Salem, OR. “We often hear that operating support is the most important type of award,” said Arts Commission Chair Jenny Green. “Especially now, as arts organizations struggle to recover from losses caused by the pandemic, these awards help relieve a bit of the economic pressure.”
Grants totaling $1,265,166 will be distributed to 154 Oregon arts organizations through the Oregon Arts Commission’s fiscal year 2022 Operating Support Program. Including Artists Repertory Theatre (A.R.T), which received $10,490. Seen above is a photo by Owen Carey of A.R.T’s production of The Miracle Worker. There are six more recipients than in the fiscal year 2021 due to a growing number of eligible organizations. Ranging from $2,000 to $ 25,000, the grant awards are available to nonprofit organizations with arts at the core of their mission and budgets over $150,000.
One of the largest grants was one made to Oregon Symphony for $25,000.
In 2019 organizations receiving Operating Support from the Arts Commission expended $213 million, employed 11,681 FTE and produced events and activities that were attended by close to 3.7 million people. *Organizations with budgets under $150,000 are eligible to apply to the Small Operating Program. This program funds an additional 109 arts organizations.
The fiscal year 2022 Operating Support Grants, in the Portland Metro area were awarded to the following nonprofits:
45th Parallel, Portland: $4,899,
Alberta Abbey Foundation, Portland: $6,147,
All Classical Public Media, Inc., Portland: $11,900,
Artichoke Community Music, Portland: $5,934,
Art In The Pearl, Portland: $4,899’
Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland: $10,490,
A-WOL Dance Collective, Inc., Clackamas: $4,899,
Bag & Baggage Productions, Inc., Hillsboro: $7,531,
BodyVox Inc., Portland: $13,521,
Bosco-Milligan Foundation, Portland: $5,435,
Broadway Rose Theatre Company, Tigard: $11,265,
Caldera, Portland: $13,091,
Camp45 Contemporary, Portland: $5,506,
Cappella Romana Inc., Portland: $7,997,
Chamber Music Northwest, Portland: $13,226,
Children’s Healing Art Project, Portland: $4,899,
Clackamas County Arts Alliance, Oregon City: $8,360,
Clackamas Repertory Theatre, Oregon City: $4,899,
CoHo Productions Ltd, Portland: $4,899,
Corrib Theatre, Portland: $4,899,
Curious Comedy Productions, Portland: $6,657,
Echo Theater Company, Portland: $5,620,
Ethos Inc., Portland: $8,230,
Film Action Oregon dba Hollywood Theatre, Portland: $8,794,
Friends of Chamber Music, Portland: $9,200,
Hand2Mouth, Portland: $4,899,
Imago the Theatre Mask Ensemble, Portland: $4,899,
In a Landscape, Portland: $4,899
Independent Publishing Resource Center Inc., Portland: $7,330
Lakewood Theatre Company, Lake Oswego: $11,535
Literary Arts Inc., Portland: $14,004
Live Wire Radio, Portland: $8,705,
MetroEast Community Media, Gresham: $11,970,
Metropolitan Youth Symphony, Portland: $10,421,
Miracle Theatre Group, Portland: $20,854,
Music Workshop, Portland: $4,899,
My Voice Music, Portland: $6,511 Northwest Children’s Theater & School Inc., Portland: $11,162,
Northwest Professional Dance Project, Portland: $11,245,
Old Church Society, Inc., Portland: $7,353,
Open Signal, Portland: $15,965,
Oregon Ballet Theatre, Portland: $11,114,
Oregon BRAVO Youth Orchestras, Portland: $9,670,
Oregon Center for Contemporary Art, Portland: $11,010,
Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts, Portland: $6,116,
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland: $13,489,
Portland Jazz Festival, Inc. dba PDX Jazz, Portland: $9,072,
Portland Opera Association, Portland: $22,309,
Portland Piano International, Portland: $6,442,
Portland Playhouse, Portland: $11,431,
Portland Street Art Alliance, Portland: $5,131,
Portland Symphonic Choir, Portland: $4,899,
Portland Youth Philharmonic, Portland: $7,642,
Profile Theatre Project, Portland: $7,477,
Regional Arts & Culture Council, Portland: $25,000,
Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls, Portland: $4,899,
Shaking the Tree Theatre, Portland: $4,899,
Stumptown Stages, Lake Oswego: $4,899,
The Circus Project, Portland: $8,966,
The Portland Ballet, Portland: $8,667,
The Red Door Project, Portland: $7,939,
Third Angle New Music Ensemble, Portland: $5,217,
Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Portland: $8,611,
triangle productions, Portland: $6,178,
Vibe of Portland, Portland: $4,899,
Western Alliance of Arts Administrators, Portland: $6,972,
White Bird, Portland: $11,124,
Write Around Portland, Portland: $9,822,
Young Audiences of Oregon, Portland: $8,192,
Young Musicians & Artists, Portland: $4,899,
Youth Music Project, West Linn: $6,390,
From The Oregon Arts Commission:
The Oregon Arts Commission provides leadership, funding and arts programs through its grants, special initiatives and services. Nine commissioners, appointed by the Governor, determine arts needs and establish policies for public support of the arts. The Arts Commission became part of Business Oregon (formerly Oregon Economic and Community Development Department) in 1993, in recognition of the expanding role the arts play in the broader social, economic and educational arenas of Oregon communities. In 2003, the Oregon legislature moved the operations of the Oregon Cultural Trust to the Arts Commission, streamlining operations and making use of the Commission’s expertise in grantmaking, arts and cultural information and community cultural development. The Arts Commission is supported with general funds appropriated by the Oregon legislature and with federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust. More information about the Oregon Arts Commission is available online at: www.oregonartscommission.org.
Portland, OR. Portland Center Stage‘s annual gala, Metamorphosis, was held virtually on February 20th and raised over $315,000. 551 guests attended this online celebration of theater. Delphon “DJ” Curtis Jr. performed as Hedwig for a sing-a-long of “Wig in a Box” as seen above. (Video stills by Mikey Mann, courtesy of Portland Center Stage.)
The evening was emceed by Artistic Director Marissa Wolf, Associate Artistic Director Chip Miller, and auctioneer Johnna Wells. The event was also a celebration of the life of Diana Gerding, who died November 9th, 2020 and was one of PCS’s most ardent supporters. Below is a video about her life:
The program featured five performances, including a dance piece choreographed by Darrell Grand Moultrie and musical performances from Quinlan Shea Fitzgerald, Joe Kye, Edna Vázquez, Larry Owens, and Josh Kight.
Khalia Campbell performs a solo dance piece choreographed by Darrell Grand Moultrie set to Nina Simone’s “The Desperate Ones.” Video still by Mikey Mann, courtesy of Portland Center Stage.
Larry Owens performs Stephen Sondheim’s “Take Me to the World” for the 2021 PCS Gala. Video still by Mikey Mann, courtesy of Portland Center Stage.
Quinlan Shea Fitzgerald performs “Soar,” the song she composed for the 2021 PCS Gala, accompanied by Joe Kye. Video still by Mikey Mann, courtesy of Portland Center Stage.
Edna Vázquez performs the song “Lo que pasó, pasó” for the 2021 PCS Gala, with ASL interpretation by Sarika Mehta. Video stills by Mikey Mann, courtesy of Portland Center Stage.
From Portland Center Stage:
We were so thrilled and deeply grateful for the huge outpouring of support from our community. Thanks to the many supporters who bid on auction items, bought raffle tickets, and made donations — PCS raised a phenomenal $315,000!
The gala was the kickoff for Soaring Together, a fundraising campaign dedicated to making sure that PCS has the resources needed to soar back on stage as soon as it’s safe to gather for live theater. Donations of all sizes continue to be deeply meaningful to PCS right now. (The link to donate and the video we debuted for Soaring Together can be found at pcs.org/donate.)
