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Title Words From The Wings and photo of actor backstage.

Seasons Greetings Friend!

As we move through the holiday season, we build new memories and reminisce on old ones. There are usually large family gatherings and proclamations of gratitude. Towards the end of the season, we look to the future with hope and a readiness for change.

This has become my favorite time of the year. I am constantly testing recipes for family gatherings and because it is winter, comfort food recipes are the ones I gravitate towards first. As the years have passed, I have become more aware that the biggest gift I give others is the comfort and joy of opening my home and providing nourishing sustenance.    

At PCS, January brings The Great Leap, in collaboration with ART, and the long- anticipated reprise of Hedwig and the Angry Inch: a solid beginning to a brand-new year! 2022 also brings new works, newly commissioned plays, and so much more. We are excited to work with brilliant playwrights to build stories that are unique and relevant.

To celebrate new work, our annual fundraising event will look brand-new this year. Taking place on Saturday, February 26, 2022, you can count on the usual gala elegance, excitement, and – of course – fundraising. We will offer live music and delightful humor, while doing what we do best — creating brilliant theater!

Please save the date and read on for more information.

Hope to see you there!

Emily S. Ryan
Development Associate
emilyr@pcs.org


Insights from Marissa Wolf 💫

The Armory is brimming with audiences of all ages as we enjoy the robust run of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- Time. Having cancelled this show only a few days after it opened in March 2020, there is a particular, moving synergy at PCS right now as we lift up this important, creative piece and celebrate its renewed life back on our stages.

This week, as I led a talkback with 170 teenagers after a student matinee, I was thrilled by their deep engagement with the work. Multiple students spoke with eloquence about how much the play resonated for them, and several students shared that they saw themselves in the central character of Christopher, who is neurodivergent. The experience of these young people, energetic and filled with ideas and questions, is at the heart of why we make theater. They are the future of the art form, and the future of our community. With your support, we get to nurture that bright future right here at PCS by sharing live theater with them all season long. Thank you for giving what you can to our year-end campaign that supports our Education programs!

I hope you have a peaceful and bright holiday season. When we come back together, I can’t wait to share our all-new, hilarious, and imaginative benefit performance with you on February 26. Kamilah Bush — a fantastic writer and purveyor of comedy — will be sitting down with me at our Happy Hour Talk in January to give you a sneak peek into the process of creating this year’s gala. I hope you’ll join us!


JOIN OUR YEAR-END CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT OF OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS!


Portland Center Stage provides a wide variety of dynamic, powerful and impactful education programming for young people, especially teens. We asked a few of our teachers and students to share their experiences during the pandemic and how PCS classes impacted their daily life — you can hear their personal stories in this video.

We depend on your continued support to kindle connections within our community and create opportunities for teens to learn and grow. We hope you will join our year-end campaign and make a gift by December 31.


Coffee Happy Hour with Marissa Wolf & Kamilah Bush

Wednesday, January 12 • 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. • FREE

In addition to being an integral part of PCS’s artistic team, Literary Manager Kamilah Bush is a gifted playwright and we have commissioned her to write a play-within-a-play for our 2022 benefit performance in support of PCS! Please join Marissa and Kamilah as they talk about the fun of creating a comedic show for the benefit, and get a behind-the-scenes look at how seasons get programmed. 

This event will be both in person and streamed online.


Saturday, February 26 • Save the date for our 2022 Annual Fundraiser!

This year we’re thrilled to invite you to a benefit performance in support of PCS! Prepare to laugh and celebrate with a specially commissioned play-within-a-play that will feature incredible performances and a sketch comedy motif – along with an auction and general appeal. The evening will kick off with a reception featuring delicious food from local chefs and beverages from our wine and brewery partners. Tickets and sponsorships will be available soon! 


