Ashland, Ore. – Eleven
years old seems too young to understand Shakespeare. Sixth grader Nathan Bayhan hasn’t studied high
school English, but that doesn’t stop him from appreciating much of
Shakespeare’s writing. Thanks to
Bayhan’s experiences at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he enjoys a high level
of theater.
Like Bayhan, visitors of
all ages not only enjoy, but also learn from the performances at the annual
festival in Ashland, Ore.
Nathan’s parents hope he
and his older brother, Garrett will gain valuable cultural understanding from
the plays.
“We bring our kids every
year,” said Kate Bayhan, Nathan’s mother.
“We think it’s important for them to get a taste of good art.”
Despite Shakespeare’s advanced
style, Garrett and Nathan both enjoyed the performance.
“I don’t get everything
they say, but the actors are really good,” Garrett said.
“They’re really funny
too,” added Nathan.
Kyle Lawrence, a high
school senior from Riverton, Utah, attended Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” in
the town’s outdoor theater. Seeing the
play on stage helped him enjoy material that, before, he felt was boring.
“It was funny. I ended up understanding it a lot better than
I thought I would. The actors understood
what they were saying…and how to portray it, so they made us understand too,”
Lawrence said.
Fran Adams, a 52-year-old California
native, moved to Ashland in 2004. She
praised the small-town festival for its quality:
“We have performers from
all over the country, and even many international. The acting here is as good
as anything you will see in New York City,” Adams said.
She also highlighted the
plays’ educational value. Despite
graduating with an English degree, Adams said she “learn[s] things at the
festival [she] was never taught in college.”