PDX Playwrights proudly upholds our reputation as “the festival within the festival” with a dynamic array of exciting new plays in staged readings for Fertile Ground. Scroll down for a veritable feast of imagination. With 27 plays of various lengths by 18 area playwrights, our lineup once again promises something for nearly everyone. Also new this year are multiple performances: more than one opportunity to see nearly every show. Locavores with an appetite for creativity should consider a Festival Pass – and designating PDX Playwrights at the end of the pass purchase transaction lends support to our talented participants without any extra cost to you.
Plays are listed below in order of performance. Read these enticing play descriptions for a sense of the impressive variety of voices in our work. Events will appear appear Friday, Jan. 22 through Sunday, Jan. 31. All PDX Playwrights events this year are at Hipbone Studio, 1847 E Burnside. Tickets are available at the door and in advance via Box Office Tickets online (scroll through the page to check the show date you want) or by phone: 800-494-8497 (TIXS). We look forward to seeing you!
7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22
Daisy Dukes Shorts Night — by PDX Playwrights
Directed by Dave Roberts
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
Nine brand new scandalously short shorts welcome you to try them on for size. Written on the theme “Starting Over” and chosen by the PDX Playwrights from submissions, this work is off book and on fire. In alphabetical order by playwright: Brad Bolchunos – Close Shave; John Byrne – As You Like It or Whatever; Dave Chapman – Something to Remember Me By; Gary Corbin – Building Blocks and Prefacing; Miriam Feder – Under a Tin Roof Moon; James Kim – Limits; John Servilio – Alabaster; and Sally Stember – Beauregard.
9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22
PDX Playwrights Opening Night Party for Our Fans
Tickets: Free | Venue: Hipbone Studio
7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23
Daisy Dukes Shorts Night — by PDX Playwrights
Directed by Dave Roberts
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
Nine brand new scandalously short shorts welcome you to try them on for size. Written on the theme “Starting Over” and chosen by the PDX Playwrights from submissions, this work is off book and on fire. In alphabetical order by playwright: Brad Bolchunos – Close Shave; John Byrne – As You Like It or Whatever; Dave Chapman – Something to Remember Me By; Gary Corbin – Building Blocks and Prefacing; Miriam Feder – Under a Tin Roof Moon; James Kim – Limits; John Servilio – Alabaster; and Sally Stember – Beauregard.
9:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23
Spectravagasm 8: Drugs — by Sam Dinkowitz
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
What about a family that takes an acid trip instead of a camping trip? Or a church that worships the healing powers of aspirin? For three years, Spectravagasm has jumped from robots to religion with absurdist sketch comedy. The “Drugs” edition focuses on just that – a full spectrum examination of criminalized, newly legalized, recreational, medicinal, healing, mind-altering chemicals and the substances we love. In Spectravagasm fashion, no one is safe in this sardonic peek at society’s ever-changing relationship with drugs, addiction and the quest for something to make you feel better. With an attention-grabbing multi-media presentation and cast of Portland’s funniest actors, Spectravagasm 8: Drugs is guaranteed to make you laugh, then think a little bit, then laugh some more.
1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24
General Hazard — by John Byrne
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
After 130 years on a (now-rundown) pedestal, General Hazard, the winner of the battle of Fenokie Heights, is tired of posing as Troy, Washington’s hero. He wants a simple, quiet, unheroic life, free from ignorant tourist comments and pigeons. The General intends to finance his dream by renting out the pedestal on which he stood, but even the best-laid plans can go awry. What’s a Civil War General to do?
3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24
Hollywood Syndrome: A Psychomedy — by Alex Haslett
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
Step inside the mind of John Prufrock, who wrote a hit play once, only to follow it up with five years of silence. Now, as disaster looms over the set of his long-awaited return to the spotlight, he grapples with paralyzing doubts. Will he overcome his Hollywood Syndrome and give his audience a show to remember? Or will he crash and burn in a hallucinatory blaze of unrealistic expectations, relationship woes, and worst of all … bad puns?
