Portland Playhouse Offers JOY (COMES) IN THE MOURNING

From September 10-18, 2021, Portland Playhouse invites folks to come together for a festival of workshops, performances, art installations and discussions focusing on communal grieving and the joy of healing together.

"Most of us are hurting, and experiencing the weight and complexities surrounding loss; albeit a loved one, a home, performance gig, political voice, finances. We cannot discard 2020 as if it never happened," says Portland Playhouse's Community Programs and Associate Artistic Director Ramona Lisa Alexander, curator of the festival.

"We've invited artists, healers, dancers, faith-based leaders, singers, musicians and community groups to lead us as we reconnect to mourning traditions and rituals, to share in the practices acknowledging loss of our contemporaries, to express our grief in an open and unrestrained way."

The festival, which will consist of both in-person (as CDC protocols allow) and virtual events, kicks off with a welcoming address from keynote speaker Sarah Bellamy, Artistic Director of Minneapolis' Penumbra Theatre. Bellamy will continue to engage with arts leaders throughout the festival in a series of workshops focusing on the intersection of racial healing, social justice and theatre making.

From soundscapes to art installations, mindfulness and gardening workshops, all events and performances are offered free of charge.
Reservations for ticketed events must be made at https://portlandplayhouse.secure.force.com/ticket

Artists bios can be found at www.portlandplayhouse.org/joy-artists

Full schedule and festival information, including additional artists and events as they are added, can also be found at www.portlandplayhouse.org/joy