In the fall of 2015, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival announced a new commissioning program called Play on! 36 playwrights translate Shakespeare. Learn how we’ve grown since then!

Category: About
“The typical Shakespeare production follows an odd convention: a contemporary setting with Elizabethan language. What if we flipped that? Contemporary language with an Elizabethan setting. What might we learn about the plays from putting them through that lens?”
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Meet the Team
Meet the staff that keeps Play On running!
Sponsors
Our generous sponsors who make Play On Shakespeare possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oft-asked questions, concerns, and inquiries.
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Play On Shakespeare is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state or local law, where applicable.
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Press Room
Our translations have been produced in the U.S. and Europe to critical acclaim. Hear about our work and practice in the reviews and articles below!
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Solon students show off skills prior to Shakespeare performance
While some youngsters lounged by the pool this summer, four local students spent three days learning Shakespeare, and then had the courage to perform what they had learned on the big stage prior to a play done by professional actors.
Pre-show ‘conversation’ will provide insight into creative process behind ‘Midsummer’
As a special addition to the Aug. 7 performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream’’ in Solon Community Park, a “Pre-Show Conversation” will be had featuring the woman responsible for re-imagining the Shakespeare classic and its director.
Cast Set for World Premiere of Marcus Gardley’s San Francisco-Set, Modern-Verse Translation of King Lear
California Shakespeare Theater will present the world premiere of Lear, Obie-winning playwright Marcus Gardley’s modern verse translation of William Shakespeare’s King Lear, beginning September 7 prior to an official opening September 14 in the Bruns Memorial Amphitheater.
There is No Normal with Amy Brennaman
Amy Brenneman is an actress and producer. She hosts The Challengers and stars as Olivia in Play on Podcasts version of the Twelfth Night .
Theater Review: Portland Shakespeare Project’s Modern Translation of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale
Life is complicated. Love, trust, hope, sadness, grief, betrayal—emotions and how we experience them are seldom back and white.
DramaWatch: A summer ‘Winter’s Tale’
Portland Shakespeare Project gives a “Play On” twist to a tale of jealousy and redemption. Plus openings, closings, and a farewell to Peter Brook.
Your Manchester Ep. 253
On This weeks show, we talk Shakespeare and Lord of The Dance.
It’s live with Belinda Scandal. Carol Ann Whitehead and Paul Rudd
It’s a scorcher.
It’s live with Belinda Scandal. Carol Ann Whitehead and Paul Rudd
It’s a scorcher.
Play On Podcasts: Shakespeare runs wild
Play On Podcasts is a series of epic audio adventures from Next Chapter Podcasts, that reimagine the timeless tales.
Review: ‘Richard II’ From African American Shakespeare Company
Make no mistake, this “modern verse translation” of Richard II by Naomi Iizuka, commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play On! project, is Shakespearean to the core.
Best Bets: African-American Shakespeare Company’s New Take on ‘Richard II’
It can be tricky business, tinkering with the words of William Shakespeare. On one hand, let’s face it, his plays can be a real slog for those of us who are iambic pentameter-averse. On the other hand, c’mon: The dude was the Bard. They don’t give you a title like that if you are a hack.