In Charlie O'Neill's HURL, a multi-ethnic hurling team, made of immigrants, aspiring immigrants, and children of immigrants from Africa, South America, Asia, and Eastern Europe, want to join the local athletic club and represent the county on the national level. But there's a problem -- they aren't ... (more...)
Adam Bock's A LIFE, which was commissioned by Portland Center Stage, starts out with a lot of promise -- Nate, a man in his 50s, recently single and lonely, is contemplating what it's all about. But ultimately the show fails to land.... (more...)
______ THE WOLF, a new devised piece now running at Shaking the Tree, draws on Little Red Riding Hood to explores how easy it is to become trapped in these familiar narratives, to be defined by your given role until you lose track of your own voice.... (more...)
'Is it now? I thought I had more time.' That's Guy's first line in Will Eno's quietly profound play WAKEY, WAKEY, now on stage at Portland Playhouse. It gets straight to the core of many people's (me included) fear of death -- the fear that it may come before we're ready.... (more...)
If a musical can heal the world, that musical is THE COLOR PURPLE -- specifically, the production now playing at Portland Center Stage. This star-studded production, headed by the luminous Felicia Boswell in the role of Celie, tells a story of empowerment that has probably never been more needed tha... (more...)
ORDINARY DAYS is a small musical -- four people, not much dialogue, a single piano, a sparse set -- but it's precisely this simplicity that allows the big picture to emerge. And that picture is extraordinary.... (more...)
SKELETON CREW is a hard-hitting and deeply-moving play about people who are simply trying to survive in a world where the deck is stacked against them.... (more...)
UXOs are failed weapons of war. But could they also be solutions to our greatest problems? That's the question that UNEXPLODED ORDNANCES, a genre-defying, thought-provoking piece by Split Britches (i.e., performance duo Lois Weaver and Peggy Shaw) seeks to answer.... (more...)
RENEE'S QUEER CABARET, a "resistance variety show" hosted by local singer-songwriter Renee Muzquiz made its debut last week at Artists Rep as part of the Risk/Reward Festival. Submissions are now being accepted for the next installment of the new monthly series, which takes place on October 20.... (more...)
'What's playing at Broadway Rose? I'll tell you what's playing at Broadway Rose. A GUYS AND DOLLS so good that it gets a standing ovation from everyone who goes. That's what's playing at Broadway Rose.'... (more...)
Remember the movie 9 to 5? Now picture it with chainsaws. Add in a very heavy dose of internalized sexism, and you'll come close to having THE SECRETARIES, written by the comedy troupe Five Lesbian Brothers, aka Maureen Angelos, Babs Davy, Dominique Dibbell, Peg Healey, and Lisa Kron.... (more...)
If you're up for something experimental and would like to see a new take on storytelling and performance from a group of up-and-coming theatre artists, check it VERY POORLY INDEED by the Institute of Contemporary Performance.... (more...)
BROKEN BONE BATHTUB is based on Siobhan O'Loughlin's experience of breaking her hand in a bike accident. Whatever you may be feeling about the state of the world, or even your day, this award-winning solo piece will give you hope and you'll walk out a happier and more compassionate person than you w... (more...)
Packed with great music and featuring an incredible performance by Deidrie Henry as Billie Holiday, LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL is an absolute must-see.... (more...)
Fuse Theatre Ensemble's CABARET, directed by Rusty Tennant, adds a few layers of pain and desperation. The result is a CABARET that makes a lot of sense, especially given the disturbing parallels between the play's setting and America today. It was fantastic.... (more...)
JOHN HUGHES HIGH: THE 1980's TEEN MUSICAL, now getting its world premiere, is a most excellent tribute to the best decade ever, featuring a cast of incredibly talented young performers from Staged!... (more...)
SALT is a collection of installations (including performance pieces) about civil disobedience inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's Salt March speech. It's one of those unique events that makes the Portland theatre scene so dynamic.... (more...)
BWW Review: Immigrants, Traditionalists Clash on the Pitch in HURL, at Corrib Theatre
BWW Review: Enjoy the Silence of SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS, at Artists Rep
BWW Review: A LIFE Fails to Live Up to Its Promise, at Portland Center Stage
BWW Review: Shaking the Tree's _______ THE WOLF Explores the Imperative, and the Difficulty, of Telling Our Own Stories
BWW Review: WAKEY, WAKEY Uses Death to Remind Us of What's Important in Life, at Portland Playhouse
BWW Review: Portland Center Stage's THE COLOR PURPLE Give Us What We Need Most: Hope
BWW Review: Isaac Lamb Directs Extraordinary ORDINARY DAYS, at Broadway Rose
BWW Review: Senior Citizens Duke It Out in RIPCORD at Clackamas Repertory Theatre
BWW Review: Detroit Auto Workers Caught in a Web of Hard Choices in SKELETON CREW at Artists Rep
BWW Review: The Doomsday Clock is Ticking. Can Our Personal UNEXPLODED ORDNANCES Save the World?
BWW Review: RENEE'S QUEER CABARET Debuts Resistance Variety Show Series
BWW Review: Broadway Rose Extends Its Winning Streak with GUYS AND DOLLS
BWW Review: ABBA Music, Great Dancing, Fabulous Costumes, Rotating Set! Broadway Rose's MAMMA MIA! Has 'Em All
BWW Review: Clackamas Repertory Theatre's Delightful SENSE & SENSIBILITY Delivers Jane Austen at Lightning Speed, Propelled by Gossip
BWW Review: Beware of Office Workers Bearing Chainsaws: THE SECRETARIES at Profile Theatre
BWW Review: The Institute for Contemporary Performance Explores the Humor in Desperation in VERY POORLY INDEED
BWW Review: The Barricades Arise Once Again in Stirring National Tour of LES MISERABLES
BWW Review: BROKEN BONE BATHTUB: A Quirky, Intimate Play That Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity
BWW Review: Portland Center Stage Season Ends on a Very High Note with LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL
BWW Review: Artists Rep's I AND YOU is a Lesson in Poetry and Love
BWW Review: LEFT HOOK Looks at the Human Impact of Portland's Decades of Urban Renewal, at The Vanport Mosaic
BWW Review: Fuse Theatre Ensemble Takes CABARET to a Whole New Level of Dark, Right Where It Belongs
BWW Review: Portland Playhouse Combines Award-Winning Director, Stellar Cast for Outstanding FENCES
BWW Review: JOHN HUGHES HIGH: THE 1980's TEEN MUSICAL Makes Its Totally Rad Debut, Packed with Awesome Young Talent
BWW Review: Art Examines Power and Privilege in Shaking the Tree's SALT, a Multimedia Act of Resistance
