Tuesday, December 16
MAVERICK – by Sarah McKenney
John and Maverick have been together for as long as either of them can remember—inseparable since childhood. The only problem is Maverick isn’t real. When his estranged sister Christina enrolls him into the Pleasant Valley Psychiatric Wellness Center, John strives to get better. But Maverick is having none of it. John is forced to decide what matters most: his friends, his family, or his sanity.
The reading is scheduled at the third-floor conference room of Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave.
Tuesday, December 2
TWO ONE-ACTS – plays by Sally Sunbear and Jacqueline Salkield
THIRTY YEARS MINUS ONE MONTH – by Sally Sunbear
Joe comes home with an early anniversary present, causing Mary to celebrate in her own way. A marital comedy..
LEGION – by Jacqueline Salkield
In a dilapidated biology lab on a college campus in Oregon, in the not-too-distant future, a middle-aged professor and a science writer for national publications find themselves in a final embrace. How do they face the inevitable? One sings and plans a party and the other serves rational thinking and biblical prophesy. But it’s the survival of the fittest at work, and they (we) are NOT fit.
The reading is scheduled at the third-floor conference room of Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave.
Tuesday, November 18
BORDER FAMILY – by Remi P. Newhouse
In order to learn where his roots are nourished, a son must dig deep into his family’s soul — and visit places both scary and enlightening.
The reading is scheduled at the third-floor conference room of Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave.
Tuesday, November 4
THRESHOLDS – by Redmond Reams
We all have our comfort zones and may struggle to move outside of them. What about a young child who had experienced terror and only felt safe with his parents? Yet growing up means moving outside that safe place to the larger world that feels so dangerous? What if your parents were insisting on putting you into that dangerous world? Thresholds looks at the inner world and outer behavior of such a child and his family and how that grapple with danger, love and individuation.
The reading is scheduled at the third-floor conference room of Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave.
Tuesday, October 21
SHORT PLAY SAMPLER – by Brian Cutler, Robin Layne and Maeve Z. O’Connor
ANN GETTING EVAN WITH VICTOR, RICK & NIGEL
– by Brian Cutler
A contemporary dark, funny tale about two men, Rich and Victor, who are forced to room together after Ann, their shared loved interest, dumps them for a bigger catch. Spending their days alternately raging and commiserating with each other, they finally hit upon a novel plan to teach their narcissistic lost love “the gift of despair.” As their plan enlists others, though, their woes begin to grow.
IN MY HEAD, IN MY HEART – by Robin Layne
A 15-year-old girl talks with a fictional man she creates from a picture on a cigarette ad and, with the encouragement of her best friend, marries him.
CATS vs. DOGS – by Maeve Z. O’Connor
A short, family-friendly, comedic peek into an argument between Cat Queen and Dog King (and their respective lawyers) at odds over who rules: cats or dogs.
The reading is scheduled at the third-floor conference room of Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave.
Tuesday, October 7
ALAN’S CONFECTIONARY – by Alan Alexander
“Some folks can snatch the sweetness out of the cake and never crack the crust.” Alan’s entrepreneurial spirit has navigated the family though the Great Depression and World War II. But at least one of his children is plagued with an unanswered question from the past: “What happened to Mama?” This is a musical about Family.
The reading is scheduled at the third-floor conference room of Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave.
Tuesday, September 30
FIFTH TUESDAY WORKSHOP: ATTACKING THE PLAY!
– by John Servilio
Do you like to outline a play completely before sitting down to write? Or do you write from an image? Maybe a beautiful string of words or a gripping news item? Clearly there’s no right or wrong way of writing a play, but there are some things you should know before you get so far into your story that you’ve written yourself into a corner. In this workshop we’ll look at the elemental components of the play and different ways to utilize them to suit your individual style. And we’ll discuss ways to begin your play without necessarily knowing everything from the start. Read August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” if you can. We’re going to discuss it to see how it does and doesn’t fit into classic dramatic outlines and what made it a Pulitzer Prize–winning drama.
Playwright John Servilio will facilitate this free, open workshop.
The workshop is scheduled at the third-floor conference room of Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave.
Tuesday, September 16
BUT A DREAM – by Victoria Fann
Shocked to have died and full of questions, Jared starts demanding to know more about where he has just arrived: The Limbo Center. More specifically, he wants to know how to get out of there. What he uncovers is a cosmic-sized drama being played out behind the scenes in which the overlords of good and evil are fighting over the fate of the humans on earth. There are angels and fallen angels, correctors and deal makers, the council of angels, soul processors, a crew of higher beings, and of course, our beloved human beings — all managed by a mysterious being called the Dream Holder.
The reading will occur at Stonehenge Studios, 3508 SW Corbett Ave.
Tuesday, September 2
UNMEDIATED – by Brad Bolchunos
When a reporter investigates a cult-like group near a small town, his life tumbles out of control. As he unveils mysteries about a piece of private property, public safety and unsettling powers of a strange woman tied to it all, his search sends him down a path fraught with questions about the nature of truth and fear of the unknown — with a backlash threatening more than he ever imagined.
The reading will be at Stonehenge Studios, 3508 SW Corbett Ave.
Tuesday, August 19
THE GREAT DECEIVER – by Douglas Rappaport
After an eternity of being the Devil, the Devil begins a quest to become human and feel what he has never felt before … love. Inevitably though, God may have other plans.
The reading will be at Stonehenge Studios, 3508 SW Corbett Ave.