Portland Center Stage is the largest theater company in Portland, and among the top 20 regional theaters in the country. Established in 1988 as a branch of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the company became independent in 1994. Portland Center Stage’s home is at The Armory, a historic building originally constructed in 1891. After a major renovation, The Armory opened in 2006 as the first building on the National Register of Historic Places, and the first performing arts venue in the country, to achieve a LEED Platinum rating. An estimated 160,000 visitors attend The Armory annually to enjoy a mix of classical, contemporary and world premiere productions, along with the annual JAW: A Playwrights Festival, and a variety of high quality education and community programs.
Portland, OR. Portland Center Stage has joined the national theater project Play at Home and commissioned four Portland playwrights to create short plays. Play at Home scripts are designed to be read — and performed — by the public from their own homes. The plays are ten minutes or shorter and available for free at playathome.org. The new plays commissioned by Portland Center Stage will be posted soon and also shared at pcs.org.
The new script offerings are Sara Jean Accuardi’s Joy Frickin’ Hates Her Dumb Stupid Room, E. M. Lewis’ The Third Prisoner, Anya Pearson’s Three Love Songs, and Josie Seid’s Wing and a Prayer.
Sara Jean Accuardi, E. M. Lewis, Anya Pearson, and Josie Seid
“It’s a joy to lift up the voices of fantastic playwrights from across the country in conjunction with The Public Theatre and its collaborators,” said Artistic Director Marissa Wolf. “I’m thrilled to have these four gifted Portland writers bring powerful, lively, humor-filled short plays to life. We hope our community will join us by performing the plays at home and letting us know about it!”
People are encouraged to record their performances and share them with others. Those who upload their videos to YouTube and tag #PlayatHomePlays may even have their performances featured on the Play at Home website and shared by participating theaters.
ABOUT THE PLAYS
SARA JEAN ACCUARDI Joy Frickin’ Hates Her Dumb Stupid Room
A Trapped Little Play for Trapped Little Times
A girl is trapped inside a house, a hamster is trapped inside a cage, and the soul of a 15th-century Dutch painter is trapped inside a hamster.
Sara Jean Accuardi’s writing has been produced and developed around the country, including with Theatre Vertigo, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, and Victory Gardens. Her plays include The Storyteller (winner of the International Thomas Wolfe Playwriting Competition) and The Delays (Drammy Award for Outstanding Original Script). She is a proud member of LineStorm Playwrights. sarajeanaccuardi.com
M. LEWIS The Third Prisoner
Prisoner #4588930 and Prisoner #8836729 have been locked away for a very long time. For what feels like forever. But when someone new is thrown into their cell, everything changes.
M. Lewis is an award-winning playwright and opera librettist. She received the Steinberg Award twice, the Primus Prize from the American Theater Critics Association, the Ted Schmitt Award from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, a Hodder Fellowship from Princeton University, a fellowship from the New Jersey State Arts Commission, the 2016 Oregon Literary Fellowship in Drama, and an Edgerton Award. emlewisplaywright.com
ANYA PEARSON Three Love Songs For those of us who have been taught to fear the silence, I offer you: a counter-attack. An ode, a dirge, a lament, an operatic examination of quarantine life.
Anya Pearson is an award-winning actress, playwright, poet, producer, and activist. She was the inaugural winner of the $10,000 Voice is a Muscle Grant from the Corporeal Voices Foundation, for her choreopoem, Made to Dance in Burning Buildings. Made to Dance in Burning Buildings was showcased at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater and received its world premiere at Shaking the Tree. anyapearson.com
JOSIE SEID Wing and a Prayer Four modern women are planning to attend a socially conscious, feminist lecture. One of the women accidentally summons a wand-toting fairy godmother who is all set to beautify them for a ball! When she discovers she has wandered into a contemporary catastrophe, they must work together to make sure that the wish that summoned her is honored.
Josie Seid is the author of Petite Dames, which was nominated for the Kilroy List in 2015 and was recently workshopped at Lewis and Clark’s Ray Warren Symposium on Race and Revolutionary Struggle. Other works include Path of Glory,The Great God of the Dark Storm Cloud, Jordan’s Wisdom,Overdue, Stand by Me, and This is Message Number 13. Josie is a proud member of LineStorm Playwrights collective.
