Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2015

[Fantod]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 1:57am

Arrived in Oregon today and saw Guys and Dolls. It is my first time at the Festival and Guys and Dolls was pretty good. This marks the first time I've seen a live production of the show with professional actors, and the difference between high schoolers performing the show and adults is enormous. The actors were pretty good, though certainly not Broadway caliber, the set design was really unattractive, and the show was way over-directed (the sewer dance involved some of the dancers doing the worm...) but the show shines through the less than fantastic production. I'll be seeing Pericles on Tuesday and Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land the day after. Has anybody else seen productions at the festival this year? I would love to hear other thoughts.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 3:02pm

I have gone the past three years.  In general I find their plays better than their musicals, but I am excited to see Guys and Dolls this year.  Otherwise the only ticket I've booked is for Long Day's Journey.  But I am pretty sure I will at least get tickets to Pericles.

[inception]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 3:34pm

Got their brochure in the mail a couple weeks ago, though I won't be heading down this year. Not really impressed by the "Go-gos" musical.

[Fantod]

Posted: 5/27/15 at 7:13pm

Saw Pericles yesterday and Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land today. 

Pericles is a really good play that got a production that tried to compensate for its flaws. I never understood why people would produce a play if they didn't think it could stand on its own. I don't agree that Pericles is a flawed play, and the production did the work a disservice. Acting was fair throughout and the play remains really great. It also helped me check off the play on my Shakespeare list considering it's so rarely produced.

Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land was a weird and wonderful play. It's hard to describe, other than there is nothing else like it that I've seen. It also had the best acting I saw at the festival. Perhaps that was because it was directed by the man who wrote it. I hope the play and this production has a further life in the United States.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/27/15 at 8:41pm

Are several people sharing your account?  Did one person write this?  

Pericles is a really good play that got a production that tried to compensate for its flaws. I never understood why people would produce a play if they didn't think it could stand on its own. I don't agree that Pericles is a flawed play.

[Fantod]

Posted: 5/27/15 at 9:12pm

The production made me feel that they were trying to cover up any so-called "flaws" in the text, which I don't feel there are any in Pericles. Is that clear enough for you?

Updated On: 5/27/15 at 09:12 PM