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Portland Monthly

Performing Arts

LONG STORY SHORT

Portland Opera Turns 50 This Month—and One Woman Has Been There For It All

From chorus girl to costume queen, Frances Britt has been involved with almost every Portland Opera production of the past half century. We look back at some of the wildest moments—and wildest costumes.

11/03/2014 By Aaron Scott

INTERVIEW

Playwright Robert Schenkkan on Winning a Tony and Impressing Spielberg

It's been a big year for one of Oregon theater’s biggest success stories. We caught up with Schenkkan in Ashland to take stock.

11/03/2014 By Aaron Scott

THEATER

Boom Arts Brings the World to Portland Theaters

The upstart theater producer forges a niche with dynamic presentations of smart international theater (with live piglets!). Its third season kicks off with 'The Golden Dragon' Oct 25–26.

10/22/2014 By Nathan Tucker

THEATER REVIEW

'Bob: A Life in Five Acts' Offers a Wild Ride through All-American Pit Stops

Theatre Vertigo’s ambitious season opener serves up misfits, mayhem, and a side of melodrama. Thru Nov 15

10/21/2014 By Ramona DeNies

THEATER REVIEW

Defunkt’s 'In the Forest, She Grew Fangs' Offers a Surreal Treatise Against Teen Bullying

With charismatic leads, the local theater fearlessly transforms the bloody fairy tale into an allegory for a pressing contemporary problem. Thru Nov 15

10/13/2014 By Nathan Tucker

DANCE REVIEW

Review: Oregon Ballet Theatre Turns 25 with a Stage Extravaganza

OBT kicks off its quarter-century season with Balanchine, tuxes, memories, and a joyous collaboration with Pink Martini. Thru Oct 18

10/13/2014 By Kelly Clarke

DANCE

Diavolo Dance Theater Will Blow Your Mind. Don’t Miss It.

The LA-based company presents two works that are more jaw dropping than Cirque du Soleil and cooler than anything at Design Week. Thru Oct 11

10/10/2014 By Aaron Scott

THEATER REVIEW

Third Rail Rep’s ‘Middletown’: Tackling the Big Questions

With dexterous language and humor, Will Eno’s riff on ‘Our Town’ takes on deep existential questions—but to what end? Thru Oct 19

10/07/2014 By Nathan Tucker

THEATER

Q&A: ‘Kinky Boots’ Star Kyle Taylor Parker on Dancing in Heels

The Tony-winning Broadway show with music by Cyndi Lauper sashays into town with Parker at the lead from October 1–5.

10/01/2014 By Aaron Scott

THEATER + TICKET GIVEAWAY

Divas vs. Drag Queens: Kinky Boots, Dreamgirls, and La Cage Aux Folles

Size up the divas and the drag queens in these three glamorous productions, plus win tickets for a full immersion.

09/29/2014 By Aaron Scott

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REPORT

How Oregon Ballet Theatre Pivoted from Near Bankruptcy to Full Flight

Two years ago, OBT almost closed its doors forever. Now it's launching an ambitious 25th anniversary season full of surprises (Pink Martini!). What happened?

09/26/2014 By Aaron Scott

THEATER

From the White House to the Playhouse, One Portland Student's Journey

After performing at the White House with Sarah Jessica Parker, 9-year-old Sinai La’ryn Jones returns home to perform in 'The Piano Lesson' at Portland Playhouse. Sept 24–Nov 2

09/24/2014 By Brooke Sahni

THEATER REVIEW

Artists Rep’s ‘Intimate Apparel’ Is a Quiet Triumph

With a stellar cast, Artists Rep’s production about showy underwear reveals multiple issues with a deceptively simple tale. Thru Oct 5

09/17/2014 By Nathan Tucker

THEATER

Playwright Rickerby Hinds on Making Poetry from Police Brutality

Hinds uses hip-hop to turn the story of the killing of a black teen into a poignant theater experience at Milagro, Sept 19–20. He talks with us about what it was like to meet one of the officers and how the show's been impacted by Ferguson.

09/16/2014 By Matthew Schonfeld

THEATER

Exclusive: Bag&Baggage Mixes Up 5 Cocktails Inspired by ‘The Crucible’

Witch burning is thirsty business, so the Hillsboro theater company created "The Crucible Cocktail Collection." Slake your thirst with “The Kept Poppet,” but try not to down too much of “God’s Icy Wind.” Sept 4–28

09/04/2014 By Aaron Scott

THEATER

Review: PETE's Three Sisters

The experimental theater company's dynamic new translation of the Chekhov classic is not your high school Drama teacher's staid production. Thru Aug 17

08/13/2014 By Aaron Scott

ARTS NEWS

Shaking the Tree Finds a New Home in a SE Warehouse

On September 15, the SE theater company moves to a new space it plans to make available to other theater companies.

08/12/2014 By Aaron Scott

COMEDY

What’s in a Name: Bath Night (Because It Sure Beats Angel Tit)

Comedian Sean McGrath explains the difficulty of naming a sketch comedy show—and the five names he rejected. Whatever you call it, though, we bet it'll still be funny. Aug 8–30

08/06/2014 By Aaron Scott

CULTUREPHILE

Rachel Tess's Small World of Dance

The former Oregon Ballet Theatre dancer returns from performing around the world to preview a new work on a transportable set made by Opsis Architecture. Sept 6–7

08/01/2014 By Heather Wisner

THEATER

PETE’s Aggressive New Translation of Chekhov’s 'The Three Sisters'

Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble premieres a reinvigorated interpretation of the Russian classic by a Lewis & Clark professor. July 31–Aug 17

07/31/2014 By Caleb Diehl

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