In the Theatres and Seating

The theatre experience at OSF is live and communal. We encourage you to embrace the social environment outside on the Bricks and inside the theatres, to dress casually or dress up, and to bring your full, unique self to the performance as you make room for others to do the same. Here are some tips and guidelines to help enhance your playgoing experience, as well as that of your neighbors.

Photos, selfies, and video are permitted in the lobby, as well as in the theatre when actors aren’t onstage—including before the show starts, during intermission, and after the show. Once the actors are onstage, please turn off your phone, camera, or recording device, and silence anything else that emits electronic sounds (cell phone, digital watch, etc.).

Due to the tight scheduling of our multishow repertory, performances must begin promptly. In the Angus Bowmer and Allen Elizabethan theatres, latecomers may be admitted at a suitable interval; in the Thomas, late seating is based on the individual artistic needs of the play. Please note that patrons who leave their seats during the performance may not be able to be reseated until intermission. If you cannot be immediately seated due to late arrival or needing to exit during the performance, we invite you to enjoy the show on the lobby monitors.

Only concessions purchased at the Concessions Booth may be brought into the theatres —no outside food or beverages are allowed.

Children 6 years of age and above are welcome in all of our shows, but we leave it to the adults in their lives to decide what they’re ready for and encourage everyone to view our suitability suggestions for the plays. Children under 6 are not allowed into performances, but are welcome at our free Green Shows.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival campus features three theatre spaces: The two indoor spaces, the Angus Bowmer Theatre (seats 601), the Thomas Theatre (seats 270-360), and the outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre (seats 1190). All of the theatres are in close proximity to each other.

From its inception, the Angus Bowmer Theatre has welcomed our patrons with the graciousness of the man for whom it was named, OSF’s founder Angus L. Bowmer. The immediacy between company and audience members in this space allows for theatrical voyages of human discovery, guided by some of the world’s greatest classical and contemporary playwrights. The theatre seats 600, and quite seriously, there is no bad seat in the house.

For the 2025 season, the Angus Bowmer Theatre vom (the entrance/exit passageways for actors) on house right will not be in use and thus available for seating.

As a result of a generous $3 million grant from The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the Elizabethan Stage/Allen Pavilion has been renamed the Allen Elizabethan Theatre. The Foundation provided the lead gifts for the building of the Allen Pavilion in 1993, when the name of the theatre was changed to Elizabethan Stage/Allen Pavilion.

One of America's oldest Elizabethan theatres, OSF’s outdoor flagship stage is named for a queen and the glorious age in which Shakespeare wrote. Experience the sweep and majesty of those unforgettable stories of love, tragedy and spiritual transformation beneath a canopy of stars. This outdoor theatre, with orchestra and balcony seating, accommodates 1,190 patrons.

As a result of the generous donation of $4.5 million from a group of donors, comprising of The Goatie Foundation, Roberta and David Elliott, and Helen and Peter Bing, in 2013 the New Theatre was renamed the Thomas Theatre in recognition of longtime OSF Development Director Peter D. Thomas, who died in March 2010.

The gift answered a challenge issued in 1993 when Jo Lynn Allen of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the lead donor for the construction of OSF’s New Theatre, passed on the opportunity to name the theatre, issuing the requirement for other donors to make a significant contribution to secure the naming rights. The combined gift from the above group of donors meets the Allen’s threshold, and gives them the naming rights.

The New Theatre opened in 2002 and it carries on the pioneering spirit of its predecessor, the Black Swan. Here, on this intimate and extremely versatile stage, we present new works and explore familiar plays in ways designed to challenge, excite and illuminate. Depending on the flexible seating configuration (thrust, arena, avenue) in use, the theatre seats from 270-360 audience members.

One of the pleasures of seeing plays at OSF is the fact that we are a destination theatre. This means we have people from many different places of many different ages, many of whom are on vacation, enjoying the work on our stages. As a result, attire is often casual compared to some urban theatres. Many patrons dress comfortably so they can walk around town or the park before or after the play, while othersmay opt to dress up or even choose attire inspired by the play.

Temperatures and Attire in the Theatres

Allen Elizabethan Theatre: Temperatures in this outdoor venue can fluctuate between hot to chilly to downright cold, so it's best to wear or bring layers. There are blankets that can be rented before the show, but it's best to come prepared. 

Angus Bowmer Theatre and Thomas Theatre:  These are our indoor venues, but they can be chilly due to air conditioning, so it is always a good idea to have an extra layer just in case, even in the heat of summer. 

Concessions are back for those looking to purchase light fare and local wine, beer, or coffee!