We saw our first play of the summer at Ashland’s Oregon Shakespeare Festival last week, though mind you, it wasn’t our first show of the year. The full season runs from mid-February through early November and presents a full gamut of theater, including not only Shakespeare comedies, tragedies and histories but also modern works including premieres  and musicals. Back in the spring, we took in the world-premiere production of Fingersmith (you can review my impressions of that performance here), a moody, dark, mysterious play set in Victorian England. For our first summer play, we chose a lively production of Guys and Dolls. It’s interesting to observe the change in atmosphere between the spring and summer months in Ashland surrounding the Festival. The tempo certainly picks up in town once the plays open after the quiet, cold winter months, and there are lots of groups of students juxtaposed with a large number of retirees and others whose schedules aren’t tied to work and family obligations. It’s busy but not boisterous, and the cool temperatures and rain tamp down outdoor activities. Come summer, with its hot temperatures and long, bright days, and things really liven up. Dress is lighter and more casual, and audiences include families with children, millennials in couples and groups — every demographic one could imagine. Starting in June, evening performances are preceded by free Green Show performances “on the bricks” of the courtyard outside the outdoor Elizabethan theater. One can watch Morris dancers performing Renaissance-era dance; African drummers; fire jugglers; and artists from China, Iceland and Taiwan. It all contributes to a wonderful atmosphere of what I can only describe as relaxed excitement, and our choice of Guys and Dolls fit the summer vibe perfectly. The musical, based on characters and stories by Damon Runyon, first hit Broadway in 1951 and enjoyed a popular revival there in 1992. Most are familiar with the 1955 movie starring Marlon Brando as Skye Masterson, Jean Simmons as Sarah Brown and Frank Sinatra as Nathan Detroit. I recall being part of the backstage team of a summer production in college many moons ago, and the show has always been popular in touring productions and community theaters across the country. The catchy tunes (“Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” “Luck Be a Lady,” “A Bushel and a Peck”) and lovable if slightly shady characters make for an enjoyable evening. This production, set in the 1930s (when Runyon’s stories were set), establishes the time with period costumes and a minimalist set (the New York skyline is represented by model blocks of towers including the Chrysler and Empire State buildings which are shifted around the stage by the actors during scene changes), but those songs and the actors’ renditions of the characters carry the day. We’re looking forward to a few more plays in Ashland this year, but Guys and Dolls surely provided a great kickoff to the summer. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor