COMMUNION at Portland Center Stage

From a celebrated Off-Broadway run and national tour, Broadway actor and playwright Matthew LaBanca brings his groundbreaking solo show COMMUNION to Portland for 2 performances: Saturday, October 10th at 7:30 pm; and Sunday, October 11th at 2 p.m., at Portland Center Stage (128 NW 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97209).

COMMUNION is a raw, soul-stirring solo play written and performed by LaBanca, whose life was upended when the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn fired him after learning he had married his husband. Through story, music, and audience harmony, LaBanca transforms personal loss into an evening of truth, resilience, and hope. Part concert, part confession, part call to action, COMMUNION has been praised by Fr. James Martin as “profoundly personal and deeply moving.”

Presented by Diversity as Gift for Catholic-LGBTQ+ initiatives, these performances support Diversity as Gift’s long-standing mission to provide practical and spiritual support to all people, especially those at the margins of Portland communities. Through presenting COMMUNION, Diversity as Gift aims to build community, provide spiritual and material support, and highlight exceptional role models for LGBTQIA+ people and allies who are Catholic.

Following its acclaimed premiere Off-Broadway at Nancy Manocherian’s The Cell Theatre, COMMUNION continues to tour nationally, offering communities across the country an opportunity to engage in dialogue about faith, exclusion, and love.