2026 Play Briefs
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival has three theaters running plays; two indoors (the Bowmer and the Thomas) and one outdoors (the Allan Elizabethan). The three theaters are clustered around a common plaza with a small stage where the outside Green Shows before evening performances are presented. For accessibility information, please click HERE. There are also options for taking a Behind the Curtain tour on Friday morning and a campus tour on Saturday morning.
The play pages linked here include the synopsis, director’s notes, cast list and other information.
At the Angus Bowmer Theater:
Irene Sankoff & David Hein (book, music, lyrics), Sunny Min-Sook Hitt (choreography), directed by Laurie Woolery
In the hours following September 11, 2001, as planes were grounded and uncertainty swept the globe, 7,000 stranded air travelers landed in the remote town of Gander, Newfoundland. With no time to prepare, the people of Gander opened their homes, their hearts, and their lives to these complete strangers. This Tony and Olivier Award–winning musical, based on that astonishing true story, unfolds through a propulsive, folk-inspired score and a cast of unforgettable real-life characters. A heart-forward, joyful celebration of resilience, Come From Away reminds audiences of all ages of the power of community in the darkest of times. (Note: the approximate run time is 100 minutes with no intermission)
William Shakespeare, directed by Marcela Lorca
When Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius flee into the woods, they do it in pursuit of personal freedom and their one true love. But making their way through the forest is particularly tricky under the influence of the mischievous Puck’s spells. The line between truth and illusion blurs as the couples are drawn into a dream world that is as dark and mysterious as it is marvelous and full of wonder, where magic reigns and nothing is quite as it seems. Shakespeare’s timeless romantic comedy returns to OSF with original music by Justin Huertas (Lizard Boy) in an enchanting production, under the direction of Marcela Lorca (The Count of Monte Cristo).
David Henry Hwang, directed by May Adrales
When DHH—a Chinese American playwright and staunch activist—protests the casting of a white actor in Miss Saigon, he never imagines he’ll make the same mistake himself. But after accidentally casting a white actor in the lead Asian role of his own play, he scrambles to cover his tracks, spinning an increasingly ridiculous web of half-truths, media frenzy, and personal contradictions. Pulitzer Prize finalist Yellow Face is a laugh-out-loud mockumentary that skewers the worlds of theatre, identity politics, and public image with razor-sharp wit.
At the Thomas Theater:
August Wilson’s King Hedley IIAugust Wilson, directed by Tim Bond
It’s 1985, and King returns to his family and community, determined to take control of his life after having served seven years in prison. He patches together odd jobs—some legal, some not, hoping to open a video store and build a new future. Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson has created a mythic and metaphysical landscape full of unabashed lyricism amongst the crumbling Black neighborhood of Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Like the hero of a Greek tragedy, King seeks redemption from a past that still haunts him: the murder that changed his life, old vendettas that won’t die, and an explosive secret his mother has kept hidden. Director Tim Bond brings his love of August Wilson, along with a powerhouse cast, to this poetically tragic epic about systems of violence and intergenerational poverty, the ninth play in Wilson’s American Century Cycle.
Smote This, A Comedy about God… and other Serious SH*T
Created and performed by Rodney Gardiner, directed by Raz Golden
Back by popular demand, this sharp and hilarious solo show follows actor Rodney Gardiner as he attempts to abandon God—no easy feat for a devoutly raised, undocumented Black boy growing up in tumultuous 1980s Miami. For young Rodney, dealing with racial unrest, an immigration crisis, and the drug war is just another Tuesday. Smote This spins an entertaining web of personal stories and hilarious tangents that land with equal parts heart and heat. OSF is thrilled to welcome back Rodney, who has riveted our audiences for years in everything from musicals to Shakespeare.
At the Allen Elizabethan Theater:
Please note the these plays are outside during the evening.
Kate Hamil, based on the novel by Jane Austen, directed by Meredith McDonough
Jane Austen’s beloved Regency-era heroine takes center stage in this fast, funny, feminist adaptation by Kate Hamill, featuring contemporary pop music and a screwball-comedy spirit. Emma believes she has it all figured out, especially when it comes to other people’s love lives. The self-appointed matchmaker means well, but in a world with few options for women beyond marriage, her meddling leads to a bevy of misadventures, mishaps and misunderstandings, leading her to confront the difference between toying with matters of the heart and truly experiencing them. Meredith McDonough makes her OSF directorial debut with a bold, genre-bending romp that turns Austen on her head.
William Shakespeare, directed by Rosa Joshi
King Henry IV is in trouble: a faction of his allies, including a valiant youngster named Hotspur, have turned on him and are now gunning for his throne. And his own son, Prince Hal, is no help, spending all his time languishing with his low-life drinking buddies and a corrupt knight, Falstaff, who holds a strange sway over the kid. Will Hal ever come around and act like the king he will be one day? Shakespeare’s iconic history play is a stirring coming-of-age story, filled with humor, romance, and intrigue. Associate Artistic Director Rosa Joshi (Henry V, Julius Caesar) directs.
William Shakespeare, directed by Shana Cooper
Sweet-natured Bianca has her choice of suitors, but there’s a problem: she can’t get married until her older sister, Kate, also gets hitched. And Kate—strong-willed, sharp-tongued—is not onboard with any of that. When a stranger, Petruchio, comes to town, he hatches a plan to win Kate, but it’s not easy romancing an unbothered single woman who dishes out insults at lightning speed. Wordplay crackles and passions run high as this iconoclastic couple forges an unconventional path to love in this uproarious Shakespeare comedy. Directed by Shana Cooper (The Unfortunates, Indecent), this bold production turns the tables on tradition, inviting us to question everything we think we know about courtship, gender, and power.