Thursday, August 6, 2026

Hee-haw! Salt and Sage’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ plays up the laughs by Linda Ferguson

Colorful costumes and a top-notch cast add freshness and flash to Shakespeare’s comedy.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 01:17PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, August 4, 2026

‘Angels’ in Bend, Sondheim in Gresham and a ‘Harry Potter’ protest in Portland by Linda Ferguson

DramaWatch: Central Oregon’s Greenhouse Cabaret stages Tony Kushner’s epic “Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches,” Mt. Hood Rep brings “Into the Woods” to Gresham, …

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 04:26PM[SHARE]
Thursday, July 30, 2026

Broadway ‘Harry Potter’ star says fabled, magical story has something for everyone by Jason Vondersmith

Longtime fan Nick Dillenburg revels in playing title role in "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," which stages at Keller Auditorium Aug. 1-15.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 12:30PM[SHARE]
Friday, July 24, 2026

‘The Darkened Room’: Seances vs. Sexism by Brett Campbell

Eva Curry’s new play, premiering this weekend at BodyVox studios, conjures an era when women made magic to make a living.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 05:56PM[SHARE]
Thursday, July 23, 2026

Good news: Nice kids triumph over a rich bully in Disney’s ‘Newsies’ by Linda Ferguson

Review: Performers from near and far add pizzazz to the big dance musical at Broadway Rose.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 02:55PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 21, 2026

New looks: Fresh takes on Shakespeare and new-play festivals sweep into town by Linda Ferguson

DramaWatch: Salt and Sage takes on “Lear” and “Dream.” JAW new play festival and 21ten’s summer residency feature developmental works. Musicals from Clackamas Rep, Broadway in Port…

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 06:30PM[SHARE]
Monday, July 20, 2026

Sondra Pearlman, founder of Oregon Children’s Theatre, dies at 81 by Bob Hicks

Pearlman began the children's theater company at the old Portland Civic Theatre and built it into a driving force that brought millions of young people into the theatrical fold.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 11:01AM[SHARE]
Saturday, July 18, 2026

Ashland New Plays Festival selects four works for October showcase by Jim Flint

Blind review of 350 scripts produced 12 finalists, from which ANPF artistic director Jackie Apodaca selected the winners.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 09:00AM[SHARE]
Friday, July 17, 2026

Theatre 33’s summer festival finds growth and grins in grim times by Brett Campbell

In performances in Portland this weekend and Salem next month, the Willamette University-based company showcases and develops new plays by Northwest writers.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 12:56AM[SHARE]
Monday, July 13, 2026

Remembering the talented and vivacious Ms. Jennifer Lanier by Dmae Lo Roberts

Lanier, who died June 9 at age 67, was a vibrant figure in Portland theater, including being co-artistic director of Original Practice Shakespeare Festival. A celebration of her life is at 6…

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 05:42PM[SHARE]

‘The Silent Measure’: Bryan Churchill’s play blurs the line between human and machine   by Lori Tobias

The Manzanita resident took ‘My Dinner with Andre’ as the jumping-off point for his two-character drama, which premieres Friday in Nehalem.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 03:18PM[SHARE]
Friday, July 10, 2026

“Bring People Together and See What Happens”: Portland State University hosts Global Improvisation Symposium by Brett Campbell

Panels, workshops, and performances explore myriad applications for improv, both onstage and off.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 04:20PM[SHARE]

It’s challenging to be a mother, even when playing one in the Broadway in Portland musical ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ by Jason Vondersmith

To be a better Jersey, the mother in the bio-musical about the early life of singer-songwriter Alicia Keys, actress Kennedy Caughell sought advice from former Beaverton resident Shoshana Bea…

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 09:00AM[SHARE]
Thursday, July 9, 2026

Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theater leader Rick Lewis to retire by Linda Ferguson

Company founder Lewis will leave at the end of the year, and associate artistic director Diego Solan Kjelland will take over for Lewis as artistic director in January 2027.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 12:14PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Keep ’em coming: Musicals, festivals, and more are packing July’s theater calendar by Linda Ferguson

DramaWatch: “Newsies” at Broadway Rose, “Hands on a Hardbody” at Lakewood, and the touring “Hell’s Kitchen” will be sizzling on local stages. Plus: Festivals offered by From th…

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 05:58PM[SHARE]
Sunday, July 5, 2026

Live performance of Canadian classic ‘The Curve of Time’ sails into Pacific Maritime Heritage Museum by Lori Tobias

