Oregon Shakespeare Theater Backstage look at Festival reveals treasures and technology

WESTERN HEMISPHERE'S OLDEST FULL-SCALE ELIZABETHAN STAGE HAS HIDDEN LIFE

The Allen Elizabethan Theatre opens for summer shows, this year two by Shakespeare, one by Sondheim.

Editor's Note

This story was originally published: June 2014, and was updated July 6, 2026

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

"The Carpe Kiem Kids"

The magic of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival doesn't begin when the curtain rises—it starts long before the audience takes their seats. A Behind the Curtain Tour gives visitors an insider's look at the workshops, theaters, costumes, props, and technical wizardry that transform scripts into unforgettable performances. Whether you're a lifelong theater fan or simply curious about what happens behind the scenes, this guided experience adds an entirely new appreciation for one of America's premier regional theaters.

The lobby of the Angus Bowmer Theatre is warm, welcoming.

WHAT'S AN ACTOR TO DO?

Oregon Shakespeare Theater Backstage

It's a sweltering day on stage, he's loaded down with an elaborate costume.  The temperature is climbing.  He's sweating. It's still act one and the temperature is climbing.

But wait.  The actor has a brief moment off stage and gets relief from tiny ice packs dropped into his garb.

Thanks to clever costumers and seamstresses, the show goes on.  The actor is much cooler.

This is only one of the little known facts revealed by actor Jeffrey King, who took a couple dozen theater lovers backstage for a show as enjoyable as a regular production.

Why You Should Take the Oregon Shakespeare Theater Backstage

• Experience areas of the festival most visitors never see.

• Learn how costumes, scenery, lighting, and sound work together to create each production.

• Meet knowledgeable guides who explain the creative process behind live theater.

• Great for families, students, aspiring actors, and anyone interested in the performing arts.

• You'll enjoy performances even more after seeing the craftsmanship behind every scene

WE WERE privileged to gain insight into the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's behind-the-scene workings.

Actor Jeffrey King gives a lively backstage tour.

Cost and What's Included (2026)

The public Behind the Curtain Summer Tour lasts approximately 60 minutes and is designed for individuals, families, and groups.

• Adults: $17

• Youth (ages 6–17): $15

The tour includes behind-the-scenes access to festival spaces and an interactive look at the technical and artistic elements that make live theater possible. It's especially engaging for younger visitors because it incorporates hands-on learning about stagecraft and theatrical magic.

For organized adult and student groups, special "Behind the Curtain" tour pricing is also available, generally starting around $15 per person, with discounts for larger student groups

King has acted with the OSF company for 15 seasons, with an impressive range of roles in works --  from "A Streetcar Named Desire" to "Hamlet." He also derives pleasure from his role offstage as one of the able backstage tour directors, answering questions about the festival, which presents Greek tragedy, new work and everything in between.

He is a master of explaining the curious and little known facts about the festival, considered the oldest and largest professional regional repertory theater company in the country.

Established in 1935, OSF has garnered many honors and remains the oldest existing full-scale Elizabethan stage in the Western Hemisphere.

KING DESCRIBED the yeomen's effort of mounting nearly 800 performances a season, operating on a budget of $33 million and reaching an audience of more than 400,000 in three very different theaters.

For me, a return to the OSF's Ashland, Oregon, base, is going home.

I've logged decades of seasons with this Tony winning company of 600 theater professionals and an impressive 700 volunteers.

An ambitious student program is an Oregon Shakespeare Festival rule.

KING TOOK us to all three of the theaters which make up the festival venues:  the 600-seat Bowmer, the 1,190-seat Elizabethan and the 280-seat Thomas whose seating can be arranged in a variety of formats to accommodate up  to 360.

We learned:

* That understudies have understudies.  When an understudy takes over, the domino theory reigns -- someone steps in for the understudy.  That's all smoothly arranged, and happened the night we saw "The Comedy of Errors."

Entertaining and illuminating bits were gleaned by an enthusiastic group on an OSF backstage tour.

* That the OSF has a "describer" so that the blind can "see" the play.  Just as the OSF offers audio enhancement for hard of hearing play lovers, the describer helps the blind, explaining the action from a booth.

* THAT THE Bowmer's green room is shared by two sets of actors -- one from the Bowmer production upstairs and the other from the nearby Elizabethan Theatre.  Each production has its own monitor.  One season, the actors from the period piece, "Henry IV," Part I, chatted between scenes with the actors from "She Loves Me."

* That there is a point in every June when all 11 shows on the annual playbill are either being rehearsed or performed.

* That most of the actors participate in at least two plays with three to five performances a week, usually a major role in one production and a supporting role in another.

The Allen Elizabethan Theater as viewed from lovely Lithia Park in Ashland.

* We also learned the reason for the happy presence of many young people at all the performances we saw:  the OSF's school visit program sends actors to more than 100 schools, presenting performances and workshops in Shakespeare and modern literature to more than 70,000 students in California, Kansas,  Oregon and Washington.

Its outreach program and courting of students is one of the most successful and ambitious programs in the U.S.

A performance at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is unforgettable, but stepping behind the curtain reveals the incredible teamwork, creativity, and craftsmanship that make every production possible. The Behind the Curtain Tour is affordable, informative, and entertaining, making it one of the best values in Ashland. If you're planning a visit to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, be sure to reserve a backstage tour you'll leave with a deeper appreciation for the artistry that brings every show to life

COMING UP: From backstage at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to backstage shipboard, behind the giant kitchen on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas.  Cruising is dear to the hearts of Cookie and Keller and they learned a few shipshape tricks from the chefs.  Remember to explore, learn and live.

There's much backstage activity aboard a cruise ship, too!

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