Oregon
Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 'Coriolanus' set to premier Tuesday – Ashland News – Community-Supported, NonProfit News
The play features an all women and non-binary cast to share one of Shakespeare’s Roman tragedies with audiences
By Cameron Aalto, Ashland.news
“Coriolanus,” one of Shakespeare’s most rarely produced plays, hits the stage Tuesday, July 23, in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Thomas Theatre.
Directed by Rosa Joshi, the play tells the story of a powerful yet starving population and a war-hero turned politician. In his attempt to be made consul, he offends the civilian plebeians and is rejected not only by the population, but also tribunes who exiled him from Rome.
The Roman tragedy is described by Joshi in an email interview as “a complex story with a complicated central character. Coriolanus is not clearly sympathetic but also not a clear villain who you can ‘love to hate.’ He’s a war hero with a deep sense of integrity on his way to the highest political office in the state — the hitch is that he has to beg for it from the common people, and he despises the common people. And he can’t hide it like the other politicians in the play do.”
When asked why people should attend the show, Joshi shares, “the production is infused with stylized movement that supports the story telling” which can be seen through “(a) mob that is a ‘hydra,’ soldiers storming a city, actors transforming before your eyes into different characters.” She describes the production as “visually dynamic and highly physical,” and adds that “the ensemble of actors who make the play are amazing — the virtuosity of their performance, I think, will captivate an audience.”
Joshi explains that the depth of Coriolanus’ character is one of the reasons that she decided to direct the play: “at the same time, Coriolanus is a fascinating character who has real vulnerability, humanity and depth — and that is what really draws me to this play. There’s no easy answers and I find that absolutely entrancing.”
Originally approached to direct the show by Portland Center Stage, Joshi writes that the small cast size and themes of leadership applicable to contemporary circumstances were additional motivations: “I was approached to do this play initially by Portland Center Stage as a workshop exploring if we could do it with a small cast. That was exciting as it invited a level of theatricality that is compelling to me. And I’m always interested in plays that examine the nature of leadership. I think in a democracy it is always essential for us to explore what we want in our leaders. It’s what keeps (Shakespeare’s) history plays alive and relevant to me as a contemporary American citizen.”
The plays official description states that its “themes of ambition and delicate democracy … will particularly resonate during an election year.” When asked about the parallels that viewers might see, Joshi explains, “I’m always thinking about how a classic play that is centuries old will connect with a contemporary audience. I think the politics of ‘Coriolanus’ will resonate with (the) audience. While Coriolanus is definitely the central character, this is also the story about a down-trodden populace manipulated by ambitious, duplicitous politicians who are in turn threatened by a revered but unpredictable war hero. The politicians in the play don’t love the people, but they know how to hide their disdain in order to stay in power.”
‘Coriolanus’ event at Bloomsbury on Sunday
To learn more about the play with translator Sean San José, adapter and director Rosa Joshi, and president and co-founder of Play on Shakespeare Lue Douthit, join Bloomsbury Books for their conversation and book signing of “Coriolanus.” The event will take place from 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 28, at Bloomsbury Books. For more information, click here.
She states that “the circumstances (of the play) and the political dynamics are definitely familiar” and that “(u)ltimately it’s a story for me about the fragility of democracy itself. Does democracy work? And this felt like an approach that would speak to who we are in the world today.”
In a unique approach, “Coriolanus” will feature a full cast of women and non-binary actors. The production, presented by OSF and Portland Center Stage, is also partnering with Upstart Crow Collective.
Upstart Crow Collective reimagines classical plays by “producing racially diverse casts of women and non-binary people.”
Joshi states that “the choice of cast is very intentional. It comes from a desire to create more opportunities for women and non-binary people in the Western classical canon and also to examine how we experience these stories when these actors occupy the stage. We don’t change the gender of the characters on stage, we focus on playing the truth of character and on telling the story. And then when you do this, things that we ‘take for granted’ get thrown up into the air and we start to question the ‘norms’ of gendered behavior.”
