All Rise at The Interstate Firehouse Culture Center

All Rise is the debut play of Evan McCreary. Originally written as the final project of his senior year playwriting class, and following a staging of the show at his high school before being selected for both the Pacific Northwest Multi Cultural Reader's Series and Film Festival (PNMC) & The Artist in Residency Program of the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC). With this script, Evan became the youngest presenter at the PNMC festival, and the youngest recipient of the IFCC grant program in both of their organizations respecive histories. The play follows Valerie Williams, after the murder of her teenaged son at the hands of police, and how she finds herself in a tumultuous battle with the criminal justice system in a desperate attempt to avenge her young son’s stolen life. Throughout the play, Valerie, her husband Matt, and their two daughters are thrust into the harrowing consequences of the systems of oppression and racism that are rooted in the American justice and police systems. With All Rise, these effects are showcased through an ensemble of characters, including the strain on Valerie and Matt’s interracial marriage, as questions of truth and justice arise, and a story akin to the realities faced by countless Black and African American families unfolds.Hailed as “…the voice of his generation…”, Evan McCreary’s award-winning, debut play is a timely, relevant, poignant confrontation and catharsis of the current state of our country, with audience members describing it as having the ability “…to change lives…”. This production of All Rise is a part of the IFCC Grant and Residency Program, made possible by: City of Portland funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and Portland Parks and Recreation.

For inquiries, contact: allriseplay@gmail.com