Ashland, Ore. — Bill Rauch, who takes over as artistic director for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in June 2007, recently outlined his vision for the organization and the changes he will implement at the end of the 2007 season.

“I have spent a great deal of time envisioning the most effective structure for the artistic team with whom I will work to lead the Oregon Shakespeare Festival,” Rauch said. “The festival’s greatest strength is the aesthetic diversity of its work, and so my overarching goal in moving forward is to broaden and deepen the diversity of artistic viewpoints, including those of a diversity of playwrights.

“Most of the great works of world dramatic literature were created in collaboration with acting companies. As a classical theater with one of the only remaining acting companies in the United States, OSF has a responsibility to create and produce new work alongside the classics that are the core of our repertoire.”

He outlined six objectives: to expand OSF’s new play development efforts including the launching of the U.S. History Cycle, a series of original plays about American history to parallel the Shakespeare History Cycle; to put more resources into artistic development for the acting company and casting; to increase the variety of directorial voices at OSF; to place a designer in an artistic leadership position; to diversify producing responsibilities; and to offer the greatest possible variety of pre-show experiences on the Green Show stage by inviting both professional and accomplished community-based groups of artists from throughout the western states to perform on a rotating bill.