Interview: David Obele of 'NIGHT MOTHER at Ellen Bye Studio

When David Obele left New York after 35 years as a music contractor, he wasn't looking for a quieter life, he was looking for a more meaningful one. "I moved here for the trees," he says with a laugh, "and to work in theater for passion, not obligation." Now 68 and based in Portland, Obele is doing exactly that. On Tuesday, May 12th, he's producing a staged benefit reading of Marsha Norman's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama 'night Mother at The Ellen Bye Studio at Portland Center Stage and the response has already exceeded everyone's expectations.

The event sold out its original 70-seat venue at Kennedy School before Obele had time to blink. Portland Center Stage stepped in and donated use of their 200-seat Ellen Bye Studio, a gesture Obele says is emblematic of Portland's spirit. "In New York, you don't get that," he says. "Here, people really step up to help."

A Show Chosen with Purpose

'night Mother is Norman's gut-wrenching two-hander about a daughter who calmly announces to her mother that she intends to end her life that evening. It is not an easy sell in a traditional commercial run. But for a benefit reading tied to Mental Health Awareness Month, it's a perfect fit.

"The Valentine Fund does incredible work providing emergency grants to performing artists in crisis," Obele explains. "But $1,500 can pay the rent. It can't address what brought someone to that point." The reading is designed to spark exactly those conversations. Discussion about ongoing support, mental health resources, and community care, while raising money for five organizations working at different points along that continuum.

Proceeds will be split equally among:

• PATA Valentine Fund: Emergency grants up to $1,500 for performing arts community members facing rent, medical, or personal crises (established 1987)
• Lines for Life: Oregon-based nonprofit operating multiple crisis hotlines, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, support lines for veterans, abused women, and abused children
• The Trevor Project: National organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth
• New Narrative: Portland-based housing provider offering on-site care for people living with mental illness
• NAMI: Portland chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness

With an estimated $1,000 going to each organization, checks will be distributed the night of the performance. Swag bags will also include information about each charity, so attendees can make additional targeted donations if they choose.

A Cast That Came Together Organically

Obele cast the reading in a way that feels distinctly Portland, part instinct, part community trust. When he saw Emily Burris anchoring the news on KOIN, he recognized something in her: the ability to shift emotional registers quickly and credibly, the kind of quality a role like Jessie demands.

"I called the station," he says matter-of-factly. Burris, it turned out, was a theater major from Florida State University who already knew 'night Mother well. She said yes immediately.

Her longtime KOIN co-anchor Travis Teich was brought on to read stage directions, a pairing that preserves the true reading format (scripts in hand, no full staging) while giving the evening an authentic chemistry. Rounding out the cast is Sharonlee McLean as Thelma, the mother. Obele barely had to ask around: the entire Portland theater community pointed to her in unison. McLeanhas described the role as a bucket-list moment for her entire career.

Jeremy Cole directs. A post-show talk-back with representatives from the beneficiary organizations will follow the performance.

Portland's Collaborative Spirit

Obele joined Portland Area Theatre Alliance's (PATA) board after participating in the Fertile Ground Festival 2025, where he saw immediately that the organization, like much of Portland theater, was still recovering from the pandemic's economic toll, and he wanted to help rebuild momentum.

"I'm paying my dues at 68," he says. He asked only that PATA cover the show rights and the cost of stage plants. Everything else — his time, his connections, his producing experience — he volunteered.

The Valentine Fund itself has a storied history. Established in 1987, it was long sustained by an annual Love Letters reading on Valentine's Day, until the producer behind that tradition moved on. The grant amount has since been raised from $1,000 to $1,500, but the fundraising infrastructure needed rebuilding. Obele sees 'night Mother as the start of something larger.

A Vision for Monthly Benefit Readings

This production, Obele hopes, is just the beginning. He's already sketching out a calendar of themed benefit readings tied to awareness months throughout the year. The format works precisely because it's lean: minimal casts, scripts in hand, intimate conversation with audiences afterward. Dark, emotionally heavy material that might not sustain a full commercial run can thrive in this context, because the point isn't a polished production, it's a community gathering with purpose.

The model also reflects something Obele noticed quickly about Portland's theater landscape: the city has plenty of 99-seat houses and a handful of large venues, but almost nothing in between. Benefit readings in donated spaces don't solve that structural challenge, but they do something the market can't. They bring people together around material that matters, and they make the ticket price accessible ($25, specifically chosen so the theater community can attend).

Board approval and a sustainability plan are still needed before the monthly series becomes official. But if the response to 'Night Mother is any indication, Portland is ready.

Event Details

What: Staged benefit reading of 'night Mother by Marsha Norman
When: Tuesday, May 12th, 2026, 7:30 pm
Where: The Ellen Bye Studio at Portland Center Stage
Tickets: $25
Available at: portlandtheatre.com and pcs.org

All proceeds benefit the PATA Valentine Fund, Lines for Life, The Trevor Project, New Narrative, and NAMI Portland.