OSF Begins Renovation of The Bricks

The next phase of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's campus renovations, part of its multi-year "Access for All" campaign, begins in earnest this week as crews led by Adroit Construction begin work on "the Bricks." The courtyard that is often referred to as the heart of the OSF campus and houses the popular Green Show will be under construction through late spring 2017.

When completed, audience areas for the Green Show will be improved dramatically; the sloped lawn at the center of the Bricks will be slightly larger and steeper in order to make viewing and listening easier during crowded performances. The linear feet of walls that provide non-lawn seating will be increased approximately five-fold, and designed spaces for audience members using wheelchairs and other mobility devices will be added.

The renovation design team is led by Walker Macy Landscape Architecture in association with Hacker Architects, both of Portland.

During the period from early November until mid-February, the area of OSF's brick courtyard bounded by Pioneer Street, the OSF administration buildings, the top of the Chautauqua Walk/Shakespeare Stairs and the sides of the Angus Bowmer and Allen Elizabethan theatres will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian access. Public access to OSF offices will be via the Welcome Center on Main Street. Access across the Bricks to the Angus Bowmer Theatre will be restored by February 17, 2017, when performances for the OSF 2017 season begin, but full access around the campus will not be restored until the project is substantially complete.

In addition to the construction on the courtyard itself, most of Pioneer Street between Main Street and Hargadine Street will be closed to facilitate construction on weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Through-traffic will be permitted on Pioneer Street on nights and weekends.

More information about the "Access for All" campaign, including giving opportunities, can be found at https://www.osfashland.org/accessforall.

Tickets for the 2017 season go on sale to OSF members, according to member level, beginning November 3. Visit www.osfashland.org or call(800) 219-8161 for tickets.

Founded by Angus Bowmer in 1935 and winner of a 1983 Tony Award for outstanding achievement in regional theatre, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents an eight-month season of 11 plays that include works by Shakespeare as well as a mix of classics, musicals, and new works. The Festival also draws attendance of more than 400,000 to almost 800 performances every year and employs approximately 575 theatre professionals. In 2008, OSF launched American Revolutions: the United States History Cycle, a 10-year cycle of commissioning new plays that has already resulted in several OSF commissions finding success nationwide.

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