. production. Juliette Carrillo directs. “Medea embodies the immigrant experience,” Alfaro says in the release. “What is the price we pay when we come to a new country? The story may not have a happy ending, but we should not hate Medea — we should like and understand her when the play begins. She is a whole class of people — extraordinary people who work very, very hard to hold on to who they are as they navigate the waters of immigrating to America. The experience of trying to make it, to fit in, is a universally American experience.” The "Mojada" cast features Varela as Medea, Lakin Valdez as Jason, VIVIS as Tita, Nancy Rodriguez as Josefina, Vilma Silva as Armida, Jahnangel Jimenez as Acan and Connor Chaney as Soldier. Scenic and costume design is by Christopher Acebo, lighting by Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz and composer and sound designer is David Molina. Dramaturg is Tiffany Ana Lopez. OSF's 2017 season is dedicated to the memory of actor and longtime company member Judith-Marie Bergan, who passed away last August. “Judith was a vital, treasured part of this company for 16 seasons,” says Rauch. “Her dedication to the craft of acting, and the joy with which she partook in it, was an inspiration to everyone she came into contact with. She is truly and deeply missed, and our art this season will honor her unforgettable, bright spirit.” Performances and tickets can be checked online at osfashland.org or by calling the box office at 800-219-8161.