The second season of the Oxford Shakespeare Festival, which featured “The Taming of the Shrew,” drew large crowds and raucous laughter. Organizers are now looking to expand the summertime event.
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Theatre Arts professor Brian Evans carries off Caroline Perreault, who played Kate in 'Shrews.' |
“The festival is in its early stages, but it’s growing rapidly,” said Joe Turner Cantú, associate professor of theatre arts and OSF artistic director. “Our audiences improved [from the first season], especially in our third and final weekend, so much so that we hope to add a fourth weekend of performances this summer.”
Co-sponsored by the Depart-ment of Theatre Arts and Ford Center for the Performing Arts, OSF produced two plays for its inaugural season. Thanks to contributions from individuals and such organizations as the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation, OSF added a third play in 2005 and was able to hire more actors and technicians. The 2005 season also included productions of “The Compleat Works of Willm Shkspr (abridged)” and “Babe.”
Cantú hopes that continued support will allow OSF not only to add a fourth weekend to the upcoming season but also become a permanent event.
“The need for a professional theater in Oxford goes to the heart of the growth that the Oxford community and surrounding areas are experiencing,” Cantú said. “It is important for Ole Miss to remain at the forefront of the region’s cultural expansion.”
Although dates and other details for the 2006 season have yet to be confirmed, Cantú said, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” has already been selected. The upcoming 2006 summer season also includes a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Pirates of Penzance” and “Shakespeare’s Fight Scenes,” a Brian Evans adaptation of Shakespeare’s works.
To learn more about OSF, including how to contribute to the festival, visit http://shakespeare.olemiss.edu.