DAY 1 | June 15
At 5:30 pm, get to know Stephen Dickey and your fellow travelers during a welcome dinner in the hotel’s Ballroom II and Conservatory. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy the quaint town of Ashland.
Great Expectations is playing in the Bowmer Theatre at 8pm. If you are participating in the jet boating excursion on Friday, you may want to consider this optional play this evening.
(D)
DAY 2 | June 16
Continental breakfast is included daily at the hotel. Stephen will give his first lecture on Twelfth Night in the Crystal Room of the hotel at 10:30 am.
Walk a few blocks to contemporary Italian New American Salame Restaurant, featuring southern Oregon’s local flavors influenced by California cuisine and Italian recipes for lunch.
Enjoy your free time this afternoon after lunch. Ashland is at the convergence of the Cascade and Siskiyou Mountains, and a town that is just as unique and authentic as the terrain that surrounds it. Nowhere else do so many individual experiences from performances, culinary arts and outdoor recreation, combine to create something so inspiring.
If you would like to enjoy an additional play this afternoon, ROE is playing in the Bowmer Theatre, and Yeomen in the intimate Thomas Theatre. Both plays begin at 1:30 p.m.
Our first Shakespeare performance will be Twelfth Night that is being performed in the indoor Angus Bowmer Theatre at 8 pm.
(B,L)
DAY 3 | June 17
Continental breakfast is included daily at the hotel. Today, you will have two itinerary options:
Hellgate Jet Boating:
Get a taste of the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest on a jet boat lunch excursion on the rushing and scenic Rogue River. Guides skipper us through the rushing rapids in safety and comfort on wide-beamed jet boats. A delicious family-style lunch will be served for our group in the midst of this awe-inspiring scenery. We’ll depart the hotel around 8 am, and return at approximately 2 pm, with the rest of the afternoon for relaxation.
Great Expectations:
Sleep in, and enjoy more time in the charming town of Ashland. At 1:30 pm, head to the Bowmer Theatre for the Great Expectations play.
Stephen will give his second lecture on Hamlet in the Crystal Room of the hotel at 5 pm.
You will have time for dinner at one of the many Ashland restaurants as we will be seeing Hamlet on the outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre at 8 pm.
(B,L)
DAY 4 | June 18
Continental breakfast is included daily at the hotel.
Stephen will give his third and last lecture on his thoughts on current day Shakespeare adaptations and the history of Shakespeare, past, present and future in the hotel’s Crystal Room at 9 am.
Afterwards, enjoy a perennial favorite: the backstage tour led by one of the festival’s actors. View the festival’s three theaters and go behind-the-scenes to see staging and production areas, and costume shop and sets. The tour also highlights the history and technology of the festival and includes admission to its Exhibit Center.
The rest of the morning is free to relax and enjoy Ashland. Saturday mornings usually offer a local farmer’s market, and a small arts and craft market. Located in the heart of the city, you are just steps away from restaurants, shops and the theater. Enjoy Lithia Park and the mild summer weather.
Yeoman is playing in the Thomas Theatre at 1:30 pm should you wish to see an additional play this afternoon.
Late afternoon, head to the highly regarded Winchester Inn, Restaurant & Wine Bar for our farewell dinner. This traditional Victorian stately home is in perfect harmony with its surroundings, situated in the midst of an English country garden. Walk the path to the restaurant where pansies line the path that lead to the front entrance. It has been a favorite of our past travelers for many years.
After dinner, walk to the outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre to enjoy our final performance, The Wiz at 8 pm.
(B,D)
DAY 5 | June 19
Enjoy brunch this morning at the hotel’s Conservatory/Gardens. An actor from the Festival will once again join us for an intimate question and answer session. Lively discussions always ensue as we critique and discuss the performances we have seen this week. Around 11 am, check-out and depart for home. If you would like to extend your stay in Ashland for an extra day or two, this can be easily be arranged for your convenience.
(B)