Getting better acquainted with the
Oregon Cultural Trust

If you have visited a museum in Oregon, attended an arts performance, tuned into public radio, or appreciated the preservation of our state’s history, it’s likely that you’ve benefited from the Oregon Cultural Trust

The Cultural Trust was created by the state legislature in 2002 to fund culture in the state into perpetuity. Currently, more than 1,400 nonprofits, including Portland Center Stage, are eligible to receive funds from the Cultural Trust.

Those funds are provided by Oregonians like you, who receive a tax credit for their donation to the Cultural Trust. Here’s how it works:

1. Total your donations to qualifying cultural nonprofits to which you donated all year. A full list of qualifying nonprofits can be found here.

2. Give the same amount to the Cultural Trust by Dec. 31 by mail or online.

3. Claim the amount donated to the Cultural Trust as a tax credit when you file your taxes.*

Your Cultural Trust contribution comes back to you in the form of a decreased tax bill or, potentially, an increased refund. You just doubled the impact of your contribution at no additional cost to you!

As you continue to support Portland Center Stage with your generous contributions, we hope you’ll also match your donation with a gift to the Oregon Cultural Trust to strengthen funding for all of the cultural organizations that protect our great state’s famous quality of life.

Remember to make your donation by December 31. Learn more or donate at CulturalTrust.org or (503) 986-0088, or consult your tax preparer.

*Up to $500 for an individual, $1,000 for couples filing jointly or $2,500 for Class-C corporations.


Thank You!

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!

Anonymous (2)
James H. Abbott
Maria Agoston
Salwa A. Al Bicyclechi
Darrin P. Amico
Jody Anderson
Nancy K. Anderson
Maria & Miranda Arneson
Jane Barfield
Kimberly Barrie Wheeler
Shaunti Basil
Elizabeth Bell
Audrey Bergsma
Peter Bilotta
Leslie Bloom
Carol Cavallaro
Paul Christensen
Sherilyn de la Torre
Peter and Teresa DeStefano
Marilys Ernst
Teresa Everson
Eva Feldman
Linda G. Fields
Diana G.
Patricia Gallagher
Marcos A. Galvez
Kathryn Gamber
Conrad Garrison
Alison Greco
Marcia Gross
Nancy E. Grove
Kate Hall
Chris Hansen
Julie Harper
Damon Hickok

Barbara W. Ogden
Merrie Hildebrand
Brian Hoop
Elaine Hultengren
Richard Ingalls
Diego M. Jimenez
Jeffrey B. Johnson
Clare Kessi
Patricia Kight
Will Kivinski
Larry R. Knisley
Peter Kokopeli
Cheryl Kolbe
Ursula & Thor Kuhn
James Langen
Tamiko M. Lawrence
Eric Layton
Leslie Lee
Seretsi K. Lekena
Thomas Lifschutz
Scott Likely
Katherine Maack
Christine Mauser
Christie May
Brian McFadden
Michael Miller
Sally Miller
Susannah Morgan 
Michael Morrison
CJ Moschel
Beverly Moser
Jennifer Mueller
Marcy C. Newton
Tracy Nyari
Glenn Okawa & Kathleen Andreas

Brie Pierznik
Mary A. Plano
Darin Pomerleau
Lawrence Popkin
Jean Powers
Danette Price
Beverly G. Reed
Mary Riek
Charlotte Scherer
Alli Schisler
Ann Scott
Jori Scruggs-Brown
Christy Shaver
Martin B. Sherman and Linda Wallen
Julie M. Skirvin
Elizabeth Smith
Jonathan Soll & Melissa Rowe Soll
Amy Stout
Sean Sweat & Chelsea Smith
Marisa Thyken
Peter & Angela Timmen
Kathleen Tinkle
Sergio Valenzuela
Jan van Santen
Vicki Vodrey
Gina Wand
Matt Whipple
Nancy L. White
Gillian Wildfire
Deborah A. Wiser
Martyna Witkowska
Celsea Wurster
Skylor Young


Thank You — Mystery Donors! 

Throughout the season we receive anonymous gifts from supporters through Amazon Smile 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.


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 during The Color Purple, 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.