In addition to this, Joshi says that the opportunity of an all-woman and non-binary cast provides the opportunity “… to see incredible actors take on roles they don’t normally have access to playing. And it opens up who can tell these stories. It allows young women and non-binary people to imagine themselves in these classic plays in new ways. And it (allows) all of us to experience how truly expansive Shakespeare can be — how the plays can hold all of humanity inside them.”
The eight-person cast of Coriolanus “telling this epic story we get to engage with (is) a kind of theatricality that I love,” said Joshi. Some actors will play both characters with power and characters without, “senators turn into citizens on stage on a dime,” she says. Because of this, Joshi explains that viewers can see each character’s humanity: “when you have the people in power played by the same actors as the common people, (…) a certain shared humanity comes through. The oppressors literally become the oppressed right before your eyes. It’s the kind of storytelling that I find thrilling and that can only happen in the theater — where an audience leans in and actively engages their imagination to create the world.”
“Coriolanus” is scheduled to run from July 23 to Oct. 13 with preface events offered by OSF at Carpenter Hall.
To order a ticket, click here.
Ashland.news intern Cameron Aalto is a recent graduate of Southern Oregon University. Email him at aaltoc@sou.edu.
Oregon
Where Oregon Ducks rank in industry recruiting rankings for 2027 class
With the winter evaluation period of high school football recruiting now behind us, we’ve seen some of the top recruiting sites update their rankings over the past few weeks and start to reset their boards for the 2027 class. In February, On3 shifted players around after getting fresh looks at the class, and 247Sports did the same earlier this week.
So with Oregon’s handful of commits getting new ratings, where does the Ducks’ class rank nationally in this cycle?
If you look at sites individually, it looks different, with 247Sports having Oregon sitting at No. 13 in the nation. At Rivals, though, they take the industry ranking, which factors in their own rankings, plus an average from 247Sports and ESPN.
In the industry rankings, Oregon sits at No. 9 in the nation, with five commitments.
Going into the summer months, the Ducks are in a great spot, leading or among the top schools for a handful of the top prospects in the nation, like 5-star QB Will Mencl or 5-star WR Dakota Guerrant. We will see what movement Oregon can make in the coming months after official visits take place early in the summer.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Oregon
New Data Shows Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise
Data released by the Oregon Health Authority this week suggests Oregonians are getting hurt on electric scooters more every year.
In recent years, according to OHA, an “e-scooter-specific code” was developed for health care tracking purposes.
From 2021 to 2024, annual injury reports under this code from Oregon hospitals and emergency departments jumped from 211 to 418.
And in just the first nine months of 2025, there had been 509 such reports.
“These injuries are not minor scrapes,” said Dagan Wright, an OHA epidemiologist, in a written statement. “They often involve head injuries, broken bones, and other serious trauma that requires emergency or inpatient care.”
The city of Portland signed contracts with three e-scooter rental companies in 2018, as the transportation craze spread across the country. But e-scooter injury diagnosis codes are relatively new in health care reporting, Wright said in the OHA statement.
“While the overall numbers remain smaller than for other transportation-related injuries, the rapid increase over a short period of time is a clear safety signal,” OHA added.
The agency highlighted the story of Portland e-scooter commuter Daniel Pflieger, who it says was riding a scooter home when he reportedly slid on ice. He bruised several ribs.
Sometimes outcomes are worse. OHA identified 17 deaths linked to electric or motorized scooters since 2018, and seven of those occurred in 2025.
OHA says that e-bikes raise many similar safety concerns as e-scooters. The first full year for which e-bike injuries were coded for reporting was 2023. State data shows 392 reported e-bike injuries that year, 683 in 2024, and 760 in the first nine months of 2025.
“Injuries involving e-bikes and e-scooters share common risk factors—speed, lack of helmet use, roadway design, and interactions with motor vehicles,” Wright said.
