Thoughts on OSF changes in leadership, ‘Barbie’s’ take on gender politics and a film about Israel’s 2010 attack on the ‘Freedom Flotilla’

By Herbert Rothschild

Support Oregon Shakespeare Festival

If you, like me, withdrew your support of Oregon Shakespeare Festival last year because of its misguided determination to remake a cherished arts organization, I urge you now to join me in renewing your support.

Having belatedly recalled that fiduciary responsibility is the overriding obligation of the board of a nonprofit corporation, the OSF directors have put into place a leadership team that bodes well for the future.

The appointment of Tim Bond as artistic director was greeted with nigh universal joy in Ashland. His expressed commitment to refocus on OSF’s historic strengths, including the large corps of dedicated local volunteers who had been treated dismissively by his predecessor, is encouraging.

I was encouraged as well by the appointment of Tyler Hokama as executive director. It was gracious of him to come out of retirement solely because we need him. I’m not certain how great the need is, but I suspect it’s larger than we’ll ever learn.

Jane Vaughan of Jefferson Public Radio (JPR) recently wrote an investigative report titled “How did the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s financial troubles became so serious?” which was also published by for Oregon Public Broadcasting and other public radio affiliates. The article focused only on OSF’s assets and income, however. About its expenses it was silent. There is some reason to believe that previous OSF management made significant errors in judgment on that side of the ledger. If it did, the public need not know. What counts is that a gifted business executive is now in charge.

Go see ‘Barbie’

Now playing in Ashland and in Medford, in the first 12 days after its release the film grossed a surprising $775 million. When Deborah and I went to see it at the Varsity, there were some kids in the audience, but the majority of us were adults. There’s a reason. It’s a deceptively mature dramatization of gender politics.

The Barbie doll was a historic breakthrough — the first doll not created to steer small girls toward motherhood and domestic life. That breakthrough is delightfully depicted at the start of the film with an extended allusion to “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

The action begins in Barbie Land, a matriarchy where the males, all named Ken (except Allan, the doll created to be Ken’s friend), exist to be favorably noticed by females. After all, unlike the second creation story in Genesis (2:4-25), in which God created the woman to meet the needs of the man, Mattel created Ken to keep Barbie company.

A plot device takes Barbie and Ken to contemporary Los Angeles, which still closely resembles a patriarchy. What he observes delights and changes Ken, though not for the better. From that point on, both male and female must work toward self-understandings not predicated on gender power relationships. It’s intelligent, fun and at moments touching.

View online ‘The Truth: Lost at Sea’

This 57-minute film documents the murderous Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla, an international effort in 2010 to break Israel’s naval quarantine of Gaza. The lead vessel of the eight small, unarmed ships carrying humanitarian aid — mostly medical supplies — to Gaza was attacked in international waters in the darkness of early morning on May 31. Soldiers who rappelled down to the deck from helicopter gunships killed nine men and wounded numerous others.

Voices From the Holy Land is sponsoring the streaming. To get free access, register at Tinyurl.com/VFHL-August2023 for the Zoom discussion scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 20, at noon PDT. After you register, you’ll immediately get an “Approved” response. Then look in your email for an email from Zoom with the word “Confirmation” at the end of the subject line. It will have the link and password to watch the film. You won’t be obligated to join the Aug. 20 discussion, but the Rogue Valley chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace will host a public gathering on that day and time in the Guanajuato Room on the lower level of the Ashland Public Library.

Since Israel’s sea and land blockade of Gaza, which has turned the home of 2 million people into the world’s largest concentration camp, is itself a violation of international law, there was no reason why Israel would hesitate to break other laws by attacking an unarmed vessel in international waters. Its government knows that as long as the U.S. stands with it, it will incur no significant penalties for its crimes.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s successful subversion of his nation’s judiciary, the only institutional check on his current power, prompted lots of media commentary about a change in the U.S.-Israeli relationship. Right! When pigs fly. Nothing Israel has done, does or will do — including deliberately attacking a U.S. naval vessel in 1967, killing 34 crew members and wounding 171 — will shake our support for it. I intend to return to this subject within the next week or two.

Herbert Rothschild is an unpaid Ashland.news board member. Opinions expressed in his columns represent the author’s views and may or may not reflect those of Ashland.news. Email Rothschild at [email protected].