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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 Cooking up some fun ... 'Island Night' planned at Ashland pool ... Ticket Availability ... Cooking up some fun ... 'Island Night' planned at Ashland pool ... Ticket Availability ... LOCAL TAKE Do you go to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival shows? Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 21, 2015 at 8:26 PM Updated Apr 21, 2015 at 8:27 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 21, 2015 at 8:26 PM Updated Apr 21, 2015 at 8:27 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Will the gender pay gap ever disappear? • What was your favorite film? • Should background checks apply to private gun sales? • Should workers be paid at least $15 an hour? • Ashlanders respond to controversy raised by Indiana law » Social News With the opening of "Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land" at Oregon Shakespeare Festival last Sunday, six of this year's 11 plays are underway. The other five open in June.  The theater attracts about 400,000 people a year and is widely considered among the top theaters in the world in quality, innovation, costumes, sets, actors and, of course, its lovely setting in idyllic, scenic, small-town Ashland, which has parking and is packed with wonderful restaurants. Eighty years old this summer, OSF has endured the test of time through economic feast and famine, albeit setting many to wonder how it could thrive in the lagging Ashland of 40 years ago, when robust tourism was a distant dream and many downtown shops were boarded up. The festival, Chamber of Commerce, community-minded volunteers and town residents buckled down and decided to transform all that — and they succeeded. Without sprawl and ruination, the town has grown mightily in a broad array of culture and liveability points and makes all the top-ten places lists for theater, moviemaking, spiritual diversity, recreation and just about anything else you can name, including a top place to just hang out and live. Amid this near-embarrassment of riches, sometimes the festival is compared to the Statue of Liberty, which New Yorkers take for granted and rarely visit. But is it true? Is OSF just part of the cultural wallpaper? Or do Ashlanders actively bring this gem into their lives? Darlene Beckett — I don’t see every show, just what’s really interesting, according to what I hear on the street. If they say it’s really great, I’ll go. I heard “Fingersmith” is great this year. I let everyone else take the risks and find out. I get comp tickets and will buy some when guests come into town, but I say "wow, that’s a lot of money." I never regret spending it, though. We’re lucky to have this great resource and the Green Shows too, free. The diversity of the Green Shows now helps draw in the community more. Elaine Heiman — (declined photo) Yes, we go. We get flex tickets early every year. They’re for local people, like $125 for five and they’re front row, too. We like both Shakespeare and modern. Some years we see all 11 plays. If you lived anywhere else, you’d pay a fortune. We love the Green Shows and the quality of theater. We’re so lucky to have this. It’s such a great theater town.  Carol Lunt — Yes, we go to about four plays a year. Sometimes I like them, sometimes not. They can be very moving and transformative. We get tickets at the start of the season, at $20 or $25, if you become a member. We moved here in the late '70s. We go to the occasional Green Show. It’s all very educationally and culturally uplifting. Nancy Philipps — Yes, about three times a season, we go to see what kind of stories they’re telling and what the effects are and to watch really professional theater. The talks are all well done and presented with humor and enthusiasm. We’ve been here 40 years and it’s part of the whole thing of what Ashland is. When we moved here it wasn’t so much like that. John Fisher-Smith — We see all of the plays. I’m a volunteer with the Welcoming Center. We become knowledgeable about all the plays. We spread (viewing) out through the whole season. I got uplifted by “Pericles” already this season ... It’s about Hermetic healing from Diana’s Temple at Ephesos in ancient Greece. “Guys and Dolls” was terrific, full of wonderful old tunes and masterful dancing. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 21, 2015 at 8:26 PM Updated Apr 21, 2015 at 8:27 PM » 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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