Monday Courses   

What does it take to be an actor? Most of it is commitment — to the emotional life of the character you are bringing to life. It takes painstaking line-by-line analysis of the text, historical research and, more than anything, a courageous willingness to expose a bit of yourself while acting. The course will follow the belief of the famous acting instructor Stella Adler in the power of the imagination. We will also explore techniques actors use when they prepare for a role and learn some of the vocabulary with which most directors expect you to be familiar. Although this is not a class in how to act verse, we will talk about strategy when approaching verse. We will discuss what it takes to be committed and ways to manage stress when you are fully involved.

NOTE: No prior experience is needed. Each participant will know how much they can do in class, and no one will be pushed. Those with more experience can take on bigger challenges in terms of text and emotional commitment. Liability waiver required to participate.

The Enneagram (“nine points or letters”) is a sacred nine-pointed symbol that describes nine distinct and universal personality types, their interrelationships and different paths of spiritual development. Study and practice of this profound and powerful system helps one to identify and move beyond nonproductive habits of body and mind, increases compassion for self and others and effectively integrates psychological and spiritual life. The first class includes an overview of the Enneagram. The following classes include a short, guided meditation, teachings, video clips and a Type Panel that demonstrates and explores the personality type of the week. There are handouts and optional homework assignments.  

NOTE: Required book: “The Essential Enneagram,” by David Daniels, MD, and Virginia Price. $9 on Amazon. There is no class on Monday, May 25.

This course will teach knitters how to work more than one color in a row in their knitting. At the end of the course students will have made a multicolor hat and have learned how to knit in the round with more than one color, fix mistakes, read a pattern, follow a chart and finish a project. Students will learn tips, techniques and resources for knitting the hat that are applicable to other knitting projects. Students should already know how to cast on, knit, purl, bind off and decrease in knitting. This course is not suitable for those who do not know how to knit comfortably.

NOTE: Beginning knitting will not be taught. Students will need to purchase yarn, needles and stitch markers. Students will be given a pattern and instructions for purchasing yarn and needles prior to the first class.

If you can hold a pencil, you can do this. Zentangle comes from the words “Zen” and “tangle” (entangled, interwoven) and combines creativity with meditation. Zentangle is an easy method to learn because it consists of structured patterns. Stroke by stroke, simple lines are repeated onto paper. With every line, you can dive further into the world of tangles. In a short time, tangles turn into amazing 3D, graphic, elaborate and beautiful tiles. They are unplanned, abstract, black and white. The practice calms, relaxes and is fun. 

NOTE: Students should be prepared with pens, other drawing supplies and Zentangle tiles. A complete materials list will be sent to registered students. Depending on personal preferences and supplies already owned, the cost could range from $20 to $45. 

The 2026 Ashland Independent Film Festival returns to the Varsity Theatre April 23-26 with another outstanding slate of fine films from international and domestic filmmakers. OLLI members will view six preselected films over the four-day festival weekend. During the week following the festival, OLLI members will meet three times to discuss the films. The films are a mix of documentary and narrative films that have recently premiered at U.S. and international film festivals. The discussions will focus on the cinematic qualities of the films, with emphasis on the choices made by the filmmaker; the effectiveness of those choices; and the cultural, sociological and artistic content of the films.  

NOTE: Students will purchase their tickets on the Ashland Independent Film website. It is expected the price will be $12 per film.  

The course will cover Newton’s laws of motion and Newton’s law of gravity including gravity, planetary motion and rotational motion. Learn the answers to important questions such as: Do you get anywhere at 60 mph if you drive for less than an hour? Why does your stomach get upset in an elevator? Do angels flap their wings to keep the planets in their orbits? (You know more about physics than you realize.) Take this course and connect your intuitive knowledge and learned behavior with the words of physics. Don’t be intimidated by the words; they are there only to keep the uninitiated … uninitiated. Become an initiate in Newton’s laws. Time will be devoted to your questions.   

NOTE: The course will be taught using PowerPoint presentations and other visual and audio material. Warning: We need to use some basic algebra. 

This course is designed for students who have taken the Absolute Beginners Pickleball course or have a rudimentary knowledge of the game. It will be taught by seasoned instructors who are experienced players. They are members of the Ashland Oregon Pickleball Club. Expect to build on the basic game to include advanced strategy in play. We will meet at Lithia Park pickleball courts for 1½ hours a day for five consecutive days. There will be an emphasis on safety, playing by USA pickleball rules and sportsmanship. This skill-building course will focus on serves; third-shot drops or “drop shots;” drives; lobs; partner communication; types of scoring; and understanding Bert, Ernie and Nasty Nelson. The last day will be a fun, fast-paced round-robin in which all players will rotate.  

