We want to thank everyone who wrote to let us know they're loving our new Words from the Wings! We miss seeing you at The Armory, and we’re thrilled to have another means of staying in touch. 

In this issue, we have exciting updates on Metamorphosis — our 2021 Gala — along with special programming highlights from Marissa Wolf, profiles on two of our donors, an invitation to join us for Happy Hour in November, and a warm thank you to our newest donors. 

In November, I will be celebrating my first anniversary as director of development at PCS — what a year it’s been! During the first six months I looked forward to visiting with our donors at openings or during the run of our shows. Since March, our interactions have been limited to emails, phone calls, or Zoom meetings, and while it’s not the same as meeting in person, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed each opportunity to make new friends and to catch up with old ones! 

I am a short email or phone call away, so please reach out if I can ever be of any assistance. Your support is crucial to everything we do at Portland Center Stage, and we are so grateful for your generosity. 

Metamorphosis - PCS 2021 Gala Updates

Gala Co-Chairs Sharon Barnes and Michael Reper are joining forces with all of us on the PCS development team to bring you a joyful evening in celebration of renewal, creativity, and optimism. 

This year’s virtual Gala will be free to all, featuring wonderful performances curated by Marissa Wolf and Chip Miller, and unique experiences auctioned off by the fabulous Johnna Wells. We are partnering again with Vibrant Table to offer you a delicious three-course meal for purchase. Sponsorships with great benefits – such as a pre-show virtual Happy Hour with Marissa Wolf and Cynthia Fuhrman, complimentary dinner and wine, a beautiful amaryllis centerpiece, and more – are now available!

“When we built the 24-month PCS Remix model, we asked ourselves, how can we move through this time with generosity and be of service to our community?

“For our Education & Community Programs department, the past few months have been a time to reassess and think creatively about how to best support young people in this drastically altered environment. Throughout the summer, we have been in touch with area educators to learn how PCS’s resources can match their needs. Based on their responses, we’ve developed a flexible 'menu’ of educational activities to support arts learning, including virtual workshops, Visions & Voices playwriting courses, Teen Council meetings, and physically distanced, limited‐size classes.

“In fact, we had such enthusiastic responses to the Summer Teen Academy, where young people were able to connect in this time of isolation, that parents asked for continued offerings. In response, we’ve created a Fall and Winter Teen Academy that will support small, diverse groups of students. 

“While so much is uncertain, we believe that Portland Center Stage is uniquely poised to continue delivering essential, accessible opportunities for creativity and learning at all levels. As one teacher wrote on our educators survey, 'PLEASE ... keep going! Please, keep including us ... and please, keep setting that bar SO high for all of the other theatres!!!! You have the direction, you have dug deep, keep digging, keep going.’ 

“Every month, you can find an online play reading or original piece created for this time! You can also find a lineup of classes for all ages, plus community events, like concerts and discussions. Who knows, maybe you’ll enjoy a musical theater dance class or a concert live streamed straight to your home!” 

If you are interested in learning how to provide long-lasting support for PCS, explore our Planned Giving options or contact me at LuisaG@pcs.org for more information.  

Over the years, PCS has partnered with local companies who support our mission by sponsoring our programs. We’re excited to introduce you to one of those sponsors. AHA Inc. is a creative agency that helps bold brands share their purpose with the world. AHA founder Betsy Henning explained their decision to sponsor PCS’s Play Commissioning and Original Works Programs, saying, “We proudly partner with PCS to support their effort to bring to life rich collections of diverse stories and thereby foster a more just and equitable society. New voices reveal truths, open perspectives, and help us make sense of today so that we can create a better tomorrow. We need that more than ever right now.”

Thank You!

Many thanks to our new donors, and to our new matching gift company, New Avon Company. Find out more about matching gifts.  

Learn more about how you can support creative work at PCS!

Our Community Values

Theater often brings productive discomfort to the surface. Portland Center Stage is committed to grappling with that discomfort, on and off the stage, and we invite members of our community to participate in that growth process with us. Our goal is to co-create safety for our community by identifying and interrupting instances of racism and all forms of oppression, when we witness them, through specific actions rooted in the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). Learn more.

Photos: Lana Gordon backstage at The Color Purple; Teen Academy students; Charles Grant, Andrea Vernae, and Orion Bradshaw in Redwood.  Photos by Kate Szrom and Russell J. Young. Graphic designs by Mikey Mann.