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

LIGHT A FIRE

Inspiring Creativity: Portland Playhouse

Reimagining community theater with innovation and inclusivity

10/23/2014 By Aaron Scott

BOOKS & TALKS

Lois Leveen on Rewriting ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in 'Juliet's Nurse'

The historian-author retells the iconic love story from the viewpoint of Juliet’s nurse, which involved learning about the sexual lives of 14th century women and why people were so into fighting. She speaks at Broadway Books Oct 28.

10/23/2014 By Aaron Scott

BOOKS & TALKS

Carrie Brownstein on Lena Dunham, 'Girls,' and 'Portlandia'

Riot grrrls meets 'Girls" at the Newmark Theatre on Oct 19, as the Portlandia creator/star and former Sleater-Kinney guitarist talks with the creator/star of HBO’s 'Girls' about her new book.

10/13/2014 By Aaron Scott

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

ARCHITECTURE

Exclusive First Look: Inside PNCA's Stunning New Building by Allied Works

We get a tour of the college's new central hub—set to open in January—and are the first to see the atrium lit by the incredible skylight.

10/09/2014 By Aaron Scott

FILM

Laika and Focus Features to Partner For Three More Movies

Based on the success of Coraline, ParaNorman, and now The Boxtrolls, the local animation studio has inked a deal for three more movies with the first to likely come out in summer 2016.

10/03/2014 By Aaron Scott

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

THE STATE OF CRAFT

6 Design Stars Shaping Portland’s Craft Scene

It's no secret that our city is a hotbed of impressive stuff. Meet the makers behind the magic.

10/01/2014 By Zach Dundas, Rachel Ritchie, Aaron Scott, Benjamin Tepler, and Marty Patail

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

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

ROAD TRIP

Northwest Wine Country Weekends

From Southern Oregon’s golden fields to the desert oasis of Walla Walla to the Willamette Valley’s verdant hills, the region's vineyards are ripe for exploring.

09/26/2014 Edited by Rachel Ritchie With Aaron Scott, Emily Grosvenor, and Marty Patail

Top Things to Do This Weekend: Sept 25-28

No matter what you need, it's here. You feel like dancing? Project Pabst takes over Zidell Yards. Feel like laughing? Catch Hari Kondabolu's Helium Comedy Club set. Or maybe it's movie night? Watch Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous with Pennie Lane.

09/24/2014 Edited by Aaron Scott By Portland Monthly Staff and Matthew Schonfeld

TBA:14

Time-Based Art Festival Field Guide: Closing Weekend

Need help navigating the citywide cavalcade of performance? Look no further than our guide for top shows and up-to-date reviews. Sept 11–21

09/19/2014 By Randy Gragg and Aaron Scott

ART'S A DRAG

TBA's Critical Mascara Drag Ball Slide Show

TBA's Critical Mascara detonated in an explosion of outrageous outfits, full-body makeup, crowd surfing, fake blood, and glitter.

09/18/2014 By Aaron Scott

Top Things To Do This Weekend: Sept 18-21

Gillian Anderson, Herbie Hancock, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me's Peter Sagal, Ben Folds, Maria Bamford. They're not just stars, they're people at the top of their games—and they're all in town this weekend.

09/18/2014 Edited by Aaron Scott By Portland Monthly Staff and Matthew Schonfeld

ARTS NEWS

Portland Art Museum Chief Curator Bruce Guenther to Retire

After 14 year’s of guiding Portland’s largest arts institution, Guenther will retire on October 20.

09/15/2014 By Aaron Scott

Top Things To Do This Weekend: Sept 11–14

This weekend's rumbles: PICA's TBA Fest vs. XOXO Fest, Drake vs. Lil Wayne (vs. Katy Perry?), Béla Fleck and his banjo vs. the Oregon Symphony, the Breeders vs. "Cannonball," and Badass Theatre vs. South American revolutionaries.

09/11/2014 Edited by Aaron Scott By Portland Monthly Staff and Matthew Schonfeld

INTERVIEW

Q&A: Oregonian Emily Harris, NPR's Jerusalem Correspondent

The ex-host of Think Out Loud—OPB’s popular hour-long meditation on national and regional issues—reported from the front lines of the war in the Gaza Strip.

09/11/2014 By Zach Dundas and Aaron Scott