Between the laid-back urbanity of Portland and the edgier urbanity of San Francisco lie two long rural and agricultural valleys -- the Sacramento valley in California and the Willamette valley in Oregon. These valleys are separated by the Siskiyou mountains, which straddle the border between the two states.
Roughly halfway between the cities, on the northern edge of the Siskiyous, lies the town of Ashland, Oregon, population about 22,000. Back in the day, a southern branch of the Oregon Trail brought settlers through this area, on their way north to fertile Willamette valley farmlands; the direction of migration reversed after 1849, when the Gold Rush lured Oregon prospectors south to California. In 1887, Ashland became a stop on the original Southern Pacific route between Portland and San Francisco.
The discovery of lithia (Li2O) in a nearby source of water attracted health seekers, and plans were made to develop Ashland as a health spa. The spa never materialized, but the town's hope of becoming a resort encouraged intelligent preservation of the tiny river that runs through the center of town. Lithia creek became the center piece of today's attractive Lithia Park, designed by the architect of San Francisco's Golden Gate park.
All of this tedious padding is but preface to my observation that today's Ashland is a shining example of small town civilization, a mini-Athens rising above its rural setting, a rural setting that, while beautiful, is "cultivated" only in an agricultural sense.
Ashland's a cool place to visit.
Ashland's transformation from being merely a pretty little town, railway whistle stop and source of lithia water began in 1935 with the local staging of Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice, supported by a city appropriation of "not to exceed" $400. Today, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival performs eleven plays (only four of which this year are Shakespearean) in repertory each year from February through October. The plays are performed on three attractive stages adjacent to Lithia Park. One stage is an authentic Elizabethan theater in which, this summer and fall, three of the plays (all Shakespearean) will be performed.
The festival today is one of Ashland's largest employers, second only to Southern Oregon University (another town asset, which like the festival also contributes to the youthful electricity, and eccentricity, sensed by even the most casual visitor).
This little travelogue has been prompted by my return yesterday from a four-day visit to Ashland. I met up with Jim B., a friend from grad school whom I last hung out with two years ago during a prior visit to Ashland. Jim was once more seeking ways and means of constructing the perfect bicycle from scratch -- taking advantage of a local expert who offers two-week, hands-on courses on the subject -- and appeared happy to take a break mid-way through his studies to catch up on our friendship.
We spent our days hiking in the hills surrounding Ashland, and our evenings enjoying the local theater. Of our three day-hikes (one of them unexpectedly a couple of miles through snow in tennis shoes), the one that most appealed to me was a seven mile round trip trek on the Rogue River National Recreation Trail. The narrow trail is cut -- a bit precariously at times -- into the cliff far above the river. Our path was liberally ornamented on each side with shiny poison oak bushes, but we apparently escaped unscathed. The trail runs downstream for 40 miles, but we had lunch and turned around at Whiskey Creek, where the trail descended to a sandy boat landing. We were greeted by a number of rafters who came ashore for a break as we basked in the noonday sun. The scenery -- pine and fir, with deciduous trees coming into leaf, and with breathtaking views of the river far below -- was memorable, and the hike just vigorous enough to energize us without leaving us comatose during the evening's performance.
We had advance tickets for two of the festival's plays -- a dramatization of Pride and Prejudice, and a performance, in a modern setting, of Hamlet. Hamlet began unconventionally, with Prince Hamlet -- dressed in a dark suit and tie and wearing dark glasses -- sitting alone on stage, staring at his father's coffin, during the entire time that the audience was filtering into the theater and finding seats. The palace guards were armed with automatic rifles; the "play within a play" was performed in hip-hop. While I have qualms about such attempts at making classical plays "relevant," the acting was outstanding and the "modernization" less intrusive than I feared. In fact, it was the most captivating performance of Hamlet I've ever watched.
The festival obviously has effects on Ashland that go beyond its economic impact. The entire city seems alive to theater. Posters advertising a number of non-festival dramas were seen everywhere. Jim and I occupied the one evening that we had free by attending Ashland high school's student performance of The Importance of Being Earnest. The acting by 16 to 18 year old students was phenomenal. The plot is farcical in nature, but requires crisp delivery of lines, in a British accent; portrayal of highly eccentric characters in a consistent manner; and excellent stage presence and movement. The kids carried it off flawlessly. I'm embarrassed to contrast their performance with the plays that my own high school proved itself capable of performing.
Ashland makes an excellent overnight stop while driving between the Bay Area and either Seattle or Portland. I recommend the stop. I recommend a walk around town and through Lithia Park, luxuriating in the human ambience of creativity, intelligence and good humor. And I recommend checking out the festival's website to see which plays have tickets available during your stay.
------------------------Afterthought: As a courtesy to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which provided me such an enjoyable weekend, I'll list this year's plays. The three plays marked with an (*) are to be performed in the Elizabethan theater (which I have yet to visit): Hamlet, Pride and Prejudice, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, She Loves Me, Well, Ruined, Twelfth Night,* Henry IV (Part One),* The Merchant of Venice,* American Night, Throne of Blood.
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