Regional theater offerings include everything from Shakespeare to contemporary drama.
Home to the world-famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Southern Oregon’s theater community offers far more than the Bard’s plays. Any visitor to the area — whether it be for wine tasting in the Rogue Valley or enjoying nature — should check out one of the many venues dedicated to the art of the stage. You’ll find a medley of festivals each year, from classical Shakespeare to experimental productions and innovative new plays. Here are some of the must-see options in 2025. For even more theater and live music performances, check out the full range of events at The Rosebud Theater in Roseburg, The Ross Ragland Theater & Cultural Center in Klamath Falls and the newly restored Holly Theater in Medford.
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 2025 Season
Founded in 1935, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2025. It is one of the premier festivals in the world, drawing thousands of visitors each year. The festival holds a range of productions in its three theaters, including the traditional outdoor Elizabethan theater. Productions range from Shakespearean classics to modern plays and musicals. In 2025 the company will present such classics as “As You Like It,” “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and “Julius Caesar,” all with modern twists. A highlight of the season will be an adaptation of August Wilson’s “Jitney” as well as the musical “Into the Woods.”
New leadership has shaped the artistic direction of the festival, so visitors can expect more innovative storytelling, diversity and community engagement. With Tim Bond as artistic director and Gabriella C. Calicchio as executive director for the 2025 season, you’ll find takes on contemporary issues and actors representing various social and ethnic backgrounds. Don’t miss the Green Show — a free outdoor community performance that runs each night from June through October.
Avant-Garde and Traditional Theater Offerings in Southern Oregon
New in May 2025, the Ashland Fringe Festival is an offspring of the Oregon Fringe Festival. Its first year celebrates experimental and avant-garde theater spanning music, dance, film, storytelling and visual art. The festival is free and run by Southern Oregon University alumni, and will feature bold expression and under-represented artists. In the first weekend of May, Lithia Park will transform into a hub for “fringe” art, ensuring accessibility for a range of visitors. Diverse performances will take place from the historic Butler Bandshell to the Japanese Garden and a newly erected stage courtesy of Rockafairy. As they make their way through Lithia Park, visitors will encounter captivating visual-art installations. In the evening, venues like Trapdoor Bar & Grill will host Fringe events tailored for mature audiences.
As a community-theater group, the Little Apple Players is based in the Applegate Valley. Each year the collective writes and produces their own plays with a variety of themes, but with landscape and place as foundational themes of the production. All of the community actors live in the Rogue Valley and come together once a year to form the company. The magical productions with DIY sets, ornate and colorful costumes and audience engagement take place over two weekends in April in a barn at Yale Creek Ranch in Jacksonville, and proceeds from the tickets are donated to local nonprofits.
In Grants Pass, the Aggregate Collective is an exciting new theater group bringing together radical hospitality and shared learning experiences to the community. Each summer it holds the Loop Festival at The Hivve, a new multimedia performance and coworking space in downtown Grants Pass. The Loop Festival celebrates young actors and new plays over the course of a three-day workshop culminating in an eclectic and vibrant performance for a public audience.
Nurturing Contemporary Voices at the Ashland New Plays Festival
Adding to the vibrant cultural identity of Southern Oregon is the Ashland New Plays Festival, which promises a fresh take on theater by supporting and developing new playwrights. In the fall, professional actors from Oregon Shakespeare Festival, regional theater and Southern Oregon University perform the plays on a makeshift stage in an intimate public venue in Ashland.
This provides a platform for original works to be showcased while offering a collaborative environment for audiences to engage with the playwrights and actors. Talkbacks and discussions take place after the read-throughs in order to build community engagement with the new plays. Many of the plays go into production across the country, winning awards and other accolades for innovative work.
Top photo courtesy of Craig Stewart / Oregon Shakespeare Festival