6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24
Family Hardware — by Gary Corbin
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
Willy is a man of a certain age, who has largely lost interest in sex. His younger wife Katherine’s appetite is as voracious as ever. When Willy’s doctor, Kyle Warren, informs him that his heart is no longer healthy enough for sex, Katherine convinces him to let him try “outside options.” As they try to defuse their marital crisis with increasingly challenging alternatives, Willy relies on his lifelong friend Monica to run his family hardware business and keep him sane. When Brett, the sex maniac Monica fired, shows up as Katherine’s new “outsourcing” alternative to celibacy, the solution becomes worse than the problem. But that’s just the beginning of Willy’s troubles. Family Hardware examines the struggles facing aging sexually active baby boomers whose bodies can’t keep up with their desires to remain sexually active and healthy, and puts the “fun” back into sexual dysfunction.
8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24
Business as Usual — by Michael Josef
Forethought: Four Short Plays — by Brad Bolchunos
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
Business as Usual features corporate savagery, bomb threats and inflatable gorillas. Can anyone escape the terror? It’s just a day in the lives of Cindy, Jack and Sanjeev and their “too big to fail” company: the powerfully indifferent investment firm, Craig & Smith.
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Forethought: A quirky blend of humor, drama and absurdity percolate in this collection of four short works. Wristwatch on Ice: How long can contention define a relationship? Desmond and Hanna try to defy the answer. Sparkness: As a gifted sculptor battles unseen demons, new romance tips the balance towards madness. Party Favors: Social anxiety at a birthday party takes an explosive turn and Kremmling may not be any help. The Untame Game: A lovelorn dweeb tries to muster the courage to speak to the woman of his dreams, but parasitic commentators stand in the way.
7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29
Family Hardware — by Gary Corbin
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
Willy is a man of a certain age, who has largely lost interest in sex. His younger wife Katherine’s appetite is as voracious as ever. When Willy’s doctor, Kyle Warren, informs him that his heart is no longer healthy enough for sex, Katherine convinces him to let him try “outside options.” As they try to defuse their marital crisis with increasingly challenging alternatives, Willy relies on his lifelong friend Monica to run his family hardware business and keep him sane. When Brett, the sex maniac Monica fired, shows up as Katherine’s new “outsourcing” alternative to celibacy, the solution becomes worse than the problem. But that’s just the beginning of Willy’s troubles. Family Hardware examines the struggles facing aging sexually active baby boomers whose bodies can’t keep up with their desires to remain sexually active and healthy, and puts the “fun” back into sexual dysfunction.
9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29
Spectravagasm 8: Drugs — by Sam Dinkowitz
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
What about a family that takes an acid trip instead of a camping trip? Or a church that worships the healing powers of aspirin? For three years, Spectravagasm has jumped from robots to religion with absurdist sketch comedy. The “Drugs” edition focuses on just that – a full spectrum examination of criminalized, newly legalized, recreational, medicinal, healing, mind-altering chemicals and the substances we love. In Spectravagasm fashion, no one is safe in this sardonic peek at society’s ever-changing relationship with drugs, addiction and the quest for something to make you feel better. With an attention-grabbing multi-media presentation and cast of Portland’s funniest actors, Spectravagasm 8: Drugs is guaranteed to make you laugh, then think a little bit, then laugh some more.
7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30
Short and Sweet: Short Plays by P-Town Playwrights
— by Sara Jean Accuardi, Audrey Block, Susan Faust, Miriam Feder, Naga Nataka, Rich Rubin, Heather Thiel and Lolly Ward
Directed by Susan Faust
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
P-Town Playwrights shares new members and new shorts, in alphabetical order by playwright: ACCUARDI – Cold Call: The arts don’t sell themselves; somebody’s got to do it. BLOCK – The Farm: The ants are fed up with being seen but not heard. Until today, when boredom is the least of their problems. FAUST – Perfect Girl: Are we feeding our girls too much sugar and spice? What if they want some snails? FEDER – The New Woman: There’s a new girl at work, and boy, is she different. NATAKA – Frank & Gerry: If a talk-show host follows you everywhere asking about your life and work, it means you’re really famous – right? RUBIN – Smooth Operator: It’s nifty to be a smooth operator…especially during an operation. THIEL – Ob-la-di: Who is this person who lies beside you at night? Maybe Beatles songs hold the answer. WARD – Do You Take This Woman?: Every person is a work of art. And everyone’s a critic.
9:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30
Spectravagasm 8: Drugs — by Sam Dinkowitz
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
What about a family that takes an acid trip instead of a camping trip? Or a church that worships the healing powers of aspirin? For three years, Spectravagasm has jumped from robots to religion with absurdist sketch comedy. The “Drugs” edition focuses on just that – a full spectrum examination of criminalized, newly legalized, recreational, medicinal, healing, mind-altering chemicals and the substances we love. In Spectravagasm fashion, no one is safe in this sardonic peek at society’s ever-changing relationship with drugs, addiction and the quest for something to make you feel better. With an attention-grabbing multi-media presentation and cast of Portland’s funniest actors, Spectravagasm 8: Drugs is guaranteed to make you laugh, then think a little bit, then laugh some more.
1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31
You Are Not My Enemy — by Peter Armeta
Bathtub Gin — by Miriam Feder
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
You Are Not My Enemy: This play is freely adapted from the traditional Japanese Noh Drama “Atsumori” by Zeami. Here, past meets present, the material world meets the world of the spirits, and old enemies are finally brought face-to-face on a lonely beach in a timeless moment of forgiveness and reconciliation. This reading especially emphasizes sound, both voices and live music, in celebrating a contemporary American response to the centuries-old spirit of Noh.
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Bathtub Gin: Who is crazy? Who is wise? And what is Em supposed to think about the old woman who has invaded her very intimate space? A little friendly conversation, a bit too much advice and a trip to the library might be just what Em needs to land on her feet.
3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31
Short and Sweet: Short Plays by P-Town Playwrights
— by Sara Jean Accuardi, Audrey Block, Susan Faust, Miriam Feder, Naga Nataka, Rich Rubin, Heather Thiel and Lolly Ward
Directed by Susan Faust
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
P-Town Playwrights shares new members and new shorts, in alphabetical order by playwright: ACCUARDI – Cold Call: The arts don’t sell themselves; somebody’s got to do it. BLOCK – The Farm: The ants are fed up with being seen but not heard. Until today, when boredom is the least of their problems. FAUST – Perfect Girl: Are we feeding our girls too much sugar and spice? What if they want some snails? FEDER – The New Woman: There’s a new girl at work, and boy, is she different. NATAKA – Frank & Gerry: If a talk-show host follows you everywhere asking about your life and work, it means you’re really famous – right? RUBIN – Smooth Operator: It’s nifty to be a smooth operator…especially during an operation. THIEL – Ob-la-di: Who is this person who lies beside you at night? Maybe Beatles songs hold the answer. WARD – Do You Take This Woman?: Every person is a work of art. And everyone’s a critic.
6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31
Family Hardware — by Gary Corbin
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
Willy is a man of a certain age, who has largely lost interest in sex. His younger wife Katherine’s appetite is as voracious as ever. When Willy’s doctor, Kyle Warren, informs him that his heart is no longer healthy enough for sex, Katherine convinces him to let him try “outside options.” As they try to defuse their marital crisis with increasingly challenging alternatives, Willy relies on his lifelong friend Monica to run his family hardware business and keep him sane. When Brett, the sex maniac Monica fired, shows up as Katherine’s new “outsourcing” alternative to celibacy, the solution becomes worse than the problem. But that’s just the beginning of Willy’s troubles. Family Hardware examines the struggles facing aging sexually active baby boomers whose bodies can’t keep up with their desires to remain sexually active and healthy, and puts the “fun” back into sexual dysfunction.
8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31
Business as Usual — by Michael Josef
Forethought: Four Short Plays — by Brad Bolchunos
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)
Business as Usual features corporate savagery, bomb threats and inflatable gorillas. Can anyone escape the terror? It’s just a day in the lives of Cindy, Jack and Sanjeev and their “too big to fail” company: the powerfully indifferent investment firm, Craig & Smith.
—–
Forethought: A quirky blend of humor, drama and absurdity percolate in this collection of four short works. Wristwatch on Ice: How long can contention define a relationship? Desmond and Hanna try to defy the answer. Sparkness: As a gifted sculptor battles unseen demons, new romance tips the balance towards madness. Party Favors: Social anxiety at a birthday party takes an explosive turn and Kremmling may not be any help. The Untame Game: A lovelorn dweeb tries to muster the courage to speak to the woman of his dreams, but parasitic commentators stand in the way.
We can’t wait to see you at the festival within the festival!
