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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland upskirt photography suspect arrested ... Rogue Valley doctor runs for governor on climate change platform ... Our View: Learning to survive ... Ashland upskirt photography suspect arrested ... Rogue Valley doctor runs for governor on climate change platform ... Our View: Learning to survive ... THEATER OSF's 'Living Ideas' spark community dialogue Comment By Angela Decker for Revels DailyTidings.com By Angela Decker for Revels Posted Sep. 10, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Angela Decker for Revels Posted Sep. 10, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s premiere production of “Sweat” has people talking. While OSF has for a long time encouraged conversations for playgoers through free events and discussions, the festival and the Jackson County Library System are now teaming to expand these conversations and connect the themes of the play closer to home. Written by Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage, “Sweat” explores how a Pennsylvania city is impacted by layoffs, outsourcing and factory closures in the local steel industry. “There are a lot parallels to Oregon’s timber industry,” says Robert Goodwin, OSF’s in-residence programs manager. “The play deals with issues of job loss, race, class and what happens when people have to deal with issues of survival.” The new program, titled “Living Ideas: Art and Community Dialogue Series,” sparks dialogue about timber’s decline in the Northwest and the resulting impact on local communities. The series consists of a variety of interactive events held at the libraries and OSF, and online. Goodwin says the libraries are ideal for this sort of community engagement. “We wanted to partner with an organization that already had a close relationship with the community and already had infrastructure for these sorts of programs,” Goodwin says. “The libraries and this project are a perfect fit. We hope to continue the relationship throughout the valley and even farther out.” Initially, the onsite events will take place at the Medford and Ashland libraries, as well as OSF, though some of the programs also will be streamed digitally throughout the Jackson County library system. The Medford library will offer “Conversation Project: Toward One Oregon ─ Uniting Rural and Urban Oregon.” Professors Michael Hibbard and Bruce Weber lead a conversation on the challenging issues that divide urban and rural Oregonians and their communities. The Ashland public library will host a conversation with Hibbard and Weber from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10. For information, visit http://oregonhumanities.org/programs/2014-15-catalog/toward-one-oregon/89 . “Documentary and Dialogue: Mini Documentary Festival” will be presented from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, inside OSF’s Carpenter Hall. The films “Faces of Poverty: Life at the Breaking Point” and “American Winter” were chosen to encourage conversation about losses in Oregon's and Northern California’s timber industry. Filmmakers, psychologists and community planners will take part in the discussion and community-building exercises. The following month, the Medford library will host “Art and Community Dialogue.” Actors from “Sweat” will perform select scenes from the play, have a discussion with a panel of speakers and conduct a small writing workshop for attendees to share their stories. The event is from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. Three other community engagements will take place in other parts of the Rogue Valley; check osfashland.org/livingideas for dates and location. OSF will also host an interactive debate exploring the idea “Economic Recovery Benefits Everyone” from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, in the Thomas Theater on the OSF campus. Modeled after the PBS television series “Intelligence Squared: U.S. Debates” (www.IntelligenceSquaredUS.org), this event will be streamed digitally via Google Hangouts on air, allowing audiences to participate in the debate. The events are designed with the hope of expanding these types of dialogues to reach as many interested people as possible. “We are reaching out to colleges and universities, as well as other libraries," Goodwin says. "We’re hoping that these events lead to conversations nationally and internationally.” In addition, the ongoing festival noon series will include “So, You Got a Job? ‘Sweat’ and the Crafting of an American De-Industrialization Story,” a panel discussion with the cast of “Sweat” at noon Thursday, Sept. 3. Goodwin says he is looking forward to seeing how all of these projects fit together, and to the dialogues and stories that come out of them. “Stories have been used across culture to both entertain and educate, and I’m so excited to see how all these projects land,” Goodwin says. “This series highlights the importance of our stories and engages the community with issues that link everyday experiences with the stories on stage and connects us as a broader community.” All events are free and open to the public, though the documentary and dialogue, and the interactive debate, require a call to the OSF box office to reserve seating. Call 800-219-8161 or see www.osfashland.org . For more information about the programs, see www.osfashland.org/livingideas . Angela Decker is a freelance writer in Ashland and can be reached at [email protected]. By Angela Decker for Revels DailyTidings.com By Angela Decker for Revels Posted Sep. 10, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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