As our 12th season approaches, Portland Story Theater is excited to be moving to a new venue: the beautiful, brand-new Fremont Theater! After two full seasons at the cavernous, 375-seat Alberta Abbey, we are stoked to be moving back to a smaller, more intimate space. Located at the corner of NE 24th and Fremont, just nine blocks from Portland Story …
Videos are up: Kiss and Tell, Luck of the Irish
We had two awesome shows recently: celebrating love and romance with Kiss and Tell, our Valentine’s Day show, and our ode to Ireland and St. Paddy’s Day with Luck of the Irish. Both were evenings filled with sparkle, humor, and delight, with everything from traditional Irish dance to romantic serenades. And of course, there were lots of stories: tales of love, sex, …
Creating Safe Space
On Saturday, April 9th, we are partnering with PlayWrite, Inc. to create an Urban Tellers® show that gives voice to real, true stories from a new perspective, drawn from PlayWrite’s new Youth Leadership Team. Some of the tellers are guides in the PlayWrite program, while others are young people, ranging from 15-25 years old, who have graduated from the PlayWrite …
Why I Take Pictures for Portland Story Theater
She pauses; arms stretched upwards imitating the height of her lover. The audience is silent with bated breath, entranced. For a moment it seems her presence leaves the stage, for a moment she is standing before the man she has been speaking about. The man she has described so lovingly in her story. A moment in time. My finger presses …
Talking Scary Stories
As Portland Story Theater’s tellers put the final, terrifying touches on their stories for this weekend’s Halloween-inspired Spellbound show, founders Lynne Duddy and Lawrence Howard take some time out of their hectic week to reflect on what makes this a unique performance in their storytelling season. Does the storytelling process change when telling personal scary stories versus other stories of love or …
Our Busiest Week Yet
As the old cliche goes, “When it rains, it pours.” This week, Portland Story Theater has nearly hit hurricane status with our packed schedule of events across Oregon–and we couldn’t be more excited. Tomorrow, we are thrilled to work with TEDxMtHood to bring the art of storytelling to participants who are new to the craft with our 90-Minute Storyteller Starter workshop. …
Workshops for All
For the past ten seasons, founders Lynne Duddy and Lawrence Howard have built Portland Story Theater around the concept of community and the sharing of personal stories. In their staple workshop series, Art of the Personal Narrative, Lynne and Lawrence guide six participants through the storytelling process over a five week span. Though the series is an empowering process that participants have …
Portland Story Theater Awarded Grant!
We are so happy to announce that Portland Story Theater has been awarded a Grassroots Grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust! After a year of substantial growth, this grant will help us continue to expand while providing the entertaining and heartfelt stories that our audiences love. One of the most prominent private foundations in Oregon, Meyer Memorial Trust (MMT) has provided …
Our Favorite Moments
This past season was the biggest that Portland Story Theater has ever had. The stories were awe-inspiring and the company of our loyal audience made each performance feel like an intimate gathering. There were countless moments of inspiration, surprise, and joy. Still, some burn brighter in our memories than others–for better or worse. Here are five of the most memorable …
Spotlight On: Enrique E. Andrade
The power of Portland Story Theater comes from its people and the community they have built. This week, we invite you to get to know one of our tellers–Enrique E. Andrade. Enrique is a Portland Story Theater veteran and no stranger to stage work. With roots in Mexico City, Enrique is now an experienced actor whose talents reach out to …
Belonging
Our Urban Tellers show last week showcased what Portland Story Theater is all about–authentic storytelling. When storytellers open up and share the stories closest to their hearts, it can be a deeply moving experience, and last Saturday was no exception. As the tellers shared personal experiences from their own lives, their true emotions shone through, causing many of us in the audience to be …
Oasis in The City
“At first, they’re strangers…” When you first walk into a Portland Story Theater show at the Alberta Abbey, you are handed a program and welcomed to the show. The program features six faces and a small blurb about each of them. You read it dutifully before resting it in your lap. You may even recognize one of the tellers walking …