OSF Announces 2027 Season
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s next season will feature nine productions in Ashland, ranging from Hamlet and The Winter’s Tale to Shrek The Musical and What the Constitution Means to Me.
ASHLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Shakespeare Festival has announced its 2027 season, a nine-production lineup built around themes of identity, self-discovery and the moments that shape who people become.
The season will run from March through October in Ashland and includes Shakespearean tragedy, comedy, contemporary drama, musical theater and intimate storytelling. Productions will be staged across OSF’s Angus Bowmer Theatre, Thomas Theatre and outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre.
“Each season, we ask what stories feel most urgent to share, and for 2027, we found ourselves drawn to plays about becoming who we are,” said OSF Artistic Director Tim Bond. “Theatre holds up a mirror to the stories we inherit, the wounds we carry, and our capacity to change. Across this season people are trying to find their place in the world while wrestling with the fears and expectations standing in the way. What moves me most is their willingness to keep searching anyway.”
In the Angus Bowmer Theatre, OSF will open the season with William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, directed by Associate Artistic Director Rosa Joshi. The tragedy follows a young prince confronting vengeance, grief, madness and mortality after encountering his father’s ghost.
Also in the Angus Bowmer Theatre, OSF will present A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen’s classic drama in a new version by Amy Herzog and directed by Juliette Carrillo. The adaptation follows Nora Helmer as her seemingly perfect marriage unravels and she begins a powerful journey of self-discovery.
The theater will also host the world premiere of A Loco-Motive For Murder by Mark Bedard and John Tufts, directed by Rob Melrose. OSF describes the production as a Marx Brothers-inspired take on classic murder mysteries, filled with humor, puns and theatrical chaos.
Opening in the summer in the Angus Bowmer Theatre, Bond will direct Purpose, a Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning drama centered on a powerful Civil Rights dynasty as long-buried secrets and family tensions come to the surface.
In the Thomas Theatre, the season begins with What the Constitution Means to Me, written by Heidi Schreck and directed by Associate Artistic Director Kaytlin McIntyre. The play blends humor, personal history and civic reflection to examine how the U.S. Constitution shapes lives.
An aerial view of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre in Ashland, one of the venues that will host productions during OSF’s 2027 season. Photo courtesy of Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
The Thomas Theatre lineup also includes Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, directed by Shana Cooper. The late romance moves from jealousy and tragedy to forgiveness, wonder and redemption.
Also planned for the Thomas Theatre is Frida … A Self Portrait, written and performed by Vanessa Severo and directed by Joanie Schultz. The solo production intertwines the life of artist Frida Kahlo with Severo’s own story through music, visual storytelling and themes of resilience, identity and artistic expression.
In the outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre, OSF will present Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, directed by Marcela Lorca. The fast-paced comedy follows two sets of twins through a chaotic story of mistaken identities.
The Allen Elizabethan Theatre will also host Shrek The Musical, directed by Bill Fennelly. Based on the animated film, the musical follows Shrek, Donkey, Princess Fiona and other fairy-tale characters in a story centered on self-acceptance and finding the hero within.
“One of the things I love about theatre is that it can sneak up on you,” Bond said. “We’ll get you in the door with laughter and spectacle, and somewhere along the way a moment catches you off guard. Suddenly, something in the story speaks to your own life in a way that feels deeply familiar. I think this upcoming season is full of those beautiful moments.”
Tickets for the 2027 season are expected to go on sale in early December 2026, with earlier access available for OSF members. The full season calendar, casting and additional production details are expected to be announced this fall.
Cover image: An evening performance at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre in Ashland. OSF has announced its 2027 season, featuring nine productions across its Ashland stages. Photo courtesy of Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
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