PLAY AT HOME
Play at Home was developed to inspire joy and connection during this period of social isolation. More than 100 playwrights have been commissioned nationwide, resulting in $50,000 paid to playwrights during this difficult time when all theater productions have ceased. Play at Home was originally developed by The Public Theater, Baltimore Center Stage, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Long Wharf Theatre, and Repertory Theater of St Louis, and the project continues to grow as new theater companies join the effort.
Many nationally celebrated playwrights have been commissioned, including some who have recently been featured at Portland Center Stage, including Heather Raffo, whose powerful play 9 Parts of Desire was on stage in March and had to be canceled, and Karen Zacarías, whose hilarious play Native Gardens was a hit last spring.
PORTLAND CENTER STAGE
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying and interrupting instances of racism and all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). Learn more at pcs.org/idea.
Portland Center Stage is the largest theater company in Portland and among the top 20 regional theaters in the country. Established in 1988 as a branch of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the company became independent in 1994, and is under the leadership of Artistic Director Marissa Wolf and Managing Director Cynthia Fuhrman. Around 160,000 visitors attend The Armory annually to enjoy a mix of classic, contemporary, and world premiere productions, along with a variety of high quality education and community programs. As part of its dedication to new play development, the company has produced 28 world premieres and presents an annual new works festival, JAW: A Playwrights Festival. Home to two theaters, The Armory (originally built in 1891) opened its doors in 2006 as the first building on the National Register of Historic Places, and the first performing arts venue in the country, to achieve a LEED Platinum rating.
Portland Center Stage is funded in part by Season Superstars Tim and Mary Boyle, Mary and Don Blair, and Lead Corporate Champion Umpqua Bank. Further support comes from Season Sponsors Advance Gender Equity in the Arts (AGE); the Regional Arts and Culture Council; and the Oregon Arts Commission, a state agency funded by the state of Oregon and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Portland, OR. Portland Center Stage at The Armory’s 2018-2019 season will feature 11 productions along with a special 10th anniversary return engagement of Storm Large in Crazy Enough, a show that had its world premiere at The Armory in 2009 and became one of the company’s biggest hits.
Chris Coleman at The Armory for an “Astoria” workshop held in July, 2016.
Artistic Director Chris Coleman, who has been at the helm of Portland Center Stage at The Armory for the past 17 years, announced the new season as he prepares to depart the company to become artistic director of Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company. “With this season announcement,” said Coleman, “I offer my gratitude for my time in Portland in the best way that I know how — by working with the fine team at The Armory to craft a new season that is so exciting it makes it difficult to leave. And somewhat to my chagrin, we’ve managed just that.”
“The new season has the largest variety of voices ever presented in one season in our 31 years as a company,” Coleman continued. “There are more women playwrights than ever before; playwrights from more facets of American culture than ever before; stories told in more unique ways than ever before. Within that, you will see the shared character that has defined our seasons always: compelling stories. From the opening musical based on the work of American master Alice Walker, to the closing comedy from a fresh new American voice, the stories will take you from the drawing rooms of Regency England to a writer’s room in Portland; from the banks of the Missouri River in 1804 to Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014; from the expanse of decades in the Deep South to the blink of a minute in a life in the big city. It will be a breathtaking season.”
Here’s all the information from Portland Center Stage about the season and tickets:
Season packages are on sale now! To purchase season tickets, call 503-445-3700 or visit www.pcs.org. The Create Your Own Package starts at $92.25 for three plays. The U.S. Bank Main Stage Series starts at $184.50. The Everything Series starts at $307.50. The eight-admission Flexpass is available for $450. The new and hugely popular option for those who are 35 years old and younger, The Armory Card, starts at $100 for five admissions. Groups of 10 or more can sign up for the priority seating list now and purchase tickets to the new season starting on July 2, 2018. Groups that book by August 31 receive 30% off regular ticket prices. Groups receive one free ticket for every 20 tickets purchased. To order group tickets call 503-445-3794 or visit www.pcs.org/groups. Find out more about the 2018-2019 season at www.pcs.org/2018-2019-season. Those who purchase 2018-2019 season tickets by March 12 will get access to a special private sale to purchase tickets for Storm Large in Crazy Enough.
