Ashland

So this is not a rant, although I have several in my head. Nor is this post political (although I plan to attempt an unbiased Schwarzenegger, Angelides comparison in the future). No, this is about the wonderful world called Ashland Oregon and the Oregon Shakespeare festival, with pictures.

Yesterday I drove home after four days and nights in Ashland, Oregon and 8 plays. Yes, that's right, 8 play...4 days. On Thursday I woke up at 6 in the morning, finished packing my bags, stopped off at Starbuck (unfortunately, there wasn't anything local close to me) and headed up I-5 to good Ol' Ashand. The drive was uneventfully, although there was an absolutely georgous view of Mt. Shasta all covered in snow, no clouds, and totally majestic. I should have tried to take a picture, but I know that a picture of the view never seems to equal the real thing. And since I have little knowledge of how to take great pictures, I figured that it would be best for that view to reside in memory.

I arrived in Ashland between 12-12:30 and saw my first show at 2. The second at 8:30. Then 2, then 8:30, and again, and again. I saw:

Intimate Apparel
The Importance of Being Earnest
Up
The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Winter's Tale
Cyrano de Bergerac
The Diary of Anne Frank
The Two Gentlemen of Verona

And a backstage tour. Which, by the way, was cool. The theaters are amazing because they are so flexible. There is one, the New Theater, can be changed from a theater in the round, to a thrust theater, to seating on the sides like at a football game, and on and on. Amazingly flexible.

The shows were great. On of the best was Winter's Tale. Although it's definitely not one of the best writen plays, it was well directed and very well acted.

The best part about the whole weekend, I was offered an internship as a stage manager in San Francisco. Me!? A stage manager? How cool is that? Almost makes me want to stay in the Bay Area. If I do move to Sacramento, I am going to ask my connection if she knows of any available spots there.

Anyway, back to Ashland. I want to go back. There are three shows I didn't get a chance to see. Anybody interested in a weekend trip in September?