OUR VIEW LOGO (NEW)

As we praised recently, there are hopeful signs that — after a few years of rough waters, not all of its own making — the Oregon Shakespeare Festival has begun to right the ship and set course for renewed buoyancy.

But even as we make note of that progress, there remain questions about the future of the theater institution that is currently in the midst of its 88th season — one that has seen an exodus of leadership, the cancellation of a fan-favorite holiday offering, and ongoing fundraising efforts aimed at keeping OSF afloat.

First, however, the good news.

The new management team of artistic director Tim Bond and interim executive director Tyler Hokama have injected a needed enthusiasm in their openness to discuss OSF’s future — as well as a commitment to ensure that Shakespeare remains a key ingredient of the festival’s offerings going forward.

“Shakespeare has huge ideas in those plays and really sets the table for the rest of the shows every season,” Bond, who previously served as OSF associate artistic director from 1996 to 2007, told the Ashland.news website.

Bond added that he wanted to have family-friendly musicals as part of future seasons as part of a wide variety of offerings.

Like Bond, Hokama has ties to Ashland — having moved his family there after his retirement in 2016.

At a time when just four of the current 18 members of the OSF Board of Directors list primary residences in the Rogue Valley, that Bond and Hokama have existing ties to the area sends a positive message to the local theater-going community.

“Our community is passionate about what we do,” Hokama told Ashland.news. “They absolutely are, and so, I am of the community and I have been listening and will continue to listen, and from that try to come up with the best collective answer for where we need to be.”

There’s the rub.

Getting OSF where it needs to be — this year and beyond — is where the hard work comes to the fore.

The 2023 season, whose completion was threatened at one stage before an emergency fundraising effort raised $2.8 million, was announced in June of 2022.

No such announcement has been made for a 2024 season, and speaking to Ashland.news Bond and Hoikama spoke in hopeful but noncommittal fashion that the festival won’t go dark for a year.

“I know that it’s a more austere season in the sense that … we need to rightsize the budgetary constraints of the company,” said Bond, who was named artistic director after plans for 2024 were taking place under director of artistic programming Evren Odcikin, “and make sure we’re staying within our means.”

Bond said there was “every hope and expectation” of having an 89th season — which, despite the optimism, is not the same as a definitive commitment.

And it’s here that another long-held criticism of how OSF has operated in the past arises — its perceived lack of transparency, particularly about its economic stability.

The general public, and truth be told the media, has given the festival a pass regarding its finances simply because its presence and success were considered a given and could be seen in the strength of the region’s travel-based economy.

But wildfires, the pandemic, and a swift change in artistic goals that proved controversial all played roles in leaving OSF more dependent than ever on fundraising.

An investigative report by Jefferson Public Radio revealed a variety of reasons for the money crisis — which includes a still-ongoing goal of $7.3 million beyond the earlier successful campaign.

When an institution as foundationally important to the Rogue Valley as OSF continues to ask for money, transparency is important — because there needs to be levels of trust and understanding with those writing the checks.

“Nonprofit theater is always fundraising,” Hokama told Ashland.news, about the additional $7.3 million. “It’s a challenging number in these times. It’s the road ahead that we’ve got to traverse.”

It’s also a reminder that OSF, and the community, are all in this boat together.