Rogue Theater Company

08/31/2026

38 TALKS & COUNTING!!

Here’s a fun milestone you might not know: Rogue Theater Company has hosted three and a half years of Tuesday Talks—that’s 38 talks, and we’re still going strong!

Debuting in February 2023, this exclusive donor-benefit experience brings our community together on the last Tuesday of every month (February through November) for hour-long, deep-dive theater conversations featuring a different guest artist each time.

Thanks to the engaging wit and theater saviness of actor and director Michael J. Hume—who moderates most Tuesdays—every gathering is a delightful mix of insight, history, and behind-the-scenes fun focusing on theater both locally and beyond.

A huge thank you to all of our donors and visiting artists who make these gatherings so special month after month!

Featured in today's photo: Daniel Molina, just one of the extraordinary artists who has joined us for these conversations!

08/24/2026

Throwback to 2019!!! Every great story starts with a leap of faith.

Rogue Theater Company was born out of a simple but passionate vision: to create an intimate space in Southern Oregon where extraordinary actors and audiences could connect deeply through world-class, story-driven theater.

Starting with our inaugural production of Fragments, we set out to strip things down, fill intimate spaces and, most of all, to move people—just compelling scripts, incredible talent, and a space where every seat feels like the front row.

Partnering with Grizzly Peak Winery to create the Richard L. Hay Center gave that vision a true home.

Whether you’ve been with us since day one or joined us during Constellations, thank you for being part of our story!

Which RTC production was your very first?

Introducing Rogue Theatre Company! As a new addition to Ashland theater, we are dedicated to presenting exciting, thought-provoking plays that inspire, entertain, and illuminate our common humanity.

Our first production is FRAGMENTS: the story of a strained relationship between mother and daughter further complicated by sexuality, betrayal, and loss as a family unravels (Fragments contains mature subject matter). Our stunning cast includes Eileen DeSandre, Annie Paul, Daniel Jokelson, Madeleine Fichera, Marie-Claire Erdynast, Vincent Zaro Wright, and Cil Stengel.

PERFORMANCES: Fragments previews Thursday, March 7; Fridays and Saturdays March 8, 9, 15, 16 at 8 pm; Sundays matinees March 10 and 17 at 2 pm, at the Bellview Grange, 1050 Tolman Creek Road in Ashland. Opening night Friday, March 8th will be a benefit for Planned Parenthood with a reception following the performance.

TICKETS: Tickets are available at Paddington Station, The Music Coop, and online: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3607659. Pricing is $18 for general admission and $15 for students/seniors. Opening night show and benefit will be $25 (all proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood).

MEDIA: You can keep up to date with everything RTC by liking us on Facebook, following us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roguetheatercompany/ and Twitter: https://twitter.com/RogueTheaterCo, and visiting our website roguetheatercompany.com.

08/20/2026

Over the past few posts, we’ve talked about how our seating and stage configurations shift for every single show at the Richard L. Hay Center. But what truly defines the Rogue Theater Company experience isn't just where you sit—it’s the close connection between performer and audience, between audience and story.

In a world full of big-budget spectacles, RTC takes an intentionally different path.

As our Founder and Producing Artistic Director puts it:

"Rather than elaborate sets and costumes, we focus on exceptional acting and powerful storytelling. Our actors rely on the raw power of their voices—never microphones—and our intimate seating brings you strikingly close to the stage, creating a deeply personal connection between artist and audience."

When an actor speaks a whisper in our space, you don't hear it through a speaker—you hear it directly from their breath. Every tremor in a voice, every silent beat, and every raw emotion is shared in real time. It's theater....in its most human form.

Photos by Bob Palermini
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08/17/2026

If you’ve attended more than one play at the Richard L. Hay Center at Grizzly Peak Winery, you’ve probably noticed something: the room completely transforms every single time you visit.

One show, the stage is set against a wall. The next, it’s an alley stage running right down the middle with seating on both sides. Other times, the audience sits in a horseshoe or circle around the performance.

This isn't just about keeping things fresh—it’s a core part of what makes Rogue Theater Company so intimate and dynamic.

As Richard Hay himself has noted throughout his legendary career, intimate and unique spaces spark the most imaginative designs. Rather than fitting a play into a rigid, static stage, our team designs the physical space around the needs of each story.

Whether you're sitting inches from the actors in an alley configuration or taking in the whole room in the round, every performance offers a completely unique perspective.

Is there a setup that particularly stands out for you? Do you have a favorite?

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08/13/2026

Do you know the story behind the name of our theater?

When you step into Rogue Theater Company at the Richard L. Hay Center at Grizzly Peak Winery, you are entering a space dedicated to a true theatrical legend.

While most world-renowned set designers are "freelance gypsies" moving constantly between major cities, Richard chose to anchor his brilliant five-decade career right here in Ashland. As scenic and theater designer emeritus at OSF (where he designed an astonishing 246 productions over 63 seasons), Richard didn't just design sets—he helped design the very theaters themselves.

