PUC Visits the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland

by Heather Lackey

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, has grown into a national phenomenon in recent years. Even passive Shakespeare fans make the pilgrimage and leave as die-hard enthusiasts, with visions of iambic pentameter dancing in their heads. The experience, however, can be even more meaningful, educational-and fun-when enjoyed on a stimulating study tour with a knowledgeable guide and a whole group of fellow devotees.

This summer, Pacific Union College will offer individuals the chance to visit the festival with just such a tour. For students and others continuing their education, the trip will supply the perfect opportunity to meld scholarship, merriment, and college credit. Those who don't need the credit but still wish to experience the fantastic festival are also welcome.

The Shakespeare in Ashland study tour provides a unique chance to experience Shakespeare in an immediate and colorful way: through authenPe reproductions of his plays. In addition, there will be seminars, a backstage tour, and a meeting with an actor. This year's festival will feature the plays Much Ado About Nothing, a comic favorite; Pericles, a magical romance; Othello, the classic tragedy; and Henry IV, Part II, which will be performed in the Elizabethan tradition-with an all-male cast.

The study tour will run from Sunday, July 25 to Friday, July 30, 1999, and offers 2-3 credit hours. Those taking the course for credit will pay $190 plus tuition at the summer rate of $202.50 per credit hour. For a non-credit tour, the cost is $240. Students will need to arrange their own transportation, food and lodging. The payment and registration deadline for the class is Friday, June 11, 1999.