Tuesday, August 5
CANDIED – or – THE ODYSSEY OF YOUNG INGENU
– by John Servilio
When young Ingenu fails to save an earthworm from the forces of nature, he is told by his master that it is all for best. More than that: in this best of all possible worlds, everything in life happens for the best. But when what’s best for the world isn’t so great for Ingenu, he has a hard time holding onto his optimism. Join our young hero on his bittersweet and often absurd journey around the world as he navigates the waters of despair, pragmatism, and hope in this modern adaptation of Voltaire’s Candide.
The reading will be at Stonehenge Studios, 3508 SW Corbett Ave.
Tuesday, July 29
FIFTH TUESDAY WORKSHOP: A DATE FOR THE PROMPT
– by Brad Bolchunos
Whether you’re relatively new or practiced at playwriting, obstacles can slow the flow between you and words on the page. Prompts can get you back to the dance. In this session, we’ll use a few guided hands-on exercises and discussion among participants to explore ways at various stages of your work to push through inhibitions and keep moving.
The workshop will be at Stonehenge Studios, 3508 SW Corbett Ave.
Tuesday, July 1
MAGIC WORDS – by Dave Chapman
Suspecting their young son of being under an evil spell, Marcia and Steven enlist the help of Professor Peter Applebaum, the world’s most famous wizard. But when breaking the spell proves more difficult than expected, Peter begins to suspect the parents have different motives entirely.
The reading will be at Stonehenge Studios, 3508 SW Corbett Ave.
Tuesday, June 3
IN SEARCH OF THE RED SKULL – by Kathryn “Katie” Bennett
When Lady Emmeline’s baby sister is snatched, the prime suspect is a band of women pirates led by the vicious beauty Red Hart. When Emmeline asks for help from the pirate known as Charmin’ Zan, a map he discovered in his youth leads them to unexpected treasure. A comic adventure romp.
The meeting will be held in the third-floor conference room of Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave.
Tuesday, May 6
IN LIEU OF HER ABSENCE – by Miriam Feder
The Queen is dead, long live the Queen. Apparently it’s hard to love a Queen and maybe harder still to bury one. Coming to grips with grief and loss in a small modern Western European principality.
Roles for five women (ages 26-70), three men (50-70), and one character where gender doesn’t matter.
The meeting will be held in the third-floor conference room of Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave.
Tuesday, April 29
FIFTH TUESDAY WORKSHOP: CONFLICT – by Dave Chapman
Playwright Dave Chapman will lead this Fifth Tuesday workshop about the use of conflict in scripts. Attendees will discuss different types of conflict and look for ways to improve the scenes involving dramatic conflict in their own plays. Participants are invited to bring in short scenes from scripts they are working on as part of this workshop. “We’ll talk about the impact different types of conflict could have on your story. If you’re not working on a play now, maybe this workshop will help get you started.” The event is free.
The meeting will be held in the third-floor conference room of Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave.
Tuesday, April 1
PROPERTY OF GARY – by Jim Braly
Gary seemed all right. Artistic. Gallant. Employed. When he asked Woman to marry him a month after literally picking her up (off the sidewalk) in Old Town, she realized he was also impetuous. But he owned a house, and she said yes. Now he owned her.
The reading will be at Stonehenge Studios, 3508 SW Corbett Ave.
Tuesday, March 4
WEINER: THE MUSICAL – by Beth Karp
Sensationalism. Spectacle. Tragic love story. Congressional Representative Anthony Weiner’s character is by now well-documented and well-known: former rising Democratic star, compulsive sexter, and pathological liar. In the world of “Weiner: The Musical,” Satan makes him do it. Satan, a sexy woman in a red dress, foresees that Weiner’s Muslim-Jewish son is destined to bring peace to the Middle East. She sets out to ruin young Jordan’s childhood by giving his straight-laced but ambitious father a potion that brings out his alter ego: Carlos Danger, a sexual maniac. Weiner must now battle Danger for supremacy, while his wife, Huma, agonizes over the choice between staying in a troubled marriage or leaving the man she loves and the father of her son. What would you sacrifice for love? What have you sacrificed for lust?
The meeting will be held in the third-floor conference room of Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave.
Tuesday, February 4
STELLA AND STROMBOLI SAVE THE WILD HORSES
– by Michael Cooper
Tending a large herd of wild horses out in the Montana wilderness, a young couple, each having fled home for one dark reason or another, are visited by their future selves. During the harsh winter, their employer files for bankruptcy, abandoning them and the horses to starvation. To survive, the couple takes drastic measures regardless if it means hurtling toward who they’ve already become.
The meeting will be held in the third-floor conference room of Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave.
January 26, January 31 and February 2, 2014
• FERTILE GROUND FESTIVAL – by PDXPlaywrights
Please see our robust schedule of 17 plays from 15 playwrights as we continue our tradition as “the festival within the festival” of new work.
January 7, 2014
• KLEPTOFAMILIA – by Gary Corbin
Cate, a divorced middle-aged woman, is in desperate financial straits – not only from her divorce, but from bailing herself and her daughter out of jail for stealing. Her control-freak boyfriend Edgar wants to take their relationship to the next level, but he’s too risk-averse to make the right moves. When Cate’s daughters propose an innovative art show at Edgar’s gallery, everybody’s buttons get pushed – including the jealousy button of Cate’s ex-husband, Drew.
The meeting will be at Stonehenge Studios, 3508 SW Corbett Ave.