OPS Fest is Back for a 16th Season!
ORIGINAL PRACTICE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL (OPS Fest) is back in the parks for a 16th season!
Come celebrate our sweet sixteenth year of free Shakespeare, wild audience interaction, and
onstage moments that are too good to be rehearsed with OPS Fest’s company of dynamic actors out in the Portland Metro area’s beautiful parks.
OPS Fest’s summer season kicks off on Friday, June 21 at 9:00pm with the audience favorite
Midsummer Midsommer at the top of Mt. Tabor. They then jump directly into presenting the
BEST OF OPS this summer, performing their biggest hits and some underrated faves, so check in at https://opsfest.org to keep current!
About The Tempest:
Shipwreck, romance, treason, revenge, spirits, clowns, song, and dance create a perfect storm of fantasy. Years ago, Prospero and daughter were shipwrecked on an island. Twelve years later, a "storm" brings their enemies. With the help of sprite Ariel, Prospero manipulates plots, bringing them happily together before giving up magic.
About OPS Fest’s Repertory:
OPS Fest performs its repertory over the summer at 11 different parks in the Portland Metro
area and beyond! The OPS Fest company of skilled, flexible actors will perform with occasional
interruptions of songs, dances, and sketches throughout. Shows are free to attend and begin at
7pm. The audience is welcome to arrive during the hour before to watch the pre-game song,
dance, & fight rehearsals. Children, picnics, and leashed pups are always welcome!
About the 2024 Season:
OPS Fest is proud to bring admission-free Shakespeare to the Portland Public Parks and beyond for their 16th season! This season will see a shake-up of OPS’s repertoire: the company will present a selection of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, as well as a mix of overlooked classics! They’re also bringing their iconic style of performance to some brand new locations! In late July and throughout August, look out for OPS at Lake Oswego’s Roehr Park and George Rogers Park, Beaverton’s Raleigh Park, and the Tillamook Library.
OPS believes that Shakespeare’s work and characters benefit from exploration by a wide array
of artists from different backgrounds and experiences. In this spirit, they actively seek out artists
of color, LGBTQ+ artists, artists with disabilities, as well as all gender identities, ages, and
expressions of humanity.
About Original Practice Shakespeare Festival:
OPS Fest brings no-cost Shakespeare to parks all over the Portland Metro area. The company
uses the original practice techniques of Elizabethan England: limited rehearsal, scrolls in hand,
audience interaction, and an onstage prompter. Gender fluid casting is our jam!
Learn more at opsfest.org, opsfest.org/tour-calendar, and https://Facebook.com/opsfest.
Parks and Show Dates:
June:
6/21: Mt. Tabor Summit
July:
7/5-6: Cathedral Park
7/12-13: Laurelhurst Park
7/19-20: Irving Park
7/26-27: Laurelhurst Park
7/28: Roehr Park (Lake Oswego)
August:
8/2-3 Irving Park
8/8: Raleigh Park (Beaverton)
8/9: George Rogers Park (Lake Oswego)
8/10: Veterans Memorial Park (Sherwood)
8/16-17: Washington Park
8/23-24: Mt. Tabor Park
8/25: The Homestead (Oregon City)
8/30-31: Tillamook Library
