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Medford
MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 1952
Pages 1-12
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Attention of Valley Focused on Festival
By Olive Starcher
One of the summer's most exciting events
for Ashland and the Rogue River valley in gen
eral took place August 1 when the twelfth
annual Oregon Shakespearean festival opened
in the Lithia oity. The audience overflowed the
670-seat capacity o( the shell, and enjoyed not
only the opening play, "The Tempest," but was
treated to a concert olElizabethan music by the
festival orchestra 'and Madrigal singers, con
ducted by Hans Lampl, festival music director
from Los Angeles.
Angus Bowmer, founder and producing di
yrector of the festival, was among the officials
and dignitaries who extended a welcome to
the first-night audience. Mr. Bowmer, (shown
upper right as he looked in the role of Hamlet
which he once played for the festival) not only
directs and acts in one or two of the plays each
season, but is the guiding spirit behind all the
planning for each year's shows.
Part of the opening night audience is shown
(upper left) watching one of the scenes from
"The Tempest." On the stage, (left to right) are
Virginia Chesse as Miranda, H. Paul Kliss as
Prospero, Richard Risso in the role of Ferdinand
end William Ball as Ariel.
In the last moments before the curtain goes
Up each night, actors and musicians put the
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finishing touches on their make-up and check
their costumes. Seen (center) at one of the dress
ing tables (seated, left to right) are Dion Chesse
as Francisco, Dorothy Anderson, Madrigal sing
er, and Michael Onofrio, Gonzalo, as they ap
plied make-up on opening night. Standing at
left is John Taylor, who sang with the Madrigal
group, and also" played the part of Stephano in
"The Tempest," and Arnold Nelson, who took
the role of a ship's master.
Before the opening ceremonies for the play,
city and state officials, representatives of the
state's colleges and universities, press and radio
staff members and other guests were enter
tained at a buffet dinner at Susanne Homes hall
on the campus of Southern Oregon college. Pic
tured (lower left) at the buffet table are Mrs.
P. H. Stansbury, (at left) and Mr. Stansbury,
who is mayor of Ashland and (across the table)
Mayor Diamond Flynn of Medford. Mrs. Bowmer,
wife of the producing director and one of the
hostesses for the buffet dinner. Is standing at
the mayor's right and Richard Graham, festival
actor and director is next in line.
Members of the small festival orchestra are
shown (lower right) with Director Hans Lampl
as they played the opening night overture.
(Brainerd Photos)