Ross Ragland Theater Education & Outreach Programs
218 North 7th Street, Klamath Falls, OR 97601
About
Ross Ragland Theater Education & Outreach Programs include activities such as the Astronaut Academy Spring Break Camp and the Rag Tag choirs. Astronaut Academy Spring Break Camp is part of Janet's Planet Astronaut Academy and offers a STEM experience focused on science, technology, and aerospace. The Rag Tag choirs are a fun, educational choir program for kids who love to sing and do not need prior experience.
• Schedule: Astronaut Academy Spring Break Camp runs March 23, 2026 from 9:00 AM through March 27, 2026 at 3:00 PM
The Ross Ragland Theater & Cultural Center provides performing arts and educational experiences that enhance community life in the Klamath Basin. Educational programming introduces young people and adults to the arts through workshops, matinees, classes, and outreach initiatives, reaching thousands each year. The programs provide curriculum-based cultural experiences to schoolchildren in a four-county region, and annually over 10,000 children take part in educational programming at the theater. The Ross Ragland Theater hosts student matinees and workshops with renowned artists, summer art classes, and a teen theater program for underserved youth, and the Access Program for Low Income Youth and Families offers free or reduced tickets and tuition.
Originally a 1940s Art Deco movie house called The Esquire that opened in 1940, the theater was renovated and reopened as the Ross Ragland Theater in March 1989 with a local production of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. Plans for a civic center began in the late 1970s, fundraising started in 1983, and renovation began in 1987. In late 1989, nine months after opening, the Ross Ragland Theater became a privately owned, not-for-profit corporation. In the mid-1990s, a bequest from Ann and Sam Rife funded the Ragland-Rife Foundation, and a 1996 bequest from Patricia Allen supported further fundraising that led to the $2 million addition of the adjoining Cultural Center in 1997. The Ragland Cultural Center includes two large banquet rooms and a full catering kitchen.
The Board of Directors includes Paul Stewart (President), Allison Phair (Vice-President/Secretary), Courtney Talbot (Treasurer), John Evoniuk (Director), Elizabeth Evoniuk (Director), Stephen Gaither (Director), Josh Guest (Director), Robin Raiter (Director), Jim McCabe (Ragland Rife), Joan Staunton (Member Emerita), Regina Morris (Guild President), and Jay Schindler (listed under the Board of Directors section). A volunteer organization, The Ross Ragland Theater Guild, has over 100 active members who staff events as ushers and concessionaires and contribute thousands of volunteer hours each year. Two other volunteer organizations, the Board of Directors and The Ragland-Rife Foundation Board, support the daily and long-term health of the theater. Accessibility features for programs include assistive listening systems, ASL-interpreted performances for select events, accessible seating, entrances, and restrooms, and digital programs available via QR code.
Last updated May 15, 2026.
• Schedule: Astronaut Academy Spring Break Camp runs March 23, 2026 from 9:00 AM through March 27, 2026 at 3:00 PM
The Ross Ragland Theater & Cultural Center provides performing arts and educational experiences that enhance community life in the Klamath Basin. Educational programming introduces young people and adults to the arts through workshops, matinees, classes, and outreach initiatives, reaching thousands each year. The programs provide curriculum-based cultural experiences to schoolchildren in a four-county region, and annually over 10,000 children take part in educational programming at the theater. The Ross Ragland Theater hosts student matinees and workshops with renowned artists, summer art classes, and a teen theater program for underserved youth, and the Access Program for Low Income Youth and Families offers free or reduced tickets and tuition.
Originally a 1940s Art Deco movie house called The Esquire that opened in 1940, the theater was renovated and reopened as the Ross Ragland Theater in March 1989 with a local production of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. Plans for a civic center began in the late 1970s, fundraising started in 1983, and renovation began in 1987. In late 1989, nine months after opening, the Ross Ragland Theater became a privately owned, not-for-profit corporation. In the mid-1990s, a bequest from Ann and Sam Rife funded the Ragland-Rife Foundation, and a 1996 bequest from Patricia Allen supported further fundraising that led to the $2 million addition of the adjoining Cultural Center in 1997. The Ragland Cultural Center includes two large banquet rooms and a full catering kitchen.
The Board of Directors includes Paul Stewart (President), Allison Phair (Vice-President/Secretary), Courtney Talbot (Treasurer), John Evoniuk (Director), Elizabeth Evoniuk (Director), Stephen Gaither (Director), Josh Guest (Director), Robin Raiter (Director), Jim McCabe (Ragland Rife), Joan Staunton (Member Emerita), Regina Morris (Guild President), and Jay Schindler (listed under the Board of Directors section). A volunteer organization, The Ross Ragland Theater Guild, has over 100 active members who staff events as ushers and concessionaires and contribute thousands of volunteer hours each year. Two other volunteer organizations, the Board of Directors and The Ragland-Rife Foundation Board, support the daily and long-term health of the theater. Accessibility features for programs include assistive listening systems, ASL-interpreted performances for select events, accessible seating, entrances, and restrooms, and digital programs available via QR code.
Last updated May 15, 2026.
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