For the countless people who make the Oregon Shakespeare Festival an annual trip, getting a room, reserving tickets, and navigating downtown Ashland become second nature.

But for the uninitiated, it can be as bewildering as a line of obscure Shakespearian dialogue. So for OSF newbies who want to avoid ending up a "knotty-pated fool," ("Henry IV, Part 1," anyone?), here's what you need to know to make the most of the festival.

Just what is the festival?

It's not a renaissance faire, and it's not a convention for fans of William Shakespeare. It's not even a Shakespeare-only theater festival, as the name might suggest.

Put simply, it's a 10-month string of contemporary and classical plays put on by a company that used to do only Shakespeare.

Think of it as any other professional theater company, except with international acclaim as a destination theater and talent incubator. It has an 11-show season each year, less than half of which are Shakespearian. They run for several months each, often overlapping from February to November and creating periods when all but one or two of the season's shows play at once.

"We are endlessly changeable and malleable," said OSF spokesperson Eddie Wallace, offering different experiences for every kind of audience member and time of year.

Lodging

It's no secret to hotel managers that Ashland attracts a crowd, so there are plenty of beds in proximity to the theaters. They range from luxury suites to hostel bunk beds, with plenty of vacation rentals, bed-and-breakfasts, hotels and motels in between. Don't be afraid to search outside of Ashland too. Nearby Jacksonville and Medford have their share of rooms as well.

Once you peruse the season schedule and decide on some shows, you'd do well to reserve a room right then and there. While you can often find last-minute lodging, it's nice to have your pick of price point and amenities rather than settling for what's left. Prices go up as more plays open, and popular summer weekends are already filling up at some of the choice hotels.

Tickets

This is high quality stuff, so tickets can be steep. But the festival has a laundry list of opportunities to save money on seats.

Special family days offer $25 tickets. Weekly web specials give 40 percent off a rotating list of shows (updated online every Thursday). A limited number of theater-edge seats cost $30, and flexible folks can score rush tickets for $45. If you plan on seeing a lot of shows anyway, a $150 flex pass gets you five tickets for select performances throughout the season.

When booking seats, know that just about any seat in the indoor Angus Bowmer and Thomas theaters is a good one. But try to get close to the stage for outdoor shows in the Allen Elizabethan Theater, as the lack of an acoustic ceiling (or any ceiling) can dilute some dialogue by the time it reaches the nosebleeds. To make sure you get in to the performance you want, try booking at least a month in advance.

Parking

The short version of Ashland's parking situation near the theaters: It can be tight. There's a paid three-story parking garage right next to the complex, but Wallace said it can fill up as quickly as the streets downtown. Booking a room within walking distance of the festival can solve the whole problem. Otherwise, it's best to give yourself an extra 20 minutes or so to find a spot.

Check the city's parking map for all possible spaces, keeping an eye out for the four-hour lots that offer plenty of time to take in a whole show. For an extra pleasant walk to and from your car, park along the creek in Lithia Park and stroll through the trees to your seat.

Is it as fancy as it sounds?

While the onstage caliber is worthy of a tucked-in shirt at least, you don't have to dress like the Queen of England to fit into the audience. Many audience members are on vacation, so the unofficial dress code is welcoming to jeans and other comfortable clothes you might spend the day strolling through town in. Bring layers, as theaters can be chilly even in summer.

Speaking of fancy, the whole Shakespearian language thing can feel a bit elegant (read hard to understand). But Wallace said many people approach him after a show saying, "It didn't sound like Shakespeare." Besides, if the Bard's vocabulary is outside your comprehension, the dialogue in the seven plain English shows should sink right in.

--Dillon Pilorget

503-294-5927