Portland Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 5

BWW Review: THE BAND'S VISIT at Keller Auditorium
by Krista Garver - January 06, 2022

THE BAND'S VISIT is a gorgeous musical about the transformative power of music....

BWW Review: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME at Portland Center Stage
by Krista Garver - December 16, 2021

Though THE CURIOUS INCIDENT… premiered in 2012 and is based on a book published in 2003, it’s difficult to imagine a play better suited to these weird times....

BWW Review: BARBECUE at Portland Playhouse
by Krista Garver - November 12, 2021

BARBECUE is laugh-out-loud funny while also shining a big bright spotlight on things we’d rather keep hidden. Highly recommended....

BWW Review: THE CHINESE LADY at Artists Repertory Theatre
by Krista Garver - November 02, 2021

The story of Afong Moy, the central character in Lloyd Suh’s THE CHINESE LADY, now running at Artists Rep, so perfectly captures the American tendency to exotify, stereotype, and disparage other cultures that I should not have been surprised to learn that it’s true....

BWW Review: MARTHA BAKES at CoHo Theatre
by Krista Garver - October 23, 2021

MARTHA BAKES gets to the real story behind the mythology that George Washington freed all his slaves upon his death....

BWW Review: FRIDA...A SELF PORTRAIT at Portland Center Stage
by Krista Garver - October 21, 2021

FRIDA...A SELF PORTRAIT is not just a play, but a movement piece and a series of paintings brought vividly to life....

BWW Review: FAMILY at Shaking the Tree
by Krista Garver - October 14, 2021

Celine Song's FAMILY is a surreal look at the messy self-perpetuating cycle of violence....

BWW Review: LOCH LOMOND at Broadway Rose
by Krista Garver - October 08, 2021

Set in during the Jacobite uprisings of 1745, LOCH LOMOND, which is currently having its world premiere at Broadway Rose, is at once a sweeping musical about desire (for independence, for glory, for love) and an intimate look at the many ties that bind people together....

BWW Review: CAMPFIRE STORIES at Back Fence PDX And Artists Rep
by Krista Garver - September 23, 2021

CAMPFIRE STORES, a joint storytelling production from Back Fence PDX and Artists Rep, provided intimacy at a safe social distance....

BWW Review: THE OLDEST PROFESSION at Profile Theatre
by Krista Garver - August 12, 2021

Solid performances, sensitive direction, a fabulous new performing arts venue, and what turns out to be an eerily timely play (with music!) combine to make THE OLDEST PROFESSION the strongest show of Profile's season....

BWW Review: ANALOG AND VINYL at Broadway Rose
by Krista Garver - July 15, 2021

ANALOG AND VINYL is the lighthearted, uncomplicated musical we need right now....

BWW Review: A SONG BY MAHLER at Chamber Music Northwest
by Krista Garver - July 15, 2021

Sitting at the intersection of musical and opera, Mark Neikrug's A SONG BY MAHLER combines theatre and music into a new form....

BWW Review: WHOSE CHILD AM I ANYWAY? at Corrib Theatre
by Krista Garver - July 04, 2021

Bisi Adigun’s WHOSE CHILD AM I ANYWAY?, a new audio play now available from Corrib Theatre, is a short family drama that explores the many ways of othering....

BWW Review: ALEX GETTING BETTER at Oregon Children's Theatre
by Krista Garver - May 28, 2021

If you are a teenage girl, have ever been a teenage girl, or even know a teenage girl, carve out an hour this weekend to watch this show....

BWW Review: SNOW IN MIDSUMMER at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
by Krista Garver - May 19, 2021

Justice favors the rich and powerful, but, eventually, the truth will out. These two maxims are at the center of Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig’s SNOW IN MIDSUMMER, which had its U.S. premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2018 and is now being offered as a streaming production through OSF’s digital ...

BWW Review: THE LAST FIVE YEARS at Broadway Rose
by Krista Garver - May 02, 2021

Broadway Rose’s productions have consistently been among the best virtual theatre options available. THE LAST FIVE years is available for rent through May 16....

BWW Review: MANAHATTA at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
by Krista Garver - April 16, 2021

Mary Kathryn Nagle’s brilliant MANAHATTA superimposes the 17th century “purchase” of Manahatta (known today as Manhattan) by the Dutch East India Company from the Lenape people with the financial crisis of 2008, in which many people lost their homes as a result of predatory lending practices....

BWW Review: TRIGGERED LIFE: A REQUIEM OF HEALING at Portland Playhouse
by Krista Garver - March 25, 2021

TRIGGERED LIFE: A REQUIEM OF HEALING is an emotional tour de force written by John Oluwole ADEkoje and starring Keith Mascoll now streaming at Portland Playhouse....

BWW Review: THE STORY OF MY LIFE at Broadway Rose
by Krista Garver - February 15, 2021

THE STORY OF MY LIFE is a sweet, uncomplicated musical about friendship. Available for streaming through Feb. 28....

BWW Review: LAS MENINAS at Profile Theatre
by Krista Garver - January 02, 2021

You have just a few days left to catch the audio production of Lynn Nottage’s LAS MENINAS at Profile Theatre. Don't miss your chance -- it's excellent....

BWW Review: CHRISTMAS MY WAY at Broadway Rose
by Krista Garver - December 13, 2020

CHRISTMAS MY WAY a much-needed respite -- 90 minutes when to forget about everything else and just enjoy great music sung by talented performers....

BWW Review: WEATHER ROOM: A Strange, and Strangely Comforting, New Work from Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble
by Krista Garver - December 04, 2020

PETE's interactive virtual experience WEATHER ROOM runs through this weekend at 7:30 each night....

BWW Review: DADDY LONG LEGS at Broadway Rose
by Krista Garver - October 14, 2020

A sweet, romantic, uncomplicated musical starring real-life couple Malia Tippets and Joe Theissen. DADDY LONG LEGS is available for rent through October 25....

BWW Review: MLIMA'S TALE at Profile Theatre [Audio Play]
by Krista Garver - October 08, 2020

MLIMA'S TALE explores the supply chain of the international ivory trade, from poachers hunting elephants on a Kenyan game reserve to smugglers moving the contraband, to the global uber-rich who spend massive amounts of money on the illegally procured goods....

BWW Review: FROM THESE STREETS I RISE, Live-streamed from CoHo Theatre
by Krista Garver - September 12, 2020

FROM THESE STREETS I RISE is a documentary theatre piece by Mikki Jordan about homelessness in Portland, now live-streaming from CoHo Theatre. In any climate, this show would be a powerful call to action. In the current one, it creates a moral imperative....