THE PORTLAND PLAYHOUSE
Programs
Artistic Services And Community Events
ARTISTIC SERVICES: DURING OUR 15TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON (2022-2023), WE PRODUCED FIVE PLAYS THAT DREW 8,045 AUDIENCE MEMBERS, INCLUDING 1,285 FIRST TIME TICKET BUYERS. THE SEASON OPENED WITH DOUGLAS LYONS' COMEDY DRAMA, "CHICKEN AND BISCUITS," ABOUT A BLACK FAMILY NAVIGATING THEIR PASTOR FATHER'S FUNERAL (WITH 1,563 TICKETS SOLD). OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY SHOW (INSPIRED BY DICKENS' "A CHRISTMAS CAROL") SOLD 3,455 TICKETS OVER FIVE WEEKS. IN WINTER 2023 WE PARTNERED AGAIN WITH THE UNITED STATES' PREEMINENT AFRICAN AMERICAN THEATRE, PENUMBRA THEATRE, TO PRODUCE PEARL CLEAGE'S POLITICAL COMIC DRAMA "WHAT I LEARNED IN PARIS." FOLLOWING A THREE-WEEK RUN IN PORTLAND (WITH AN AUDIENCE OF 1,705) THE SHOW RAN AT PENUMBRA IN ST PAUL, MN.WE CLOSED THE SEASON WITH TWO ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS. IN APRIL WE CO-PRODUCED THE WORLD PREMIERE OF "GREAT WIDE OPEN," A PHYSICAL THEATER PIECE INSPIRED BY A NOVEL ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND FIRST LOVE (WITH 1,000 ATTENDEES). IN MAY-JUNE WE ENDED THE SEASON WITH A THREE-WEEK RUN OF "THE SOUNDS OF AFROLITICAL MOVEMENT," AN EXPLORATION OF PROTEST THROUGH THE MOVEMENT AND RHYTHMS OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA THAT REACHED 1,200+. FOR THE PLAYHOUSE, AFROLITICAL SIGNIFICANTLY GREW OUR CAPACITY TO PROVIDE SPACE FOR BLACK ARTISTS TO BUILD COMMUNITY. FOR AUDIENCES IT WAS "AN ASTONISHING FEAT AND "ACCESSIBLE" IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD.UNDER THE JOINT LEADERSHIP OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR RAMONA LISA ALEXANDER AND PRODUCING DIRECTOR CHARLES GRANT, WE PRODUCED TWO MAJOR COMMUNITY EVENTS, GROUNDED IN STRONG COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. IN SEPTEMBER 2022 WE PARTNERED WITH ALBINA VISION TRUST TO PRESENT AN IMMERSIVE TWO DAY EVENT: "PORCHES & STOOPS: AN AFRO-TOPIA POP-UP". HELD IN THE LOWER ALBINA NEIGHBORHOOD, THE POP-UP FEATURED INSTALLATIONS, MADE BY DOZENS OF LOCAL CREATIVES, TO HONOR THEIR VISION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S FUTURE BASED IN BLACK DIASPORIC COMMUNITY AND SOVEREIGNTY. IN SEPTEMBER WE ALSO PRODUCED FOUR ORIGINAL WORKS FOR FILM BY LOCAL ARTISTS PRESENTED AT THE KENNEDY SCHOOL, CINEMA 21, AND THE PLAYHOUSE. ALTHOUGH THE SEASON WAS A CRITICAL SUCCESS, WE EXPERIENCED INTERNAL CHALLENGES AS WE TRANSITIONED OUT OF THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC. IN RESPONSE TO ARITST FEEDBACK, WE HAVE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL WEEK OF REHEARSAL TIME AND SHORTENED THE REHEARSAL WEEK (FROM SIX TO FIVE DAYS) FOR FUTURE PRODUCTIONS. IN ADDITION TO AN ONSITE CULTURAL COMPETENCY EXPERT WHO HELPS CREATIVE TEAMS NAVIGATE CHALLENGES IN THE PROCESS, WE HAVE ALSO STARTED TO PROVIDE HEALTH STIPENDS SO THAT ARTISTS CAN ACCESS WELLNESS SERVICES THEY NEED TO SUPPORT THEIR WORK. THESE CHANGES HAVE HELPED BOOST ARTISTS' MORALE AND THE LAST THREE SHOWS OPENED ON TIME.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2022 – Jun 30, 2023Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$1.4MSummer Enrichment Programming
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES: IN JUNE 2023 WE LAUNCHED OUR THIRD YEAR OF SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAMMING WITH PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SERVING 779 ELEMENTARY AGE STUDENTS. WE ARE ALSO HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE HOSTED THE FIRST YEAR OF OUR PAID APPRENTICESHIP WITH TWO STUDENTS FROM THE HISTORICALLY BLACK UNIVERSITY, FLORIDA A&M. IN A SELF-REFLECTION AT THE COMPLETION OF THE APPRENTICESHIP, ONE PARTICIPANT REPORTED "I FEEL MORE PREPARED, MORE FOCUSED, AND DETERMINED TO CONTINUE MY JOURNEY IN THEATRE."GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2022 – Jun 30, 2023Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$483.5K
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