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Oregon
Oregon women’s basketball playing for March Madness seeding vs. Purdue
Hear Oregon women’s Graves, Etute and Fiso after loss to Washington
The Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team finishes the regular season with a March 1 home loss to Washington.
At times, the Oregon women’s basketball team has certainly made things much harder on themselves than it needs to be. The team has also produced some miraculous comeback victories, putting itself in position to make women’s March Madness for the second straight season.
March 1, in their final regular season game, the Ducks (20-11, 8-10 Big Ten) finished on the wrong end of yet another tight game to Washington, 70-69. It’s the second time this season Oregon has come back from a double-digit deficit, but ended up losing to the Huskies (20-9, 10-8).
Those aren’t the only times Oregon has come back from a double-digit deficit, like it did in wins vs. Nebraska and USC. The No. 11-seed Ducks are hoping they won’t need heroics in a Big Ten tournament first-round game against No. 14 Purdue this Wednesday.
Watch Oregon basketball on Peacock
“I think our biggest weakness this year has been our inconsistency,” coach Kelly Graves said, “something we’ve battled all year. The great thing is our kids know, regardless of the score, we’ve got a chance. We’ll make it a game at some point. As a coach, it drives you nuts. Hopefully we can figure it out and play more consistent basketball.”
Oregon’s volatility has seen it earn three double-digit comeback wins this year, but also blow several games in the final moments.
Against Wisconsin, the Ducks held a 6-point lead with less than a minute remaining, but lost in overtime. Against Illinois, Oregon held a 21-point lead at halftime, blew it in the third quarter, trailed by eight with minutes to play and somehow eked out a win.
That makes UO somewhat of a wild card heading into the conference tournament this week at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“It’s definitely (been) a rollercoaster,” guard Katie Fiso said. “A lot of highs and a lot of lows. But one thing that I try to see through all games is our grittiness and our toughness. One thing that stays consistent throughout the season is our toughness and our grittiness. The game isn’t over until the last bell rings.”
The Ducks will be taking on a Boilermakers (13-16, 5-13) team that has struggled against most of the top competition in the league, but played Oregon tight in a Feb. 25 Ducks win.
Graves said when the Ducks went throughout the postgame handshake line after, the Boilermakers felt like their season would end after the regular season. Thanks to some upsets, Purdue is in the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 14 seed.
“We’re playing a team that probably feels like it’s playing with house money,” Graves said. “We’ve got to pick ourselves back up and get it done.”
What channel is Oregon vs. Purdue on today in Big Ten tournament?
Oregon will tip off vs. Purdue on Peacock, with no TV option to watch the game.
Oregon vs. Purdue start time in Big Ten tournament
- Date: Wednesday, March 4
- Time: Around 5:30 p.m. PT
Oregon and Purdue will play around 5:30 p.m. PT at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The first game of the day begins at 12:30 p.m. PT, with the next game 25 minutes after the first game ends, and so on. The Ducks play in the third game of the day, so no official tip time is listed.
Oregon women’s basketball schedule 2025-26
Below are the past five games of Oregon’s 2025-26 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.
| Feb. 15 | Washington 51, Oregon 43 |
| Feb. 19 | Oregon 80, Nebraska 76 |
| Feb. 22 | Indiana 72, Oregon 65 |
| Feb. 25 | Oregon 71, Purdue 65 |
| March 1 | Washington 70, Oregon 69 |
| March 4 | Oregon vs. Purdue (Big Ten tournament) |
Purdue women’s basketball schedule 2025-26
Below are the past five games of Purdue’s 2025-26 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.
Feb. 14
Purdue 72, Rutgers 57
Feb. 19
Iowa 83, Purdue 74
Feb. 22
Maryland 99, Purdue 66
Feb. 25
Oregon 71, Purdue 65
March 1
Purdue 67, Northwestern 62
March 4
Oregon vs. Purdue (Big Ten tournament)
Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football and women’s basketball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com.
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