March 15, 2025
Subscribe to the newsletter (it's free!)
ashland.news
Support Ashland.news
Sponsor Ashland.news

Letter: ‘New and diverse programming … kept us coming back’

October 3, 2022

I’m a public school teacher in Seattle, Washington. Before COVID-19, I would regularly bring student groups of 15-30 kids to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (currently grades 9-12; I also brought student groups when I taught grades 6-8). We’d stay at a local hotel for three nights, use ABC taxi from and to the airport, and eat out three meals a day.

Shakespeare was only one of the offerings for our groups. Frankly, it was the new and diverse programming that kept us coming back and I was thrilled with the announcement of Nataki Garrett taking over as artistic director.

If she were to be replaced we’ll quit coming. Forget it. We’ll keep our $40,000 trip in Seattle. 

Ben Stuart

Seattle Schools, Washington

Picture of Bert Etling

Bert Etling

Bert Etling is the executive editor of Ashland.news. Email him at [email protected].

Related Posts...

Letter: Maintaining privacy in the Trump administration

February 20, 2025

David Hoffman: As a citizen, I find myself shocked by the news that the Trump administration has on its agenda the opening of IRS and SSA files which will allow the unrestrictive seizure and distribution of private information like tax returns, Social Security numbers, and addresses.

Read More »

Our Sponsors

Rogue Gallery and Art Center Medford Oregon
Rogue Theater Company Performance at Grizzley Peak Winery Ashland Oregon
Conscious Design Build Ashland Oregon

Latest posts

Women’s basketball: SOU wins handily in first round of national tournament

March 15, 2025

For the fourth year in a row, the Southern Oregon women’s basketball team is through to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. In Friday night’s 86-52 first-round win over UC Merced at Lithia Motors Pavilion, the Raiders made it look routine. The task gets taller, literally and figuratively, in Saturday’s 5 p.m. second-round matchup against No. 7 seed Wayland Baptist (Texas).

Read More >

Review: RTC’s ‘Doubt’ is surely thought-provoking

March 14, 2025

Brilliantly acted and staged at the intimate Richard L. Hay Center at the Grizzly Peak Winery, Rogue Theater Company’s production of “Doubt,” as director John Sipes writes of the play, “serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us to be wary of the narrowness of moral certainty and encouraging us to embrace the ambiguity and uncertainty we so often face.”

Read More >

Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission approves budget request

March 14, 2025

Ashland Parks & Recreation Commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a requested budget for the department slightly higher than budget direction from the city. Senior Analyst Brandon Terry said the budget as directed would give the Parks & Recreation Department a total baseline budget of $22.3 million — $15 million for operations and $7.3 million for capital projects — for the next biennial budget, July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027.

Read More >

Crossword: Watershed Wandering #02

March 14, 2025

This week’s crossword: more local trails and features in Ashland’s hills. Solve it directly in the article or download a PDF to print. Next week’s crossword: “Collaborative Theatre 2025 #02.” More crosswords under the Culture menu.

Read More >

Our Sponsors

Ashland Parks and Recreation Ashland Oregon
Pronto Printing Ashland Medford Southern Oregon
City of Ashland Public Notice Ashland Oregon
Ashland.news House Ad

Become a sponsor

Explore More...

Women’s basketball: SOU wins handily in first round of national tournament

For the fourth year in a row, the Southern Oregon women's basketball team is through to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. In Friday night's 86-52 first-round win over UC Merced at Lithia Motors Pavilion, the Raiders made it look routine. The task gets taller, literally and figuratively, in Saturday's 5 p.m. second-round matchup against No. 7 seed Wayland Baptist (Texas).
Read More >

Inaugural Bear Creek Wine Trail Festival coming up at Naumes winery in Talent

The 12 wineries along the Bear Creek Wine Trail are teaming up to bring their best wines to the table for attendees of the inaugural Bear Creek Wine Trail Festival, with a chance to enjoy the scenic views and backdrop of Naumes Suncrest Winery in Talent.
Read More >

Review: RTC’s ‘Doubt’ is surely thought-provoking

Brilliantly acted and staged at the intimate Richard L. Hay Center at the Grizzly Peak Winery, Rogue Theater Company's production of “Doubt,” as director John Sipes writes of the play, “serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us to be wary of the narrowness of moral certainty and encouraging us to embrace the ambiguity and uncertainty we so often face.”
Read More >

Crossword: Watershed Wandering #02

This week's crossword: more local trails and features in Ashland's hills. Solve it directly in the article or download a PDF to print. Next week's crossword: "Collaborative Theatre 2025 #02." More crosswords under the Culture menu.
Read More >

Relocations: A Lenten reflection on what we did to the people of Afghanistan

Herbert Rothschild: Some Lenten sustenance: Currently, nearly 3.5 million Afghan children are suffering acute malnutrition. And on March 1, Netanyahu sentenced the Gazans to starvation.
Read More >
ashland.news logo

Subscribe to the newsletter and get local news sent directly to your inbox.

(It’s free)

Don't Miss Our Top Stories

Get our newsletter delivered to your inbox three times a week.
It’s FREE and you can cancel anytime.

Subscribe Now
No Thanks