OSF’s 2023 season begins on shaky financial footing

ASHLAND, Ore. – The Oregon Shakespeare Festival kicked off its 2023 season Tuesday night, with the Shakespearian classic Romeo and Juliet.

Excited theatre fans came out in droves to the nearly sold-out opener. They say they were excited to see what OSF’s version of the story is this time around.

One person waiting in line said, “I am excited to see how they are going to portray the characters because different actors portray different characters differently it will be interesting to see how that plays out.” Another person added, “This is my first-time seeing Romeo and Juliet, it’s thrilling absolutely thrilling.”

Despite the excitement, some theater lovers had concerns about OSF’s long-term financial standing, after it recently announced an emergency fundraising campaign to save this year’s season.

“I don’t want to see it go away for sure, but I am worried that the direction that some artistic directors are taking it is concerning, I think they are driving away some core elements of the people who have attended in the past,” said Frank Bertrand.

The theatre company aims to raise $2.5 million to prevent more layoffs and a premature end to the season, this summer.

OSF’s interim director of development tells me that they are already close to the one-million-dollar mark in the fundraising effort.

More details about OSF’s financial situation are expected to come out soon.

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