THE COLOR PURPLE – Based on the novel by Alice Walker
Book by Marsha Norman
Music and Lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray
Directed by Timothy Douglas
September 15 – October 28, 2018 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage
Opening Night/Press Night: September 21, 2018
From Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller comes a powerful musical with a fresh, joyous score of jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues. This stirring family chronicle follows the inspirational Celie from the early to mid-20th century in the American south, as she journeys from childhood to womanhood, through joy and despair, anguish and hope to discover the power of love and life. With a soul-rousing, Grammy-winning score, The Color Purple is an unforgettable and intensely moving American classic.
“A miracle on Broadway; a glory to behold!” – The New York Times
Tony Award, Best Revival of a Musical, 2016
Grammy Award, Best Musical Theater Album, 2017
A LIFE – By Adam Bock
Directed by Rose Riordan
September 29 – November 11, 2018 | In the Ellyn Bye Studio Opening Night/Press Night: October 5, 2018
Nate Martin is hopelessly single. When his most recent breakup, another in a lifelong string of ill-fated matches, casts him into a funk, he turns to the only source of wisdom he trusts: the stars. Poring over astrological charts, he obsessively questions his past and his place in the cosmos. But in Adam Bock’s wickedly funny, insightful and disarming new play, the answer he receives, when it comes, is shockingly obvious — and totally unpredictable.
West Coast Premiere
Commissioned by Portland Center Stage at The Armory
Developed at JAW: A Playwrights Festival in 2014; debuted Off-Broadway in 2016
Exquisite in detail and throws a jaw-dropping curveball.”
– Time Out New York
A CHRISTMAS MEMORY – paired with – WINTER SONG Northwest Stories
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
Winter Song by Merideth Kaye Clark and Brandon Woolley
Directed by Brandon Woolley
November 24 – December 30, 2018| In the Ellyn Bye Studio
Opening Night/Press Night: November 30, 2018
A Christmas Memory is an autobiographical recollection of Truman Capote’s rural Alabama boyhood. This tiny gem of a holiday story offers an unforgettable portrait of an odd but enduring friendship between two innocent souls, “one young and one old” and their shared memories of beloved holiday rituals. To accompany this tale, the brilliant singer Merideth Kaye Clark (Fiddler on the Roof and The Last Five Years at The Armory, Wicked national tour) and director Brandon Woolley created Winter Song, an original presentation of favorite songs that celebrate winter and all it represents: love, loss, family, solitude, renewal and friendship.
“This show is like comfort food — warm, nourishing, and just exactly what you want on a cold winter’s night.” – Broadway World
THE SECOND CITY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL: TWIST YOUR DICKENS
By Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort
Directed by Ron West
November 27 – December 23, 2018 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage
Opening Night/Press Night: November 30, 2018
A complete send-up of the holiday classic, this adult comedy is adorned with the improvisational genius of the legendary comedy troupe The Second City. Twist includes zany holiday sketches and uproarious improv based on audience participation — it’s never the same show twice! It has become a Portland favorite and returns for the holidays in 2018. As the show’s fans know, the comedy whizzes from The Second City update the show every year. So come back for your favorite moments and enjoy the new surprises in store.
“Amusing for the whole family.” – Portland Monthly
SENSE & SENSIBILITY – By Kate Hamill
Based on the novel by Jane Austen
Directed by Eric Tucker
January 12 – February 10, 2019 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Opening Night/Press Night: January 18, 2019
This exuberant, innovative staging of Jane Austen’s classic satire follows the adventures (and misadventures) of the Dashwood sisters — sensible Elinor and hypersensitive Marianne — after their sudden loss of fortune. Bursting with humor, emotion and bold theatricality, Sense & Sensibility asks: When reputation is everything, how do you follow your heart? Director Eric Tucker and adaptor Kate Hamill of the acclaimed New York theater company Bedlam revive their production in Portland after celebrated runs in New York and Boston.
