As our season wraps up, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is just getting into full swing for the summer.  

We've had so much fun this season and  I thought I'd share some of our memories as well as some of the projects that got missed in my weekly blogs.  There was SOOOO much cool stuff- how could I fit it all?

On our last day, the shop held a breakfast potluck.  It was full of delicious eatments including Joe's famous biscuits, 4 pounds of bacon, espresso, and much more!  Some of us ended up beaching ourselves on the couches in the break room.  

It was a day full of fun and goodbyes.  

Here in the OSF paint shop, we are getting started on our world premier of  "All the Way,"  commissioned from Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Robert Schenkkan.  It's going to be a really powerful and informative show, and beautifully designed as well, by Christopher Acebo, who always delivers something dynamic AND fun to paint!   

Not to mention the power of this show being placed in juxtaposition to "Party People"  being played in the New Theatre right across the street.

From the OSF website:
  
1963.An assassin’s bullet catapults Lyndon Baines Johnson into the presidency. A Shakespearean figure of towering ambition and appetite, the charismatic, conflicted Texan hurls himself into Civil Rights legislation, throwing the country into turmoil. Alternately bullying and beguiling, he enacts major social programs, faces down opponents and wins the 1964 election in a landslide. But in faraway Vietnam, a troublesome conflict looms. In the Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright’s vivid dramatization of LBJ’s first year in office, means versus ends plays out on a broad stage canvas as politicians and civil rights leaders plot strategy and wage war.

Below, our Artistic Director, Bill Rauch, talks a little about "All the Way;" it's conception, basic premise, and ideas as well as the correlation with "Party People."  

LINKS:  
Some interesting links about the life and tenure of LBJ:

LBJ time line

Kind of Interesting:  Found this message board discussing our production, as well as general thoughts on LBJ.
DemocraticUnderground.com


Should LBJ be Ranked alongside Lincoln?
From Smithsonian.com

Why it's our very own Lead Scenic Artist, Mr. Pat Bonney (aka Pappy!) to talk about As You Like It,  one of our fabulous outdoor shows this season.

Oregon Magazine 1859 came backstage to take some shots of us working and to get a little sneak peek at what we do.  Here's a little taste, to the left.
This is Tim Hannon, one of our machinists in the machine shop.

Check out this link: 

1859 Oregon's Magazine

It's always cool to be featured in a magazine!  Both of our lead scenic artists were featured in pictures! How cool is that?
http://1859oregonmagazine.com/osf-behind-the-scenes#3
Photos by Ezra Marcos