Audiobook narrator Heather Anne Henderson will present the book, a travelogue about a widow and her children sailing the British Columbia waterways nearly a century ago.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 01:40PM[SHARE]
Saturday, July 4, 2026

A summer bloom of shows at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival by Darleen Ortega

Darleen Ortega reviews the festival's "Henry Four, Part One," "The Taming of the Shrew," and "Emma" on the outdoor stage, plus "You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!" in the int…

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 12:05PM[SHARE]
Friday, July 3, 2026

Zarna Garg’s Million Dollar Excuses Tour by Ellen Clarke

The comedian brings her act to Portland's Helium Comedy Club through July 4, and to Bend for a single show July 5.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 08:39PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Stop making sense: Specific meaning is secondary to evocative sound and movement in PETE’s ‘Telephone’ by Linda Ferguson

Design and performances in Porland Experimental Theatre Ensemble's production turn Ariana Reines’ play into an enthralling art installation.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 09:05AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Two plays, two worlds, one summer by Jim Flint

Oregon Shakespeare Festival veteran John Tufts moves from the intimate romance of "Constellations" to the epic sweep of "An Iliad" at Ashland's Rogue Theater Company.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 10:00AM[SHARE]
Monday, June 29, 2026

Neil Simon’s nervous ‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’ by Bob Hicks

Review: Clackamas Rep's production brings out both the humor and the political and cultural shadows in Simon's behind-the-scenes show biz play.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 04:10PM[SHARE]
Saturday, June 27, 2026

She’s got it: Kayla Kelly tangos with self-doubt in her comedic show ‘You Got It, Girl’ by Linda Ferguson

Kelly's show, which she wrote and performs, is part of CoHo Productions’ 2026 residency program. Next up: Julia Bray's "Lobotomommy."

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 08:16PM[SHARE]

150 years of calling on the Telephone by Marty Hughley

PETE's production of Ariana Reines' play "Telephone" reaches back into the wonders of its invention. “To me," its director says, "the whole play is like a seance.”

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 12:22PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, June 23, 2026

A big splash: Theaters dive into summer with shows, festivals and celebrations by Linda Ferguson

DramaWatch: Pride productions, H2M’s immersive "Home/Land," outdoor Shakespeare, and plays from Theatre Diaspora and Clackamas Rep are among the season’s offerings. Plus: More opening an…

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 07:11PM[SHARE]
Sunday, June 21, 2026

Ten years of Belonging and Becoming by Ellen Clarke

The women's arts nonprofit From the Ground UP celebrates women artists with a festival in July, and will move into a new home at the Ford Building creative space in the fall.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 09:00AM[SHARE]
Saturday, June 20, 2026

Pathways to the future of theater (and theater criticism, too) by Bobby Bermea

Five young members of Artists Rep's PATHWAYS project speak up about what theater could be, and how the right kinds of conversations about it can be crucial.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 09:00AM[SHARE]
Thursday, June 18, 2026

Acting and singing a real-life Storm by Darleen Ortega

Solo star Storm Large brings laughter, lush vocals, and memories of tough times to her new show "Storm Large Makes It Home" at Portland Center Stage.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 11:12AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, June 16, 2026

A Broadway veteran lands her dream role in Ashland by Jim Flint

At long last, Lauren Gemelli will portray Roxie Hart – not on Broadway, but in Oregon Cabaret Theatre’s production of the musical she's long loved, "Chicago."

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 10:44AM[SHARE]
Sunday, June 14, 2026

‘Antikoni’: An ancient Greek tragedy transported to a current Nez Perce drama by Darleen Ortega

Beth Piatote's adaptation of "Antigone," a co-production of Native Performing Arts Network and Bag&Baggage, frames the revised tale around the conflicts over preservation of Native histo…

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 11:55AM[SHARE]
Saturday, June 13, 2026

Roommates, making a restless go of it by Darleen Ortega

Gail Dartez and Eleanor O'Brien shine as older women making the best of things in Jen Silverman's sharp two-hander "The Roommate" at Profile Theatre.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 12:27PM[SHARE]

‘Great Scott!’: Portland’s Broadway season concludes in 1955, via 1985, with iconic ‘Back to the Future’ musical by Jason Vondersmith

How do they recreate epic scenes, including a time-traveling DeLorean sports car? Find out June 16-21 at Keller Auditorium.

SOURCE: Oregon ArtsWatch at 09:30AM[SHARE]

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