Jane Austen is alive and well and rolling on casters.” – The Boston Globe
BUYER & CELLAR – By Jonathan Tolins
Directed by Brandon Woolley
January 19 – March 3, 2019 | In the Ellyn Bye Studio
Opening Night/Press Night: January 25, 2019
Buyer & Cellar is an outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs. Alex, a struggling actor in Los Angeles, finds himself working in a shopping mall — but this isn’t your regular shopping center. In his most challenging role yet, Alex plays the shop boy bargaining with Barbra Streisand in her own private basement mall. With riotously sharp wit, Alex awaits a visit from the ultimate customer, the “Funny Girl” herself. Nick Cearley (Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors) returns to The Armory as Alex.
Fun Fact! What happens in this play is fiction but Barbra Streisand’s private shopping mall — with its doll store, clothing boutique and sweet shop — actually exists.
“With all the comedy and all the wit in Mr. Tolins’s writing, Buyer & Cellar is also notable for its heart.” – The New York Times
Northwest Stories – TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS – Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed
Adapted by Nia Vardalos
Co-conceived by Marshall Heyman, Thomas Kail and Nia Vardalos
Directed by Rose Riordan
February 23 – March 31, 2019 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Opening Night/Press Night: March 1, 2019
Renowned Portland author Cheryl Strayed (Wild) had a secret life as the anonymous online advice columnist for “Dear Sugar.” Over the years, thousands of people turned to Sugar for words of wisdom, honesty and hope. At first unsure of herself, Sugar found a way to weave her own life experiences together with the deep yearning and heartrending problems of her readers. The beloved column ultimately became a celebration of the simple beauty and light at the heart of being human. Strayed captured this journey in her book Tiny Beautiful Things. Adapted for the stage by the Academy Award-nominated writer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nia Vardalos, and a hit at the Public Theater in New York last season, Tiny Beautiful Things is a funny and touching exploration of emotion, vulnerability and human resilience.
“A heart-tugging, emotionally rewarding evening.” – The Huffington Post
UNTIL THE FLOOD – By Dael Orlandersmith
Directed by Neel Keller
March 16 – April 21, 2019 | In the Ellyn Bye Studio Opening Night/Press Night: March 22, 2019
In the aftermath of the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked by the killing of Michael Brown, celebrated writer, performer and Pulitzer Prize-finalist Dael Orlandersmith (Forever) traveled to the region and interviewed people from all walks of life. From these conversations, she crafted a stunning piece that reflects the complexity of St. Louis and beyond. Orlandersmith’s play is a mosaic of voices that tells the region’s story without advancing any one viewpoint above others, and asks that we listen to our fellow citizens in our own efforts to better understand today’s America. Originally commissioned by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Until the Flood premiered to acclaim in New York City in January of 2018.
“Portraying only eight people — nine if you include her own alter ego — she nevertheless brings the questions, the pain and even the unspeakable thoughts of hundreds, if not millions, to life. Until the Flood is an urgent moral inquest.” – The New York Times
Northwest Stories – CROSSING MNISOSE – By Mary Kathryn Nagle
Directed by Molly Smith
April 13 – May 5, 2019 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Opening Night/Press Night: April 19, 2019
Crossing Mnisose tells the story of one of America’s first feminists, Sacajawea. Today, her face sits on the dollar coin and there are more statues of her in the United States than any other woman. But very few know her story, or the violence she endured as she guided the U.S. Corps of Discovery up the Mnisose (or what Europeans named the “Missouri River”). In 2017, the contemporary successor to the Corps of Discovery, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, granted an easement to allow a pipeline to cross the very same river. Although 212 years separate these controversial crossings, both reveal the continued survival of Tribal Nations in the face of colonial conquest. By award-winning playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle (Sovereignty, Manahatta), Crossing Mnisose draws a line from a completely original view of Lewis and Clark’s historic encampment at Fort Mandan to the present day, as descendants of the Dakota and Lakota Nations of the Mnisose continue their fight to ensure that the Mnisose, and the lands that contain the burials of their ancestors, are preserved for future generations.
