SOU Theatre student actors Shane Howard, Sierra Milburn, Isaac Glace and Connor O’Ryan (photo credit Marvin Walder)
SOU Theatre Presents The Visit
ASHLAND, Ore. — The Southern Oregon University (SOU) Theatre Department presents their first production of 2026, The Visit. The show opens February 26th at 8:00pm at the Southern Oregon University Main Stage Theatre with a run of eight performances that include both matinee and evening shows, wrapping up on March 8th. March 6th will include a post-performance talkback.
A Tragi-Comedy by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
The Visit follows the return of a wealthy former resident who makes an offer that promises the financial relief that weighs on the townsfolk of Güllen. As the promise of renewal spreads, so too does a reckoning, forcing the community to confront what its moral values are.
Written by Swiss playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt, and first produced in 1956, the play’s themes remain strikingly relevant. The play hopes to shine a light on, or “see through a lens of a cracked fun house mirror,” human nature’s potential for evil.
Pictured: SOU Theatre student actors Connor O’Ryan, Isaac Glace, and Shane Howard (photo credit, Marvin Walder)
“The Visit is perennially timely in its exploration of the fragile, mutable nature of justice and the frailty of morality in the face of material abundance,” said Director and Associate Professor of Performance – Movement, Brendan McMahon. “At a moment when affordability feels increasingly out of reach for so many and communities struggle with financial insolvency, the anxiety and despair of the impoverished Güelleners feels ominously familiar. This play asks us to consider what we are willing to ignore, justify, or sacrifice in the name of prosperity.”
Through its stylized staging and vibrant costumes, The Visit is yet another production that spotlights SOU’s commitment to practical, professional training, with students creating every aspect of the show—from design and construction to performance. This intensive, mentor-led approach ensures graduates are ready to step into professional roles in the industry.
Pictured: SOU Theatre students Sierra Milburn, Connor O’Ryan, Isaac Glace, and Shane Howard (photo credit, Marvin Walder)
Performance Details: The Visit
Dates: February 26th – March 8th 2026
Time: 8:00 PM (2:00 PM matinee on Saturday 3/7 and Sunday 3/8)
Location: SOU Main Stage Theatre, 491 South Mountain Ave, Ashland OR 97520
Special Event: Post Show Talk Back – March 6th, 2026.
Tickets: $25 General Admission / $20 Senior / Students (of any school) Free Admission
Available at: sou.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1732
Director Biography
Brendan McMahon is an Associate Professor of Theatre Performance – Movement at Southern Oregon University. His Directing credits for SOU include Servant of Two Masters, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, A Vampire Story, and Today is the Day! at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Green Show. His most recent directing credits include
Peregrinations at the Tank Theatre in New York City, and Henry IV Parts I and II with New York Classical Theatre in Central Park. As a performer and director he has worked with theatres and companies such as Lincoln Center, The Shakespeare Theatre in DC, The Kennedy Center, The Public Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Asolo Rep, Mabou Mines, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Dream Music Puppetry, La Mama (NYC), The Culture Project (NYC), Daegu Theatre Festival in South Korea and Theatre Lumen in Brussels, Belgium.
About the Southern Oregon University Theatre Department
The SOU Theatre Department offers students a unique and rigorous professional training experience focused on hands-on production and collaboration. Situated near the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the department prepares students for careers in performance, design, and technical theatre through a diverse curriculum and intensive practical application.
