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Title Words From The Wings and photo of actor backstage.

Dear Friend,   

As we prepare to welcome you back to the theaters this fall, I would like to take a moment to reintroduce you to my colleagues in the Development Team. We are a small but mighty group of four, and we are excited to reconnect with you in person!

Jack Ridenour-Starnes (he/him), our Development Manager, has been with PCS for six years, starting in our Patron Services Department, and joining Development in 2017. Having worked in theater for 15 years, Jack is passionate about making theater accessible to everyone. Jack manages a portfolio of donors, and can help with practically any of your donation records needs. You can reach him by email at jackr@pcs.org.

Marlene Montooth (she/her), our Grants Manager, has been with PCS for 18(!) years, and she has really loved seeing the growth in the company over that time — especially PCS’s move into The Armory. Marlene manages a portfolio of foundation, government, and corporate grants. If you have suggestions or introductions for local or national foundations, please contact her at marlenem@pcs.org.

Emily S. Ryan (they/him/hers), our Development Associate, joined the team in February 2020. You may already know Emily from her seven years with our Patron Services Team. Emily can be of assistance with questions about all Development events, like Happy Hours with Marissa, Opening Night Dinners, and the Gala. You can reach her at emilyr@pcs.org.

We will be taking turns updating you on our activities in our upcoming Words from the Wings, and we encourage you to reach out to us if we can be of assistance.

We consider you a true partner who helps advance our mission and values, and we thank you for your partnership! We look forward to seeing you this fall as we celebrate the return of performances on our stages. Our 2021-2022 season includes a beautiful array of plays, including August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Freestyle Love Supreme, and the heart-swelling return of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. 

Staying connected is deeply meaningful to me, and I am only a short email or phone call away. Please reach out if you’d like to chat and learn more about the work happening at PCS.

With warm regards and gratitude,

Luisa Adrianzen Guyer

Portrait of Luisa Adrianzen Guyer.

Director of Development
Direct: 503-445-3729
Email: luisag@pcs.org

Soaring Together: Insights from Marissa Wolf

I hope this finds you and your family healthy and thriving this summer! At PCS, we are poised on the threshold of the 2021-2022 season. Even as we face more unknowns with the Delta variant, the PCS leadership team continues to plan the best ways to welcome audiences safely and joyfully to The Armory.

In order to support the public health of our community, PCS along with over 30 other performing arts organizations from across the metro area have come together to announce that we will be requiring audiences to show proof of vaccinations or a recent negative Covid-19 test for our fall shows. I’m excited to be part of this arts coalition, moving with interconnectedness as we promote the health of audiences, artists, staff, and volunteers within our companies.

September will bring us First Thursday — in person for the first time in 18 months! — in addition to some fantastic drop-in workshop classes. By mid-October we’ll be into our season kick-off with Frida … A Self Portrait! This play rips through time and space as playwright/performer Vanessa Severo connects Frida’s voracious appetite for life to the present, as we all carry loss forward into a hopeful future.

When the Lights Come Up, Anything is Possible

"That is what theater is all about — to know that you're all going to gasp when the lights come up."

Ellyn Bye became a season subscriber within a year of attending her first Portland Center Stage production. Her relationship with PCS grew over time, and she supported The Armory Project — the massive renovation to convert the historic Armory Annex into the new home for PCS — by naming the Green Room after her parents. A few years later, PCS dedicated the Ellyn Bye Studio in her honor, in appreciation of her years of generous support and engagement. Fast forward 18 years, and her love for PCS and for being entertained has only deepened. Read on, as she chats with Luisa Adrianzen Guyer, PCS’s Director of Development.

If you are interested in taking the next step in giving long-lasting support to PCS as an annual fund donor, explore our individual giving options online or contact Jack Ridenour-Starnes, Development Manager, at jackr@pcs.org

Happy Hour with Marissa Wolf, Stacey Caldwell Roberts & Cynthia Fuhrman

Tuesday, September 28 • 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. • FREE

Please join us for our first hybrid Happy Hour to meet PCS's new Board Chair, Stacey Caldwell Roberts, as she sits down with Artistic Director Marissa Wolf and Managing Director Cynthia Fuhrman.

This event will take place in person and online — on the Mezzanine at The Armory and on Zoom. The first 30 minutes feature a casual conversation between Stacey, Marissa and Cynthia, and will be followed by 30 minutes of mingling for guests in attendance at The Armory. Light refreshments will be served. The in-person event is limited to 25 people, on a first come, first served basis. Please note: Proof of vaccination is required for all events at The Armory right now, and masks must be worn unless you are actively eating or drinking. Learn more about our guidelines here.

SAVE THE DATE! 

Saturday, February 26 • PCS's 2022 Annual Gala!

We are planning something out of the ordinary for our 2022 Gala on Saturday, February 26. We were delighted that so many of you joined us for our 2020 and 2021 virtual Galas, and we long for the thrill of being in-person. This year we are reimagining what a night in support of PCS could look like if we think outside the box. Stay tuned for more details, and save the date!

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!

Sarah Ames
Elizabeth Amsden
Krista Anderson
Faustina Ash
Katie Ball Warren & Nick Warren
Carolyn Beall
Bradley Bolchunos
Lacey Bronson
Beylan Brown
Meta Bruner & Caleb Sohigian
Patricia Carroll
Michelle Christensen
George Chunn
Terry Clancy
Colleen Crabtree
Catherine Cromer
Julie L. Davis
Jacquelyn Deneuve
Bob and Maggy Edelstein
C. Egan
Emily Estrada
Christine Fletcher
Broderick Franklin
Mary Frazer
Leada Fuller
George & Nancy Galster PhD
Petrina Gee
Lisa Goodman
Janet Goulston

Carole Green
Shirley & Robert Grew
Jeanne M. Haggard
Aimee Hanna
Carolyn Haun
Ned & Jill Hayes
Janet Hedgepath
Hayley Hilmes
Roger Jensen
Amanda K. Kelner
Linda Larkin & Michael Curtis
Valerie Lau
Alexandra List
Jennifer S. Luce
Paula Mabry
Robert T. Martin
Robert McAndrew
Saoirse McGurrin
Ann McManamon
Matt McNamara
Dorothy Mellon
Todd Metrokin
Lorin Moentenich & Avis Newell
Stuart & Shannon Montgomery
Steve Morse
Patricia A. Mott
Michael Mutschler
Robert Noradki
Sarah Jayne Olan

Matt Pearson
Cynthia Petts
Sarah Phillips & David Friedman
Maxwell A. Pluenneke
Lisa Powell
Gypsy J. Prince
Michael Pullen & Saundra Stevens
Mary H. Roberts
Barbara E. Robertson
Beth A. Rubin
Sally Sellers & Michael Subocz
Cynthia L. Sempert
Heidi Senior
Mark Shirazi
Jennifer & Roger Silbernagel
Jaclyn Smith-Moore
John Taylor
Sandra Terauds
Stacey Vallas
Ian D. Webb
Nicole Weiskopf
Cynthia White
Angela Winzey
Elizabeth A. Young

See our full list of supporters!

Amazon Smile & Kroger Rewards make a difference!

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: Delphon 'DJ' Curtis Jr. backstage during Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Luisa Adrianzen Guyer, photos by Kate Szrom. Marissa Wolf photo by Gary Norman. Andrea Vernae, Charles Grant & Orion Bradshaw in Redwood, photo by Russell J. Young. Graphic designs by Mikey Mann.