Time to Read: 2 minutes
In 2015, Play On Shakespeare started as a commissioning project at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) to translate Shakespeare’s work into contemporary modern verse and make his plays accessible to students and communities around the world! Inspired by education activities—such as presenting translated prologues during pre-shows, hosting a school visit program, and continued artist learning at the Black Swan Lab at OSF—we knew we could crack open Shakespeare in a way that everyone could experience Shakespeare’s work anew. Once we hired playwrights and dramaturgs to translate all 39 of Shakespeare’s plays, we knew that it would pay off to try it in translation!
In the eight years since, we have produced 55 productions in 4 countries, and now we’re returning home for the 2024 OSF Season as a collaborating partner with Portland Center Stage and upstart crow collective to produce Sean San José’s Coriolanus, directed by OSF’s newly appointed Associate Artistic Director, Rosa Joshi. Learn more about the production below!
Portland Center Stage
Portland, OR
April 20 – May 19, 2024
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Ashland, OR
July 23 – October 13, 2024
Visionary Voices: Hear more about our process!
Visit our YouTube to watch clips from Play On Shakespeare staff and artists, including Coriolanus translator, Sean San José!
About Coriolanus
Coriolanus tells a story of civil unrest, political upheaval, and a war hero who is driven to defend and then destroy his own country—a powerful message about the fragility of democracy that will resonate in an election year. This movement-focused production will feature a diverse cast of female and non-binary actors.
Making the canon more accessible has been no easy feat, but in nearly a decade of collaborations and translating Shakespeare’s work into contemporary English, we’ve gained insight on the variety of ways audiences learn. Whether you enjoy reading, listening, or watching live productions, we have something for you! From publications now available at ACMRS Press to full audio plays available at Play On Podcasts to Play On Shakespeare productions available in 2024, we hope you join us for our homecoming!
For More Coriolanus…
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COMEDY is On the Road!
The Acting Company is about to embark on its U.S. tour of THE COMEDY OF ERRORS in a modern verse translation by Christina Anderson, in repertory with August Wilson’s TWO TRAINS RUNNING. -
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Play On Shakespeare interviews Michael Goodfriend, Head of Scripted Fiction at Next Chapter Podcasts, to talk all things Play On Podcasts! -
The Language of Midsummer
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM has had multiple productions this year—and one key takeaway has been the benefit of accessible language. -
Level Up Your Reading List
This fall, Play On Shakespeare has the perfect reading list for you, with books written by some of our partner artists!
