News and Culture

I had a remarkably good time last weekend watching Portland Center Stage’s excellent production of Twelfth Night. My review was brief, constrained by the length of my rant about another show (more on that later), but I think it gets the point across: this is a wonderful, unashamedly fun evening of theater. Everyone involved seems to be having a blast, and they invite the audience to join in on the hijinx. It’s the best time I’ve had at PCS since I saw Naomi Iizuka’s 36 Views in 2004.

While there’s plenty that’s rave-worthy about the production on its own, I think it’s even more fun in conjunction with Beard of Avon, Amy Freed’s nerdy farce with which it is running in repertory (PCS has nicknamed the project “b12″). I didn’t like Beard all that much, but it’s not that often that you get to see the same actors tackling different roles like you do here. Getting to know the talents and range of individual actors is half the appeal of ensemble companies like defunkt and Vertigo, and the same principal is at work here. I’d like to see more repertory work in Portland, but I understand why it’s so rare—it’s a hell of a lot of work.

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I wish I could be as excited about Artists Rep’s new show, but The Clean House is, unfortunately, just a bad play. I’m not the only person who thinks so—most of the non-daily critics in New York didn’t get it either—but we’re up against the likes of Bill Rauch, the new Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and New York Times critic Charles Isherwood, along with the ADs of the dozen American regional theaters that are producing the show this season.I find Isherwood’s approval of the play perplexing, considering that he is infamous for disliking new work. And when he does like a new show, I don’t. Besides The Clean House, there’s Thom Pain (Based on Nothing), Will Eno’s bizarre monologue that inspired a mash note from Isherwood and indifference from me. Isherwood was ecstatic over Xanadu, too, and I’m sure I’ll hate that. There’s only one conclusion, Mr. Isherwood: I hate everything you love. All of this has me worried about August: Osage County. Is it really good? Or just Isherwood good?

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Shocking scandal of the week: the casting has been announced for a Stephen Sommers-directed live-action adaptation of the G.I. Joe franchise—and there’s no mention of Mary McDonald-Lewis, Portland voice-actor and union activist, who still gets fan-mail for her stint as Lady Jaye in the 80s. Outrage!

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Here’s the latest on Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera, the next camp-mess from Don Horn: More-or-less Dale Johannes legitimate actors Dale Johannes and Sue Ellen Christensen will star alongside singer Beth Willis and rapper Lilla D’Mone. Don’t do it, Dale and Sue! Run for your lives!

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The most exciting game in town right now is the development of a yet-unnamed, all-local new works festival, organized by the Portland-Area Theater Alliance (PATA) and backed by the Portland Oregon Visitors Association (POVA, freshly rechristened Travel Portland), slated to take place next January. A number of the city’s larger theaters are already on board to produce world premieres during the festival, and this thing could well grow into a nationally renowned event to rival the Humana festival, etc. So what do they need to make it a success? Besides money? A name and slogan! Give your suggestions through the form at PATA’s website, here. Personally, I think “The Patapova Festival” has a nice ring to it.

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This weekend’s openings are mostly geared to the younger set (Tears of Joy’s Anansi, Blue Monkey’s Antigone Northwest Children’s Theatre’s Devil and Daniel Webster and Rebecca Martinez, Joaquin López and Stan Olmstead’s Cuentos: Searching for My Story), but there are three adult shows worthy of note: Faust, U.S., the first production by the new, sorta all-star Re-Theatre Instrument; Dead of Winter, and evening of three one acts by local playwright Steve Patterson, produced by the Bluestockings; and Miracle Theatre Group’s subtitled production of Lorca’s Bodas de Sangre. Check out our performance listings for all the juicy details.

1. Curtain Raiser: Cirque du Soleil, Moonlight & Magnolias and (What Else?) Tonya & Nancy Bigger
2. Curtain Raiser: A Metric Tonne of Theater News Avenue Q o
3. Curtain Raiser: A Ship, a Sedan and a Streetcar The shows
4. Curtain Raiser: Too Much News Gary Nor
5. Curtain Raiser: Unexpected Musicals, Courageous Middle-Schoolers and More John Guare The obviou

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This entry was posted on Friday, February 1st, 2008 at 2:04 pm and is filed under Culture, Neighborhoods, Stage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.