Ross Ragland Theatre

The Ross Ragland Theater and Cultural Center is celebrating its Silver Anniversary Season in 2013-2014, and what an amazing 25 years it has been! The Ragland opened in Klamath Falls in 1989 after years of grassroots fundraising and planning to save the Art-Deco Esquire movie theater from the wrecking ball and transform it into the arts, cultural, entertainment, educational and economic beacon of Southern Oregon.

In August the Ragland was one of the first theaters in the nation to buy the community theater rights and produce "Les Miserables" onstage with 65 performers and dozens of volunteers behind the scenes. It attracted audiences from across Oregon and Northern California whose consensus was the performance was as excellent as could be seen in Portland or San Francisco. Les Mis was the highest grossing production in the theater's history. The Silver Season formally kicked off Sept. 27 with a sellout concert by Lonestar and continues through next August with a variety of events for audiences of all ages and cultural interests: www.rrtheater.org.

Education is equally as important as arts and entertainment, with many performers visiting local schools. The theater presents 8-12 educational student matinee performances during each school year, after-school workshops and summer youth camps which teach students how to present a professional production from start to finish. Campers during summer of 2013 presented a fantastic version of Disney's The Little Mermaid. About 2/3 of children who attend workshops and camps qualify for full or partial income-based scholarships. In October 2013 the Ragland will reintroduce music and theater arts into Klamath County Elementary Schools in partnership with the school district, thanks to several major foundation grants.

In 2004 when my husband were considering moving to Klamath Falls from a large city for a job offer, we may not have chosen to move had the Ragland not been here. I worked for a Ragland corporate sponsor from 2005-2008, have served on the board since 2009 and attended shows and events for over 8 years. We have an outstanding board, staff and volunteer guild. Executive Director Mark McCrary has both the performing arts and nonprofit management background necessary to orchestrate the million-dollar budget into events and programs that truly benefit the community. The Ragland is a community treasure in Klamath Falls, and a model arts organization to support and emulate.