Want to know more about coming to a PDX Playwrights meeting? Here’s where to start.
HOW TO FIND US
Q: Where does PDXP meet?
A: Since July of 2022 we have been meeting in person again — usually on the first Tuesdays of every month — we continue to meet at Portland Playhouse, 602 NE Prescott St — most often in Portland Playhouse Community Room, but occasionally in its auditorium). For more than three years we also met virtually via Zoom on the third Tuesdays of the month. As of July 2023 we decided to suspend our virtual sessions, at least for a time. The vast majority of our playwrights prefer to meet in person, as we have done since our inception in 2008. But we can only do so with limited frequency. We apologize for any inconvenience of changing our frequency and no longer meeting virtually for the time being. In the past we met in the conference room of Portland Center Stage in the Gerding Theater at the Armory, 128 NW Eleventh Ave. Historically we also used to meet at Stonehenge Studios, 3508 SW Corbett Ave., and initially we gathered at an art gallery space on Sandy Boulevard.
Q: When does PDXP meet?
A: We meet at 7 p.m. Because the venues are used for ongoing work, including rehearsals for productions, we ask attendees for our meetings to not arrive more than 15 minutes early and to respect venue guidelines. For example, please do not knock on auditorium doors if they are not yet open. Because our facilitators are human beings coming from work and other responsibilities, on rare occasions the meetings do not begin precisely on time. We thank you for your patience. At some venues, a PDXP administration team member will be on hand to assist the facility staff in guiding attendees to the meeting space.
ATTENDING A MEETING
Q: Can anyone attend a meeting? Do I need to be a member first?
A: We hold public meetings. Anyone is welcome to attend. If you do you plan on coming, though, please send us an RSVP email. It helps us to know how many people to expect.
Q: Does it cost to get into meetings?
A: It is always free to attend PDXP meetings. We do need to pay for our meeting space — so we typically “pass the hat” at the end of each meeting. Some people chip in less, some more; $3-5 is typical. If you can’t (or don’t want to) pay, no one is going to bother you about it. In times when we host meetings virtually, we post the location link on our Events page and attendees may contribute online through our website.
Q: Is it OK to just sit in?
A: Yes. You are encouraged to attend even if you aren’t bringing a play, and attendees are guided by a facilitator to offer feedback. Plays are read aloud, usually by pre-cast actors, but occasionally by playwrights or actors attending that night. Actors at our readings are unpaid, but their participation is greatly appreciated. If you are interested in reading as an actor, we encourage you to attend a session or two, then let us know if you are interested in reading (sending an email to info@pdxplaywrights.org about your interest is also helpful).
Q: I can’t attend for a few months — is that a problem?
A: No. Come when you can. We run our meetings like free-standing events, rather than using a membership model.
MEETING NOTICES
Q: How do your meetings get publicized?
A: Via our email list, social media (including Facebook), pdxbackstage, and informal contact with local playwriting teachers.
Q: How do I get onto the newsletter email list?
A: Find the submission request form on our website at pdxplaywrights.org, sign up manually on our list at an in-person meeting, or email
Q: Will I be dropped from the email list if I don’t attend for a while?
A: No — not if you don’t want to be.
Q: Can I get off the email list?
A: Of course! Just ask.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Q: Who runs PDXP?
A: There’s a small group of volunteers who administrate PDXP, fluidly sharing tasks. Mostly we communicate with each other by email. Occasionally we hold organizational meetings.
Q: How long has the group been around?
A: Our group was formed in the fall of 2008 by a small group of writers who had taken classes from Matt Zrebski (Portland Center Stage) and Karin Magaldi (Portland State University). When the writers began meeting at 23 Sandy Gallery, the name Portland Gallery Playwrights Group (“PG2”) was adopted. In March of 2010, the group went through a renewal, forming an admin team and reaching out to writers at large in the Portland area. At this point we took on our current name: PDX Playwrights.
Q: Is it “PDX Playwrights” or “Portland Playwrights”?
A: It’s PDX Playwrights, pronounced “PEE-DEE-ECKS.” A little sexier, no? You will hear us abbreviated as “PDXP.”
Q: Are you a 501(c)(3) non-profit?
A: No, not yet.