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Dear Friend,
It was wonderful to see so many of you at performances of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean! We are thrilled to be halfway through our run of Freestyle Love Supreme, the original hip hop musical phenomenon from Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Anthony Veneziale. It closes May 1st, so get your tickets now!
After that, we hope you will join us on May 3 for our inaugural Benefit Performance, Swirl in the Pearl. You won’t want to miss this delightfully original and hilarious play-within-a-play written by PCS’s Literary Manager and playwright Kamilah Bush, and directed by Artistic Director Marissa Wolf. All tickets include a pre-show reception and a post-show party!
We’ve got an amazing 2022-2023 season lined up for you. We hope you'll consider purchasing a season subscription and getting a season's worth of exciting, dynamic theater on your calendar!
It’s only natural that a new season brings new beginnings and endings. Our amazing director of development, Luisa Adrianzen Guyer, left PCS earlier this month. Luisa says: “I feel fortunate to have shared the past two-and-a-half years with PCS’s wonderful community of staff, board, donors, volunteers, and audiences — thank you! As I leave PCS to take a sabbatical so I can focus on the next stage of my professional life, I am excited about the development team’s ability and commitment to ensuring PCS’s continued success and sustainability. I look forward to joining you at The Armory as an audience member and a donor!” Luisa has built a strong foundation for PCS’s development work, for which we are incredibly appreciative, and we wish her the best of luck as she embarks on the next stage of her career!
We are grateful for your support and we consider you an important partner in our work. Thank you! Staying connected is really important to me, and I am only an email or phone call away. Please reach out if you’d like to chat and learn more about the exciting events happening at PCS.
It’s been a beautiful spring at PCS, as we joined together to experience the profound power of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean, seeking abundance with a call to “live!”. This month we welcome Freestyle Love Supreme onto the main stage — if you love humor, and you love what Lin-Manuel Miranda’s brought to the stage and film, this is the show for you! It’s an improv show that uses hip-hop freestyling as its vehicle, and spins ideas and stories from audience members into a delicious evening of performance. Audiences are calling it “a Must” and “FABULOUS! Creative, witty and just a lot of FUN.”
I’m so excited to also welcome you to Swirl in the Pearl, our inaugural benefit performance on Tuesday, May 3! This new kind of fundraiser at PCS uses the form of theater to offer a playful event featuring a comedic show that celebrates the plays on stage. Ticket prices start at $50 and include both pre- and post-show parties. I hope you’ll join us at this wonderful celebration!
Thank you for all of your support! I look forward to seeing you online and at the theater.
Best,
Marissa
SEE YOU AT OUR INAUGURAL BENEFIT PERFORMANCE ON TUESDAY, MAY 3!
Please join us for our inaugural benefit performance Swirl in the Pearl. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with a pre-show reception, and the performance and general appeal begin at 7:30 p.m., followed by a fun post-show party.
Featuring comedic hijinks, a general appeal, and your favorite PCS performers, glammed up and ready to delight. Special guest artists include: Merideth Kaye Clark, Susannah Mars, Vin Shambry, LaRhonda Steele, Leah Yorkston, and Ken Yoshikawa!
All tickets include a pre-show reception with delicious bites from local favorites such as Nong’s Khao Man Gai, Tamale Boy, and Charcuterie Me. The Armory Bar will be open to quench your thirst with wines from Argyle Winery, beer from Deschutes Brewery, specialty cocktails, and a variety of non-alcoholic options. Try your luck at our wine wall and then get your groove on after the show with a dance party, champagne, and treats from HeyDay and Obon Shokudo!
It’s time to don your festive attire and show your love for PCS!
PCS donors are vital to our success and we are grateful for each and every one of you. Please join us in welcoming our newest donors!
We appreciate you, mystery donors!
Throughout the season we receive anonymous gifts from supporters through Amazon Smile, Facebook, and Kroger Rewards. Thanks to those of you who participate in these programs!
If you'd like to learn more, visit our ways to give page.
We’re platinum in more ways than one!
The Armory, PCS’s home, was the first building on the National Register of Historic Places to achieve a LEED Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. We’re excited to share that Portland Center Stage has also earned a 2022 Platinum Seal of Transparency with Candid! Candid, which merged with GuideStar and Foundation Center in 2019, connects nonprofits, foundations, and individuals to the resources they need to do good through research, collaboration, and training. You can view our Nonprofit Profile at Portland Center Stage at The Armory - GuideStar Profile.
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: L to R: Cindy Im and Jamie Hammon in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, photo by Kate Szrom. Marissa Wolf photo by Gary Norman. Charles Grant, Andrea Vernae & Orion Bradshaw in Redwood, photo by Russell J. Young.
Graphic design by Mikey Mann.