TUESDAY, MARCH 4 – PORTLAND PLAYHOUSE STUDIO
IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK – by MEG WILES
In a forgotten spare room in a derelict old house lives Wally, an ill-tempered ghost who has never been one for change. Kept company solely by the abandoned items of the past, Wally clings to the contents, memories, and shadows that inhabit her room. When the new homeowners decide to gut the house, Wally is thrust into turmoil as, item by item, her fondest “friends” are being ripped from her. What can you do when the past is deemed unimportant, the present holds no place for you, and the future promises only unpredictable change?

If These Walls Could Talk is being developed and will be part of our upcoming Festival Within the Festival in April as part of the Fertile Ground Festival of New Works! Check out our lineup.

NOTE: IN-PERSON EVENT. This session is scheduled for 7 pm at Portland Playhouse, 602 NE Prescott St. Admission will not occur prior to the reading. Masks are optional. Please see https://portlandplayhouse.org/COVID19 for more information about health and safety at the facility. The reading is free for attendees, but donations to offset our expenses are always appreciated.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

WEDNESDAY APRIL 9 – MONDAY, APRIL 14
THE FESTIVAL WITHIN THE FESTIVAL – by PDX PLAYWRIGHTS
Check out our fabulous lineup and range of shows April 9-14, most of which will be at Chapel Theatre.

As for our next table reads: Additional submissions are being reviewed by our team…

We have quite a few scripts under review or in the process of being scheduled or cast for our regular readings. This process takes time. If you have submitted a script, we thank you for your patience. That said, we continue to welcome additional script submissions to consider for our readings. If you are interested in submitting a script for consideration, whether a full-length, a one-act, or a 10-minute play, check out our guidelines: https://www.pdxplaywrights.org/wp/faq-playwrights/ … and then send it (or questions) to submit@pdxplaywrights.org!

In any case, we’ll see you soon.

From time to time, we may offer online gatherings as we used to do on a regular basis. We will update you as best we can with our newsletter and website and social media postings.

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PAST EVENTS

FEBRUARY 8-9 – COHO THEATRE
SCENARIO SHOWCASE – by PDX PLAYWRIGHTS
Our generative playwriting and producing workshop guided will be returning to CoHo Theatre Feb. 3-9, 2025. A presentation of the plays is concludes the Scenario experience with performances Saturday and Sunday, February 8 and 9, from 5 to 9 pm each day. During the showcase, participants will present a short piece in development. Each night features a banquet of innovated works, followed by a lively and deep conversation in which you, the audience members, are an essential ingredient. For more information, check out https://cohoproductions.org/

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 – PORTLAND PLAYHOUSE STUDIO
SHAKESPEARE IN THE DARK – by ADAM HARRELL
Irwin, a struggling theater director in the grips of an artistic slump and midlife crisis, must rediscover his creative spark when the ghost of William Shakespeare is sent by the theater gods to haunt his disastrous production of The Tempest. As fantasy, magic, and romance weave their way into his chaotic, way-off Broadway show, Irwin confronts his demons and learns to tell the story in his heart. Filled with star-crossed lovers, soliloquies, and the delightful chaos of a Shakespearean romp, this heartfelt new play celebrates the transformative power of storytelling.

Shakespeare in the Dark will be part of our upcoming Festival Within the Festival in April as part of the Fertile Ground Festival of New Works! Stay tuned for more details about this and other plays in our lineup.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 – PORTLAND PLAYHOUSE STUDIO
PDXP FERTILE GROUND 2025 CO-PRODUCER ORIENTATION – presented by PDX PLAYWRIGHTS
We’re back with our next, all-new Festival Within the Festival as part of the Fertile Ground Festival of New Work in 2025! We’ve booked Chapel Theatre for load-in beginning April 7 and performances April 9-13, including our flagship Epic Shorts and a sample of work from Scenario. This meeting is expressly for co-producers in our Fertile Ground Festival Within the Festival lineup. Playwrights who received confirmation last month about their submissions to participate in the Fertile Ground Festival of New Works 2025 are required to attend this presentation designed to answer questions and set the stage for collaboration ahead of the events in April at Chapel Theatre. The call for submissions to work with PDXP this year as co-producers for “Non-Epic” shows is now closed, but stay tuned to our website and newsletter for more about our amazing lineup and for actor and director casting calls!

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 7 – PORTLAND PLAYHOUSE STUDIO
ONE-ACT WONDERS: SHORT PLAYS by MICHAEL MEYERS and BRAD BOLCHUNOS
We’re refining our dramaticaworks for our “Festival Within the Festival” in Fertile Ground 2025, including the following:

UNDERGROUND LIVE! – by MICHAEL MEYERS
Grieving strangers meet at a cemetery and help each other discover fitting ways to move on with their lives by performing unconventional tributes.

NERVOUS TRIPTYCH [EXCERPT] – by BRAD BOLCHUNOS
Among the short works in a trio of 10-minute plays:

• • IN THE BAG: Suspense unfolds in a city park where danger looms amid a peculiar bout of adult keep-away.

• • UP, UP, AND AWAY: A hot-air balloon pilot and her husband find themselves in a tiff with heightening emotions even as they strive for tranquility in the flight.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3 – PORTLAND PLAYHOUSE STUDIO
FREEDOM [ACT II] – by Chari Smith
This rousing rock musical brings one of civilization’s most iconic tales to life, portraying the Hebrew prophet Moses not just as the destined leader of his people, but as a young man torn between royal privilege and stark injustice. Freedom reveals the untold emotional experiences of those who journeyed with him—from his mother’s heart-wrenching sacrifice to Pharaoh’s sinister ambitions—taking us on an emotional journey of love, loss, and liberation. This session presents the second act (we previously conducted a reading of the first act; a synopsis will be provided).

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See also Events 2024

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MORE ABOUT US

PDX Playwrights is a group for playwrights who want to meet, hear their scripts read aloud, and share feedback.

Typically we have 15-20 people — and sometimes more — at each meeting: playwrights, actors, and friends. Plays are usually read aloud by actors selected in advance, but sometimes rounded out by whomever is at the table that night.

Regular meetings:

First Tuesdays of the month

7 to 9 p.m.

When a meeting approaches, check our site (pdxplaywrights.org) for updated information.

Free – a hat will be passed virtually for optional donations to cover expenses: (Contributions via PayPal are conducted through our site at https://www.pdxplaywrights.org/wp/donate/ ). Thank you. We look forward to seeing you!