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FERTILE GROUND FESTIVAL Returns To Portland This April

The festival returns April 12-21, under the new leadership of Festival Director Tamara Carroll.

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FERTILE GROUND FESTIVAL Returns To Portland This April

After a one year hiatus, Fertile Ground Festival of New Works, a program of the Portland Area Theatre Alliance, returns in 2024 with a festival from April 12-21, under the new leadership of Festival Director Tamara Carroll.

Fertile Ground has announced the 2024 Festival lineup with the launch of a new website (fertilegroundpdx.org). Festival Passes are available through the new website and go on sale February 15.

Passes are $75 which gives passholders access to over 60 performances throughout the Portland Metro area. PATA Members and students can purchase passes for discounted rates. Passes can be purchased through February 29 which allows patrons to select seats for performances early. Single tickets go on sale March 1.

Fertile Ground is an incubator for new work of all forms and stages of creation, offering theatre and dance, workshops, staged readings, readings and multidisciplinary events. Seasoned companies present alongside new and independent producers, making space for artist-creators of every ilk, playwrights, choreographers and multidisciplinary storytellers in this collaborative Portland festival.

ABOUT FERTILE GROUND

Fertile Ground 2024 is a 10-day, city-wide festival highlighting new work from Portland's creative community and offering dozens of “acts of creation” for audiences to experience. Fertile Ground is uncurated – the content of each festival is shaped by community participation, demonstrating that Portland is fertile ground for creativity, innovation and daring acts of performance.

Founded by Trisha Mead in 2009, and led by Nicole Lane from 2010-2023, Fertile Ground was launched to provide a platform for local theatre companies and individual artists to showcase their commitment to new work. Projects can range from fully staged world premieres, to workshops and readings, to ensemble, multidisciplinary and collaboration-driven work, to a variety of dance, comedy, film events and more.

Unlike a typical fringe festival, Fertile Ground is an unadjudicated festival that features new work created by LOCAL artists, performers and companies. This ensures that the artistic and financial benefits of the festival stay in Portland. The Festival works toward creating an inclusive, welcoming platform including underrepresented voices across race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality, and physical or intellectual ability.



Theater Fans' Choice Awards
2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats
Best Book of a Musical - Top 3
1. David Hornsby, Chris Hoch, David Hornsby, Chris Hoch - The Lost Boys
36.1% of votes
2. Jim Barne, Kit Buchan - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
27.6% of votes
3. Cinco Paul - Schmigadoon!
21.3% of votes

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