The Bard is back—and by all accounts, better than ever. The Oregonian reports that the Oregon Shakespeare Festival has opened its 91st season to sold-out shows, while Oregon ArtsWatch points to standout productions leading the charge.

At breakfast each morning, the conversation inevitably turns to the night before. So far, the reviews have been uniformly enthusiastic. One longtime guest told me this year’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was the best they’ve ever seen.

If you haven’t secured your seats for the 2026 season, I have some good news. Guests of Ashland Creek Inn receive 20% off select seats to all shows. Once your reservation is confirmed, we’ll send along a private code so you can begin booking your shows.

Early reviews of A Midsummer Night’s Dream suggest a production that lands exactly where you’d hope—playful on the surface, but carried by a cast working with real precision underneath it. One critic notes the ensemble’s “lightness that belies the quality of intention required,” with the four young lovers moving together “like skilled ballroom dancers” while still finding plenty of comic spark. 

That sense of ease seems to carry through the whole evening, helped along by a staging that leans into music and movement without losing the thread of the story. It’s still the familiar forest of mischief and crossed intentions, but by all accounts, this one feels especially well-balanced—nimble, clear, and quietly confident in the way it lets Shakespeare’s humor do its work without forcing the moment.

Come From Away has been drawing a steady stream of early praise. The story is grounded in the remarkable true events that followed September 11, when 7,000 stranded air travelers landed in the remote town of Gander, Newfoundland, and were met by a community that opened its homes, hearts, and lives to these complete strangers.

What’s coming through in early coverage is how directly the production connects that history to something more immediate. Director Laurie Woolery said, "What Come From Away reminds us of is that the simple act of kindness is stronger than any act of cruelty."

Other enthusiastic reviewers tend to land in the same place, with one noting simply that “words in a review do not do justice...you need to see this 5-star+ show.”

It’s not a subtle piece, and it’s not meant to be. It’s a generous, full-hearted evening that reminds us, in a very direct way, what a community can look like when we truly show up for one another.

For those looking to balance the season with something grounded, A Raisin in the Sun has been landing with unusual weight. This year’s production is a new version based on the author's original notes.

Lorraine Hansberry’s story of the Younger family—set in 1950s Chicago as they navigate housing discrimination, ambition, and the meaning of dignity—remains as direct as ever, and this production is being recognized for meeting it head-on.

One review calls it “a masterpiece,” noting the clarity and emotional force of the staging, while broader coverage around the production reflects on Hansberry’s lasting influence and the continued relevance of her work today. It’s not an easy evening in the way some of the comedies are, but it’s a rewarding one—thoughtful, well-acted, and rooted in a story that continues to resonate well beyond the stage.

You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World is a raucous, unexpectedly tender comedy that starts with a man facing a terminal diagnosis and spirals outward—from family dinners and lawnmowers to climate anxiety and the question of what, exactly, we leave behind. Narrated by a non-binary aspiring performer processing a parent’s illness, the play moves between humor and grief with a kind of emotional candor that feels very much of the moment.

It’s funny, a bit chaotic by design, and ultimately grounded in something familiar—the way families try, imperfectly, to hold together when the ground shifts beneath them. Not a traditional evening, but one that lingers a little longer than you expect.

Graham Sheldon
Innkeeper
graham@ashlandcreekinn.com
AshlandCreekInn.com