Northwest Stories World Premiere
Commissioned by Portland Center Stage at The Armory
THE BREATH OF LIFE – By David Hare
May 4 – June 16, 2019 | In the Ellyn Bye Studio Opening Night/Press Night: May 10, 2019
Frances was the dutiful wife of Martin. Madeleine was his not-so-dutiful mistress of 25 years. When Martin moves to America with a younger woman, the two women he left behind meet face to face for the first time, to discuss their relationships with the elusive man who profoundly impacted them, but never defined them. Together they explore the past and learn to feel the breath of life again. The Armory production will feature Portland favorites Sharonlee McLean (The Receptionist, Vanya, Sonya, Masha and Spike, and 23 other productions at The Armory) as Frances and Gretchen Corbett (Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) as Madeleine.
“The play is one of Hare’s finest … bitingly funny and often deeply affecting.”
– The Daily Telegraph
NATIVE GARDENS – By Karen Zacarías
May 18 – June 16, 2019 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Opening Night/Press Night: May 24, 2019
You can’t choose your neighbors, but you can choose your side of the fence. In this brilliant new comedy, cultures and gardens clash, turning well-intentioned neighbors into feuding enemies. A rising attorney, Pablo, and doctoral candidate Tania, his very pregnant wife, have just purchased a home next to Frank and Virginia, a well-established D.C. couple with a prize-worthy English garden. But an impending barbeque for Pablo’s colleagues and a delicate disagreement over a long-standing fence line soon spirals into an all-out border dispute, exposing both couples’ notions of race, taste, class and privilege.
“Native Gardens is a true breath of comic fresh air.” – DC Theatre Scene
Northwest Stories – CRAZY ENOUGH – Written and Performed by Storm Large
June 25 – June 30, 2019 | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage
Special 10th anniversary limited engagement run! Crazy Enough was developed at JAW: A Playwrights Festival in 2008 and had its world premiere at The Armory in 2009. It became one of the biggest hits in Portland Center Stage at The Armory’s history — playing for a record sold-out 21-week run in the Ellyn Bye Studio — and audiences have been clamoring for its return ever since. This 10th anniversary special return engagement is playing for a limited eight-performance run. A private sale will start March 12 and be available exclusively for 2018-2019 season ticket holders.
“An empowering look at how one woman has managed, despite repeated heartaches and screw-ups, to stay aware of the preciousness of life.” – The Oregonian
“I need to thank you for one of the great nights in the theater that I have ever had. Storm Large is a force of nature, a truth teller, a comedian, a story-teller and one of the most brilliant voices I have ever heard.” – Daniel Stern, actor (Diner, Breaking Away)
NORTHWEST STORIES
Portland Center Stage at The Armory’s Northwest Stories series is a celebration of the essence of the region, offering plays that examine our culture and ignite dialogue about the events – and the places – that define the Northwest. From fresh looks at history to dynamic explorations of contemporary culture, Northwest Stories blends adventurous storytelling with local impact, all created with the immediacy and vibrancy that only live performance can bring. The 2017-2018 season brought two Northwest Stories world premieres to the stage: Astoria: Part Two and Winter Song. The 2018-2019 season’s Northwest Stories offerings include the world premiere of Mary Kathryn Nagle’s Crossing Mnisose, commissioned by Portland Center Stage at The Armory in 2016, as well as Cheryl Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful Things, the return of Winter Song, and the special engagement of Storm Large in Crazy Enough.
PORTLAND CENTER STAGE AT THE ARMORY
Portland Center Stage at The Armory is the largest theater company in Portland and among the top 20 regional theaters in the country. Established in 1988 as a branch of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the company became independent in 1994 and has been under the leadership of Artistic Director Chris Coleman since 2000. An estimated 150,000 visitors attend The Armory annually to enjoy a mix of classical, contemporary and world premiere productions, along with a variety of high quality education and community programs. Eleven productions are offered each season, in addition to roughly 400 community events created — in partnership with 170+ local organizations and individuals — to serve the diverse populations in the city. As part of its dedication to new play development, the company has produced 26 world premieres and presents an annual new works festival, JAW: A Playwrights Festival. Home to two theaters, The Armory was the first building on the National Register of Historic Places, and the first performing arts venue, to achieve a LEED Platinum rating.