NOTE: Please bring your favorite paddle, wear court shoes and a hat or visor, and bring a hydrating drink. Eye protection is recommended. If we have inclement weather, the class will be canceled. Liability waiver required to participate.

Think you don’t have artistic talent? We disagree! Surprise yourself with our fun, playful art exercises: Doodle, scribble, create Picasso-style animals and improve your eye-hand coordination with blind contour drawing. Enjoy the process and don’t take your efforts too seriously. Bring your enthusiasm and willingness to explore and let your inner artist/child emerge. There will be no critiquing of your artwork. We provide ideas, suggestions and supplies. Students are encouraged to ask questions during class. A materials list and brief description of class content will be sent to registered students weekly. Watercolor brush pens, pencils, ink pens, card stock and watercolor paper will be provided.  

NOTE: A materials fee of $5 is due at the first class to offset supply costs. No acrylic or oil will be used in the classroom. No art experience is required. 

Radical loving is about being home with our wounded world. We will visit broken, abandoned or distressed places in our area, such as the Almeda fire corridor, Golden and Buncom ghost towns and clear cuts. During our visits we will listen deeply with our loving presence. We will share ideas about where other such places might be that are close by, accessible and of interest to us all. From those encounters we might want to create what our souls are calling us to bring forth: a piece of writing, painting, music, movement, sculpture or anything that moves our hearts. Our creation can become part of an altar at our homes honoring those areas and beyond. In essence, this course is about slowing down, being present with and, as you are moved, responding creatively to beauty, gratitude and love.

NOTE: Liability waiver required to participate.

Mary Oliver’s poetry invites us to see the natural world — and our inner lives — with renewed attention. In this course, we’ll share selected poems by Oliver through the perspective of Louise Rosenblatt’s Reader Response theory, which emphasizes the active, personal relationship between reader and text. Rather than seeking a single “correct” interpretation, we’ll explore how each poem speaks uniquely to our experiences, memories and imaginations. Participants will be encouraged to share responses; reflect on how meaning is made; and consider how Oliver’s work fosters empathy, mindfulness and a sense of belonging in the natural world.

NOTE: Students will be expected to access Mary Oliver’s poetry, either in hard-copy books or online. They also will be expected to post work and respond to other students’ work every week on OLLI’s Raider Moodle, an easily accessible communication platform.

The physical benefits to one’s health, which the practice of t’ai chi ch’uan affords, are well documented. It improves flexibility, concentration, confidence and builds muscle strength gradually. Tai chi takes the joints gently through their range of motion, while the emphasis on breathing and inner stillness relieves stress and anxiety. Yang Short Form 36 will introduce new ways to organize yourself to move with ease and comfort. Given its low impact and evidence that it improves balance and reduces pain, tai chi is gentle enough for all abilities, ages and body types. The moves in this form are more involved than in the Introduction to Tai Chi course. In this course, you will learn a Yang Short Form 36, specifically, Ch’ang Style T’ai-Chi-Ch’uan Modified Short Form by Chi-Hsiu D. Weng,1987. 

NOTE: If you have taken Introduction to Tai Chi, you will already have parts of the moves in your repertoire to build on. In Yang Short Form, different from Intro to Tai Chi, one must be able to move hands and feet separately and be comfortable with learning new complex sequences of moving. It is important to take this class more than once to deepen understanding of each movement and the entire form. Liability waiver required to participate.

We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing! This adult play shop offers an opportunity to reawaken your inner child, reduce your stress level, exercise your body, sharpen your mental and physical reflexes and laugh a lot. Drawing on New Games and Playfair games as well as other movement game sources, this is an opportunity to have fun through interactive movement games; use your creativity, wit and voice; stimulate your brain with quick-thinking mind challenges; and sharpen your ability to respond quickly. All this helps keep our brains sharp! No competition, no judgment, no losers — just taking time out to laugh, play and have fun. Play and laughter are part of health and healing. Call out your playful child. It’s recess time again!

NOTE: Good health and the ability to move well and get up and down are requirements for this class, which will involve a lot of movement and some spurts of running. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to embrace the spirit of playfulness. Liability waiver required to participate.