OSF Commissions Award-Winning Artists for U.S. History Cycle

Passionate and varied slate of writers will create seven of 37 plays in
10-year project

ASHLAND, Ore., June 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alison Carey, the Oregon
Shakespeare Festival's director of American Revolutions: the United States
History Cycle, and Artistic Director Bill Rauch announced today the first
theater artists to be commissioned for the 37-play, 10-year History Cycle, the
largest commissioning and production project in the Festival's 73-year
history.

The artists are Culture Clash (Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas and Herbert
Siguenza), David Henry Hwang, Lynn Nottage, Suzan-Lori Parks, Robert
Schenkkan, Naomi Wallace, and the collaborative team of Jonathan Moscone and
Tony Taccone.

"American Revolutions has been greeted with keen interest from historians,
playwrights, and OSF audiences since its inception," said Rauch. "We are
overjoyed by the brilliance and the passion for the project that these artists
bring to the United States History Cycle."

"I can't imagine a better group to start painting this theatrical portrait of
our nation's past," said Carey.

The plays of American Revolutions will look at moments of change in America's
past, helping to establish a shared understanding of our national identity and
illuminate the best paths for our nation's future.

Jonathan Moscone and Tony Taccone will collaborate on a piece that mingles the
personal and the political in examining the loss Mr. Moscone felt after the
murder of his father, George Moscone, the Mayor of San Francisco. Against the
backdrop of 1970's San Francisco--the most progressive political and social
period in that city's history--the piece will explore the attempt, through
memory, to assemble a relationship with a man, and a time, long gone and
almost forgotten.

"We are following the inspiration and insight of the artists in all aspects of
the project. We are enormously moved by Jonathan and Tony's desire to look at
this intimate and powerful story," said Carey."We look forward to learning
what stories the other artists will be exploring as the project unfolds."

American Revolutions, inspired by the scale and scope of Shakespeare's history
cycle of plays, will bring together more than 100 artists, historians and
institutions from around the country. Up to thirty-seven new plays are slated
to result in up to 15 full productions at OSF between 2010 and 2019. Every
work commissioned, even if it does not receive a full production, will be
presented to OSF audiences through workshops or readings. OSF hopes to mount
the Cycle's first full production on one of its stages in 2010, coinciding
with OSF's 75th anniversary.

History-based play cycles are also being planned by Colorado Shakespeare
Festival and Shakespeare & Company. "We are incredibly happy to be part of
this national movement to use theater to examine our national past," said
Rauch.

The launch of American Revolutions: The United States History Cycle has been
made possible through grants from The Collins Foundation and The Paul G. Allen
Family Foundation. Both grants are for three years: 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Cycle director Alison Carey is co-founder with Bill Rauch of Cornerstone
Theater Company, which works with diverse American communities. As
Cornerstone's resident playwright, she wrote more than 25 of the company's
productions for stages across the country.

For biographical information about the artists, please go to this link:
http://www.osfashland.org/news/releases/article.aspx?id=99

SOURCE Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Amy Richard, amyr@osfashland.org, or Eddie Wallace eddiew@osfashland.org,
both of regon Shakespeare Festival, +1-541-482-6811