SEASON SUPPORTERS
The current season is funded in part by Season Superstars Tim and Mary Boyle and Lead Corporate Champion Umpqua Bank. Further support comes from the following Season Sponsors: Regional Arts and Culture Council; The Wallace Foundation; Oregon Arts Commission, a state agency funded by the state of Oregon; and the National Endowment for the Arts. Mark Spencer Hotel is the official hotel partner for the company. Portland Center Stage at The Armory was selected as a participant of the Wallace Foundation’s Building Audiences for Sustainability Initiative, a four-year effort with a nationwide cohort of 26 performing arts organizations.
Kodachrome in the Ellyn Bye Studio. Love appears in unlikely places in Adam Szymkowicz’s new play, directed by Rose Riordan. February 3 – March 18.
The Magic Play on the U.S. Bank Main Stage. World class magic and a deeply human story of loss and love come together to create an astonishing theatrical experience. March 3 – April 1.
Portland, OR. Ted Austin, board chair for Portland Center Stage at The Armory, announced that Artistic Director Chris Coleman will depart The Armory at the end of the current 2017 – 2018 season to become artistic director of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ (DCPA) Theatre Company. The official announcement was made on November 14th. (Coleman is pictured earlier this fall at the opening night party for “Fun Home” with his husband Rodney Hicks.)
“Chris Coleman’s impact on Portland Center Stage at The Armory for the past 17 years has been transformational,” said Board Chair Ted Austin. “Under his leadership, the theater has grown from a locally respected company producing six plays a year in a rented facility, to a nationally recognized leader in the field, producing eleven plays annually in two theaters in our beautiful home, The Armory. Audiences have more than doubled in size, and our budget has grown from $3 million to more than $10 million. It is no surprise that other theaters would see him as a strong candidate to bring new strength to their company, but it is still with a heavy heart that we wish him the best in his new adventure.”
“It has been the honor of my life to lead Portland Center Stage at The Armory for the past 17 (and a half) years, and one of the hardest parts of this decision was knowing that I would be leaving a city, a company, colleagues and friends that I have come to cherish deeply,” said Coleman.
Mary Boyle, immediate past board chair of the theater, noted that “the national reputation of Portland Center Stage at The Armory can be directly linked to the great work and advocacy of Chris Coleman in his 17 years as artistic director at this great Oregon institution.”
Coleman was the second artistic director at Portland Center Stage, following the company’s evolution to a theater independent from its founding organization, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He came to Portland from Atlanta, where he was the founding artistic director of Actors’ Express Theater. At the time he moved to Portland, Portland Center Stage produced primarily a mix of classic plays and established contemporary pieces. In the years since, Portland Center Stage at The Armory has expanded its repertoire to include both classic and new musicals; numerous world premieres; adaptations of classic and contemporary novels; and experimental fare. In addition, since the move to its new home at The Armory, Portland Center Stage has gained a national reputation in the field for its work in community engagement, serving more than 30,000 people through community programs on top of the more than 125,000 annually who attend the plays.
“We are fortunate that Chris will be with us through the rest of the season, as the board and staff craft a vision and carry out a search for our next artistic leader. He has two more projects to direct this season (Astoria: Part One and Part Two and Major Barbara), several more to produce, and will lead the company through the rest of this season,” noted Austin. “We look forward to spending time with him over the next few months and celebrating with him the continued success of Portland Center Stage at The Armory.”
PORTLAND CENTER STAGE AT THE ARMORY
Portland Center Stage at The Armory is the largest theater company in Portland and among the top 20 regional theaters in the country. Established in 1988 as a branch of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the company became independent in 1994 and has been under the leadership of Artistic Director Chris Coleman since 2000. Around 160,000 visitors attend The Armory annually to enjoy a mix of classical, contemporary and world premiere productions, along with a variety of high quality education and community programs. 11 productions are offered each season, in addition to roughly 400 community events created — in partnership with 170+ local organizations and individuals — to serve the diverse populations in the city. As part of its dedication to new play development, the company has produced 21 world premieres and presents an annual new works festival, JAW: A Playwrights Festival. Home to two theaters, The Armory was the first building on the National Register of Historic Places, and the first performing arts venue, to achieve a LEED Platinum rating.
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