Artists Repertory Theatre Invites Audience Participation at “The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart”

Artists Repertory Theatre Invites Audience Participation at “The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart”

Portland, OR. The Artists Repertory Theatre (ART) cast of The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart performs scenes in and around the audience seated at pub-style tables. Directors Luan Schooler & Dámaso Rodríguez created the unique production of David Greig’s play which is presented, with an optional dinner of pub fare, at the Tiffany Center at 14th and Morrison. (ART has temporarily moved out of its Southwest Portland home during a site redevelopment, so the company is ‘on tour.’) About the play: Prudencia (played by Amy Newman), a scholar specializing in traditional Scottish folklore, has no time for modern pop culture, and even less for her colleague Colin Syme (Eric Little). After a long night out at the pub, Prudencia becomes lost in the snowy forest, only to be rescued by the mysterious Nick (Darius Pierce). But, are Nick’s intentions as altruistic as they seem, or does he have something more nefarious in store?

Amy Newman, Eric Little, Luisa Sermol, Susannah Mars, Alicia Hueni, and Darius Pierce

Luisa Sermol

Darius Pierce as Nick

Amy Newman as Prudencia Hart

Alicia Hueni & Rachel Bentzen

The show will run from Dec 6th through January 5th 2020 in the Tiffany Center, at 1410 SW Morrison Street. Tickets begin at $60, with discounts available for students and those under 35. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 503.241.1278 or visit online at www.artistsrep.org.


From Artists Rep:
Artists Rep is Portland’s premiere mid-size regional theatre company and is led by Artistic Director Dámaso Rodríguez and Managing Director J.S. May. Founded in 1982, Artists Repertory Theatre is the longest-running professional theatre company in Portland. ART became the 72nd member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) in 2016 and is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network (NNPN). Artists Rep’s 2019/20 season can be found here.

150 Guide Dogs for the Blind Alumni Reunite in Portland

150 Guide Dogs for the Blind Alumni Reunite in Portland

Portland, OR. Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) held its 2019 Alumni Reunion in Portland during the weekend of October 18th. Over 150 attendees, many of whom were blind or visually impaired, traveled to Portland with their guide dogs from across the U.S. and Canada. (Photo credit, Morry Angell, Guide Dogs for the Blind.)

GDB reunion attendees visit The Portland Art Museum for a special tactile art exhibit tour.

The first day of the reunion featured activities for attendees to experience Portland through the senses of taste, touch and sound. Activities included indoor rock climbing and a walking tour of downtown Portland. Each activity was chosen with blind and visually impaired visitors in mind to create a tactile experience.

GDB reunion attendees and guide dog teams experience the indoor rock climbing class.

Saturday featured various educational sessions for GDB alumni, as well as friends and family members. Some of these sessions included: a quality of life workshop hosted by the OHSU Casey Eye Institute, a discussion for sighted attendees on ways to support their blind or visually impaired friend or family member and a beginner’s guide to identifying North American bird songs.

GDB guide dog teams explore downtown Portland as part of a Walking and Tasting Tour.

The 2019 Alumni Reunion ended with a red carpet celebration and a screening of the IFC-produced documentary film Pick of the Litter, which follows a litter of GDB puppies on their journey to become trained guide dogs. The film was shown in anticipation of the upcoming Disney-produced documentary TV series of the same name, scheduled to air on the Disney+ platform starting on December 20th.

Here’s the trailer of that documentary:


From Guild Dogs for the Blind:

GDB has a Portland area campus in nearby Boring, Oregon. Various GDB events take place at the Boring campus throughout the year, as well as campus tours and graduations that are open to the public. Interested members of the public can find more information on the nonprofit’s Boring campus tours and graduations here.

 

2019 Christmas Ships Parade Schedule Brings Wave of Excitement

2019 Christmas Ships Parade Schedule Brings Wave of Excitement

Portland, OR. This December will mark the 65th launch of the Christmas Ships Parade season. Parades on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers will last for 15 nights beginning on Thursday, December 5th through Sunday, December 22nd. There are seven nights where the fleet with be combined. Please click the links below to see the schedules for more details:

Columbia Fleet Schedule and Willamette Fleet Schedule

Making waves in downtown Portland near the Riverplace Marina in 2018.

Christmas Ships in St. Helens at the Columbia View Park in 2018

Christmas Ships on the Willamette near the Riverplace Marina in 2018.

The boats, 14 to 65 feet long, are brightly lit for the holiday season. Up to 60 holiday boats are expected to make up the two fleets. As in previous years, there will be two “Meet & Greet” events at the public dock near Tom McCall Waterfront Park (Riverplace area). The first Meet & Greet will be from 8 pm until 10 pm on Saturday, December 21st, immediately following the parade run to Lake Oswego. The second Meet & Greet will be from 2 pm until 4:30 pm on Sunday, December 22nd, before the last run down to the St. Johns Bridge (Cathedral Park). This year, the nonprofit Christmas Ships Parade Organization is partnering with William Temple House. During each of the Meet & Greet events, William Temple House will have representatives collecting new kids’ winter coats. (Children come in all shapes and sizes, so any new warm coat from children’s small up through adult XXL would be appreciated.)

From the nonprofit Christmas Ships Parade:

The privately-owned vessels come from Portland, Vancouver, McMinnville, Salem and Hood River areas.  Some of the owners of the ships have been part of the Christmas tradition for more than 30 years with many being part of the Christmas Ship fleet for over 20 years.  Each skipper is responsible for their own expenses, including fuel and insurance for their vessels over the two weeks. This can run into the hundreds of dollars, which in itself is a testament to the dedication and enthusiasm the Christmas Ship skippers bring to the organization and the community. The organization accepts donations to help cover the cost of maintaining, managing and promoting the organization, but none of these donations go to the skippers, their crews, or their boats. Christmas Ships, Inc. is an all-volunteer organization, with no paid staff or officers, just a large group of friendly individual volunteers/skippers who give back to the community they love.

A full schedule for the Columbia and Willamette fleets, as well as a link for donations, can be found at www.christmasships.org.  For Skipper interviews or other requests, send us a note through the Christmas Ship contact page.

From William Temple House:

William Temple House is a nonprofit social service agency located in NW Portland that supports people in need, especially those who are affected by two major concerns in our area: extremely high rates of mental illness and the affordable housing crisis. Their services include affordable access to mental health counseling for individuals, couples, and families; a healthy food pantry; hygiene items; new clothing for children; dental and vision care; and energy assistance so that families don’t have to choose between paying rent or basic living expenses. William Temple House has been making a difference in the lives of Portlanders for 54 years.