Title: A new history of OSF
Author: M J Daspit
Publisher: Ashland Daily Tidings
Date: 10/15/09
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is noteworthy for many reasons, not the least of which is its improbable history.
Founded in 1935 during the Depression in an out-of-the-way place, the festival took firm root for reasons that defy economic common sense. A new book, "Images of America: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival," just out to commemorate the festival's 75th anniversary, provides a pictorial documentary of how it all came about.
The slender paperback volume with the trademark sepia-toned cover image of Arcadia Publishing was conceived as a spin-off of Arcadia's "History of Ashland" by Joe Peterson, which also appeared recently in bookstores.
In September of 2008, Arcadia's Pacific Northwest Acquisitions Editor Sara Higginbotham contacted OSF Media Relations Manager Amy Richard looking for someone to do a history of Ashland. In discussing potential names with OSF Archivist Kathleen Leary, Richard saw an opportunity to do a separate volume devoted to the festival.
The only problem was the publisher's April 2009 deadline. By the time the project was contracted, Richard and Leary had less than four months to complete the work.
When asked how many photos they went through, Leary shook her head and said, "thousands." Selecting images that would best portray the festival as it grew and changed was only part of the problem. There were also publisher's requirements to consider. The dimensions of the volume dictated mostly horizontal shots. And once a photo was selected, there was the challenge of accurately identifying actors, staff, and community volunteers going back more than 70 years.
Some of the faces recognizable to locals include Dave Marston and James Giancarlo performing at the Green Show and Arnold Kohnert helping mount a display at the exhibit center. Nationally known personalities such as William Jennings Bryan, Duke Ellington, George Peppard, Ginger Rogers, Stacy Keach and William Hurt also make cameo appearances.
In compiling the history, Richard said, "We chose a chronological format, and tried to highlight community support, how the town grew with the festival." She pointed out that reception of the book demonstrates how locals continue that support. "It's available not only at the Tudor Guild and Bloomsbury, but also in the drug store and the hardware store."
Volumes in Arcadia's "Images of America" series are strictly limited to 128 pages. Text consists of short introductions to each chapter and captions for 180 to 240 black and white photographs.
Some readers may wish for an index or something more in the way of where OSF fits in the broader context of American theater. But these are quibbles. Given the publisher's constraints, the volume succeeds admirably in highlighting critical scenes in the story of how the miracle child of Angus Bowmer became the lifeblood of Ashland.
Title: Our Hometown Authors
Author: Alissa Lukara
Publisher: Ashland Magazine
Date: July 2009
We are such stuff as dreams are made on," says Shakespeare's Prospero in The Tempest. Southern Oregon, with its own Shakespeare festival, was also shaped by its early dreamers. Dreamers such as those who brought lumber mills, the railroad and other businesses to found Ashland; the tenacious visionary of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Angus Bowmer; the dreamers who surveyed the area and created the maps that paved the way for settlers and more, as the following hometown authors can attest.
Co-authors Amy E. Richard and Kathleen F. Leary knew the time was right for a book about the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF). Oregon is celebrating its 150th birthday and 2010 will mark OSF's 75th anniversary. "We wanted to showcase the festival's extensive archives and include some of its history," said Richard, who has been OSF's media and communications manager for 12 years.
"Until now, the archives have been mostly used internally and by researchers, authors, teachers and Shakespeare scholars," added Leary, OSF archivist since 1986.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Arcadia Publishing, 2009), scheduled for September publication, includes 227 photos, presented chronologically, with captions. Richard and Leary outlined what to highlight, then Leary and volunteers searched the archives for photos and information. Richard wrote the text, which also integrated past correspondence and interviews with long-time OSFers including Richard Hay and William and Shirley Patton.
"Researching the book, I was struck by the incredible commitment and devotion of founder Angus Bowmer and of people involved with OSF and his dream—from the audiences to the people who work here to members and volunteers," said Richard. "We wanted to convey people's love for this place in the book."
For instance, the entire time Bowmer was producing director, he taught full-time at the college. Remarkably, the festival was 100% volunteer until post-WWII, when Bowmer received his first $1000 from Ashland.
"One photo showed four women working in the box office in the 1950's," said Leary.
"All were actors, too, which showed their deep dedication. I loved finding out about people's long careers here working in different departments. Many of these people helped us fact-check the accuracy of what we discovered and find information in the fastest way. The book was a group collaborative effort."
For information: www.tudorguild.org or www.arcadiapublishing.com.
Title: OSF in the history books
Publisher: KTVL-10 News
Date: 10/6/09
Ashland institution has produced a book with photos and words outlining the theater group's storied history.
Watch the video here:
http://video.ktvl.com/m/26735434/osf-in-the-history-books.htm
Title: Amy Richard and Kit Leary Write Book on the Shakespeare Festival
Author: Staff Writer
Publisher: Ashland Sneak Preview
Date: 10/8/09
Arcadia Publishing has recently published Oregon Shakespeare Festival as part of its popular Images of America series. The book, written by Kathleen F. Leary and Amy Richard, coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Festival and features more than 200 images from the Festival's extensive archival collection, plus photos from the Southern Oregon Historical Society and the Terry Skibby collection.
The authors attempt to answer the long-time mystery of "how a nationally-renowned theater came to be located in rural southwest Oregon." Readers will be taken on a journey from the first Chautauqua tabernacle in the 1890s to the First Annual Shakespearean Festival in 1935.
Each of the five chapters is given an introductory historical setting, while every photo is provided an in-depth caption, placing that image in proper perspective.
Highlights include images of actors who went on to film and TV, including George Peppard, Stacy Keach and William Hurt. Much of the text is based on quotes from founder Angus Bowmer, artistic director Jerry Turner, and other long-time company members.
Kathleen Leary, also known as Kit, has been OSF's archivist for the last 24 years. She learned early on about history in her native Wisconsin when her father stopped the car at every historical marker along the way.
Inspired, Kit received an MLS with an Archives specialization from the University of Wisconsin in 1976, and an M.S. in Media Technology in 1977. She has worked all over the country (and Algeria) for educational institutions, historical societies, public libraries and for the Festival.
Amy Richard has spent twelve years as the media and communications manager for the Festival. She grew up on the East Coast and in 1990 moved to Ashland, where she discovered that she really "is a West Coast woman."
Soon after moving here, she landed a job as Arts and Entertainment Editor at the Ashland Daily Tidings. Through her writings about the Festival and interviews with company members, as well as attending many Festival performances, she fell in love with the organization.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival is available at area bookstores, independent retailers and online retailers or by going to www.arcadiapublishing.com.
