Visions & Voices Student Showcase Features Staged Readings by Local Youth

The future of playwriting will be on display at The Armory during theVisions & Voices Showcase on May 15 and 16 at7:00 p.m. These free public performances in the Ellyn Bye Studio will feature professional actors performing staged readings of plays and monologues written by local high school students who participated in Portland Center Stage at The Armory's Visions & Voices education program. Each year, these showcases delight audiences with readings that are honest, funny, moving and exhilarating. Works by students from schools such as Cleveland High School, Franklin High School, Liberty High School, Lincoln High School, Sam Barlow High School, Sunset High School and Wilson High School will be debuted.

"Visions & Voices provides a platform upon which students may explore ideas and investigate their world through theater - free of censorship and always with permission to take daring, artistic risks," said The Armory's Resident Teaching Artist Matthew B. Zrebski. "In having the opportunity to witness their creations brought to life by professional actors in a public forum," he continued, "students are given the rare opportunity to fully engage with their work as it intersects with the most important and final collaborator in the art form: the audience."

VISIONS & VOICES

The Visions & Voices program brings professional teaching artists into local high schools for intensive, month-long playwriting and performance residencies. Designed to meet Oregon's Benchmarks for Arts and English/Language Arts, the program introduces students to theatrical conventions, dramatic structure, acting, writing and constructive critical response. Ultimately, Visions & Voices provides an outlet for local youth to express their ideas, passions and desires; and to explore difficult questions, exercise empathy, and embrace the chaos that is "growing up." The program culminates each season with a showcase featuring staged readings of selected student scripts. Up to six Visions & Voices graduates are also chosen to participate in JAW: A Playwrights Festival, which is recognized nationally for its role in developing new works for the stage. Portland Center Stage at The Armory has been offering the Visions & Voices program for the past 18 years.

VISIONS & VOICES SHOWCASE INFORMATION

When: May 15 and 16, 2017 | 7:00 p.m.

Tickets: Free and open to the public. No ticket required.

Where: In the Ellyn Bye Studio at The Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave., Portland, OR, 97209

More Information: https://www.pcs.org/blog/visions-voices-2017-student-showcase.

Please Note: Recommended for ages 13 and up, though all family members are welcome.

Accessibility: Learn about our accessibility options at http://www.pcs.org/access/.

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 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. 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 23 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.

2016-2017 SPONSORS

The 2016-2017 season is funded in part by Season Superstars Tim and Mary Boyle, and Lead Corporate Champion Umpqua Bank. Further support comes from the Season Sponsors: Regional Arts and Culture Council, The Wallace Foundation and Oregon Arts Commission, a state agency funded by the state of Oregon and the National Endowment for the Arts. Support for Visions & Voices comes from Herbert A. Templeton Foundation, PGE Foundation, H.W. Irwin and D.C.H. Irwin Foundation, Mentor Graphics Foundation, and Union Pacific Foundation. Education program sponsors include The Hearst Foundations, Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation, Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund, Wells Fargo, Michael Menashe, Rick Caskey and Sue Horn-Caskey, Preble Family Charitable Trust of the Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund, Leonard and Lois Schnitzer Family Fund of The Oregon Jewish Community Foundation and Autzen Foundation. Mark Spencer Hotel is the official hotel partner. 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.