A scene from OSF's 2014 production of Into the Woods, featuring the orchestra on stage with musicians playing various instruments. The centerpiece is a pianist seated at a grand piano decorated with vibrant purple flowers, surrounded by warm, atmospheric lighting.
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Student Musicians

Play in the orchestra for Into the Woods at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival!
Join the pit orchestra for this year's musical. Students will be playing alongside professional musicians!

We are now holding local auditions for our summer musical, Into the Woods. All musical instruments are welcome to audition, but especially the following:

Clarinet
Flute
Bassoon
Violin
Viola
Cello
Double Bass
Trumpet
Trombone
French Horn
Percussion

Learn more about the show.
Why Join?
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) was founded in 1935 in Ashland, OR, and has grown from a three-day festival of two plays to a nationally renowned theatre arts organization that presents a rotating repertory season of up to 10 plays and musicals, including illuminating interpretations of Shakespeare, other enduring classics, and new works. OSF productions have been presented on Broadway, internationally, and at regional, community, and high school theatres across the country. OSF received the 1983 Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre and is one of the largest nonprofit theatres in the nation with three stages, including an outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is providing a unique collaboration for local student musicians (mentees) to play alongside and be mentored by professional Rogue Valley musicians. Mentees will receive a modest weekly stipend for performing in the orchestra and being part of our world-class production.
Eligibility and Expectations:
  • Musicians auditioning must be between 16 and 22 years old.
  • Woodwinds, brass, and percussion need at least one year of experience playing their instrument.
  • Musicians are expected to be available for orchestra rehearsals, tech week, and performances once accepted. Mentees who have partial availability will still be considered.
  • Musicians are expected and encouraged to continue participating in their school ensembles.
A close-up of musicians performing in OSF's 2014 production of Into the Woods. The image focuses on violin players seated in the orchestra, their expressions intense and focused under warm stage lighting.
Schedule:
Pre-Tech
Important Dates:
  • April 25 - Musician Contracts Start
  • April 26 – Orientation/OSF Essentials for Mentee Musicians and Parent/Guardians (daytime)
Pre-Tech Rehearsals and Sectionals:
  • Sunday, April 27, 6-10pm – Orchestra Only Rehearsal #1 (Black Swan Theatre at OSF)
  • Monday, April 28, 5-8pm – Woodwinds Sectional (Hay-Patton Rehearsal Center at OSF)
  • Monday, April 28, 5-8pm – Strings Sectional (Hay-Patton Rehearsal Center at OSF)
  • Wednesday, April 30, 6-10pm – Orchestra Only Rehearsal #2 (Black Swan Theatre at OSF)
  • Saturday, May 3, 10am-2pm – Orchestra Only Rehearsal #3 (Black Swan Theatre at OSF)
  • Sunday, May 4, 5-8pm – Piano/Synth/Percussion Sectional (Hay-Patton Rehearsal Center at OSF)
  • Sunday, May 4, 5-8pm – Brass Sectional (Black Swan Theatre at OSF)
  • Monday, May 5, 6-10pm – Woodwinds/Brass/Piano/Synth/Percussion/Bass Combined Sectional (Black Swan Theatre at OSF)
  • Wednesday, May 7, 6-10pm – Orchestra Only Rehearsal #4 (Black Swan Theatre at OSF)
  • Friday, May 9, 5-10pm – Sitzprobe (Black Swan Theatre at OSF)
  • TBD – Orchestra Only Rehearsal #5 (Black Swan Theatre at OSF)
  • Sunday, May 11, 1-4:30pm (percussion 12pm call for setup) – Band Seating (Elizabethan Theatre at OSF)
Previews and Tech (otherwise known as pre-technical rehearsals – when the lights, sound, orchestra, etc. are synced together)

Tech Rehearsals (all in the Elizabethan Theatre at OSF):
  • Friday, May 16, 7pm-11:55pm
  • Saturday, May 17, 7pm-11:55pm
  • Sunday, May 18, 7pm-11:55pm
  • Tuesday, May 20, 7pm-11:55pm
  • Wednesday, May 21, 7pm-11:55pm
  • Sunday, May 25, 7pm-11:55pm
  • Tuesday, May 27, 7pm-11:55pm
  • Thursday, May 29, 7pm-11:55pm
  • Tuesday, June 3, 7pm-11:55pm
  • Thursday, June 10, 7pm-11:55pm
Preview Performances:
  • Saturday, May 31, 7pm-11:30pm
  • Thursday, June 5, 7pm-11:30pm
  • Saturday, June 7, 7pm-11:30pm
  • Thursday, June 12, 7pm-11:30pm
Performances (7:30pm call)
Audition Information
Audition Dates:
Video deadline: February 10, 2025, by 11:59pm (see below)
In person: Parents/Guardians should contact Jesse Sanchez to set up an appointment no later than February 7, 2025.

What to Prepare:
1-2 minutes of anything you’ve played in your local ensemble or an etude/solo you’ve been working on. We’d love to see the range of your skill.