Known for viewing set design not as mere decoration, but as solving spatial puzzles, Richard once noted that some of his most imaginative work came out of intimate, challenging spaces rather than massive open stages.

That philosophy makes our intimate room at Grizzly Peak Winery a fitting home for his legacy. Since 2019’s 'night, Mother, Richard has designed or co-designed every RTC set, constantly finding the most elegant, unexpected solutions to bring intimate stories to life. In our next post we will have a look at the always changing seating setups for our productions.

Richard is a treasure, an institution, and a caring, collegial icon. We are beyond proud to celebrate his immeasurable impact on the arts and on our company.

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08/10/2026

"The theater was created to tell the truth about the human condition.." — Stella Adler (1901-1992, Actor and founder of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City in 1949)

Photo by , from Constellations rehearsal with John Tufts and Christine Albright.

There is something irreplaceable about sitting just feet away from actors in a room where every breath, pause, and glance is shared. Intimate regional theater isn't just entertainment—it's a mirror, a gathering place, and a community conversation.

Sometimes it can even be uncomfortable. When actors navigate raw, deeply real human emotions and choices right in front of you, it’s hard not to feel some of that pain, or emotion. But that’s the magic of it—it reminds us what it feels like to be fully alive and connected.

Thank you for sharing these moments with us at Grizzly Peak Winery. What is it about live, intimate performance that keeps you coming back? 🎭✨

08/06/2026

THAT’S A WRAP ON CONSTELLATIONS! 🐝✨

We are full of gratitude for everyone who joined us in the multiverse for Nick Payne’s Constellations, and for our actors, director and crew for bringing it all to life.

From the physics of parallel lives to the intricate world of honeybees, this play gave us so much to think about long after the house lights came up. Our latest newsletter dives into a fascinating overlap between the play’s two main worlds: Did you know NASA actually sent thousands of honeybees into space?

In 1984, NASA sent roughly 3,400 bees aboard the shuttle Discovery to study how they navigate microgravity and build comb in space—a vital experiment for the future of space agriculture and human survival among the stars.

Read more in our newsletter! It turns out Nick Payne’s blend of cosmology and beekeeping isn't so far-fetched after all!

If you love getting deep dives, artist insights, and early access to upcoming announcements, make sure you’re on our email list.

See the latest or subscribe to the RTC Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/roguetheatercompany/nov-news-17596814

Thank you to our incredible cast, crew, and audience for making this run so unforgettable. Enjoy the rest of your summer and we look forward to seeing everyone back at for Death and the Maiden, opening October 14.
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08/03/2026

On August 4, we welcome a packed house to Grizzly Peak Winery for a special one-day benefit performance of An Iliad, starring John Tufts and directed by Christine Albright.
This breathtaking solo performance reimagines Homer’s epic tale of war and humanity for a modern audience—and thanks to this incredible community, every single seat is filled!
Grateful doesn’t begin to cover how we feel about your support for Rogue Theater Company and our mission to present thought-provoking plays that inspire, enthrall and illuminate common humanity. To do that we need a community that cares. Thank you Southern Oregon!
To those joining us tomorrow afternoon—we look forward to sharing this intimate story with you!
🗓️ Tuesday, August 4th at 1:00 PM
📍 Indoor venue at Grizzly Peak Winery
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08/03/2026

Our 3-week run of Constellations has wrapped, but tomorrow afternoon we gather at Grizzly Peak Winery for a very special event: a one-day-only benefit performance of An Iliad, starring John Tufts and directed by Christine Albright.

We are thrilled to share that this performance is OFFICIALLY SOLD OUT!

Spanning centuries of human history, An Iliad reimagines Homer’s epic tale of war, rage, and human connection into a breathtaking solo tour de force. We couldn't be more grateful to our community for filling every seat in support of Rogue Theater Company.

Our mission is to present thought-provoking plays that inspire, enthrall, and illuminate common humanity. To meet that mission we need a community that cares. Thank you for being that!

To everyone holding a ticket for tomorrow's 1:00 PM show—we can't wait to see you there! THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING ROGUE THEATER COMPANY!!

🗓️ Tuesday, August 4th at 1:00 PM
📍 Indoor venue at Grizzly Peak Winery

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07/30/2026

We're in the final countdown for Constellations! The last show is this Sunday.

If you haven't seen it yet—or want to experience the magic one last time—this is your final call. Watch stars John Tufts and Christine Albright bring this funny, poignant, multi-universe love story to life in our intimate, air-conditioned theater space.And of course we'd like to send them off with a full theater for Sunday's final performance.

Don't miss this "dazzling, heart-stirring" and fast moving play!

🗓️ FINAL SHOWS: Today – Sunday, August 2 at 1:00 PM
📍 Indoor, air-conditioned seating at Grizzly Peak Winery

🎟️ Visit roguetheatercompany.com for more info and tickets.

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