There are several interpreted theatrical performances scheduled so far for summer 2019. If more are added, this page will be updated. You can also check for updates and more information at PAIA on Facebook. This list will be updated as interpreted performances and events are added. (updated 6/28/19)
"I laughed, I cried, I remembered, I dreamed, I longed, I saw the light... There shouldn’t be an empty seat in the house!" – Portland City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, February 2018 After a sensational Portland début in February 2018, New York’s undisputed queen of the underground is BACK! Boom Arts presents a one-weekend-only return engagement by electric performance art icon Penny Arcade at Imago Theatre, featuring two encore performances of the show you loved last season, Longing Lasts Longer, plus two new works-in-progress. Portlanders called "Longing Lasts Longer," Penny's internationally acclaimed critique of the post-gentrification landscape, “Fun… Thoughtful… Irreverent.” Come find out what the fuss was about—and bring your friends! Ready for more? Penny Arcade famously crafts her new work in front of an audience, so you can be part of this exciting process. In "The Girl Who Knew Too Much," Penny brings her own history to bear on the #metoo movement, rape culture, and the normalization of self-censorship. Come try one, two, or three—you won't be disappointed. Age recommendation: 16+
“An absolute delight: moving, warm, generous and sparkling with the absurdly hilarious interjections of a woman who has both Tourette’s syndrome and an extremely Pythonesque sense of humour.” – The Guardian
Four one-of-a-kind evenings of highly irreverent stand-up from one of Europe's most distinctive voices in arts and disability justice. Each performance will also include various short performances by local and visiting artists.
Additional performers by date:
Friday, May 4: Jan Derbyshire, Vancouver-based comedian and facilitator/consultant for Canada’s Deaf, Disability, and Mad Arts sector
Saturday, May 5: Disability Art & Culture Project, Artistic Director Kathy Coleman, and the Inclusive Arts Vibe Dance Company
Friday, May 11: Portland-based multidisciplinary performance project Wobbly Dance and documentary filmmaker Cheryl Green
Saturday, May 12: Portland-based performer Little Clown Big Shoes
Make sure to check out the two free events with Touretteshero
a talk, an experiential workshop, and four performances
with Touretteshero from the UK
*all events will be interpreted*
May 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 events will be at Echo Theater, 1515 SE 37th Ave Portland, OR 97214
Quick overview (more info below).
* Tues, May 8th 6:00-7:30 pm "Laughter, Access, Diversity, & Inclusion: Jess Thom, Changing the World One Tic at a Time" at Multnomah County Library downtown, a discussion with Jess Thom
* Thu 5/4 & Sat 5/5 7:30-9:30 pm "Stand Up, Sit Down, Roll Over" performances, artist presentation, and a short conversation. All performances are *relaxed; at Echo Theatre in SE Portland.
* Sun 5/6 2:00-5:00 pm "Heroes of the Imagination, a workshop with Touretteshero" for kids of all abilities and their families, *relaxed and fun, experiential; at Echo Theatre in SE Portland.
* Thu 5/11 & Sat 5/12 7:30-9:30 pm "Stand Up, Sit Down, Roll Over" performances, artist presentation, and a short conversation. All performances are *relaxed; at Echo Theatre in SE Portland.
*All Touretteshero performances are offered as “relaxed,” meaning all audiences are welcome to move around or make noise if and as they wish or need.
* Tues, May 8th 6:00-7:30 pm "Laughter, Access, Diversity, & Inclusion: Jess Thom, Changing the World One Tic at a Time" at Multnomah County Library downtown, a discussion with Jess Thom
"Internationally acclaimed UK writer, artist and part-time superhero Jess Thom (Touretteshero) is committed to increasing opportunities for those living with Tourette’s Syndrome. She characterizes herself as a ‘superhero’ not a ‘sufferer’ of the condition she has experienced since she was a child. In her thoughtful, funny, and groundbreaking presentation, Ms. Thom will speak about making visible the hidden barriers that exclude people with disabilities, and others, from public spaces. Whose responsibility it is to adapt to our culture? What are our preconceptions about disability? How can disability be reconceptualized as a springboard for creativity and spontaneity? How does diversity and inclusive thinking benefit all of us? Together, Ms. Thom argues, we can ‘change the world one tic at a time.’"
* Thu 5/4 & Sat 5/5 7:30-9:30 pm "Stand Up, Sit Down, Roll Over" performances, artist presentation, and a short conversation. All performances are relaxed - meaning all audiences are welcome to move around or make noise if and as they wish or need.
Boom Arts presents four one-of-a-kind evenings of highly irreverent stand-up from one of Europe's most distinctive voices in arts and disability justice, accompanied by performance & conversation programs featuring local and visiting artists. May 4, 5, 11, & 12 at 7:30pm at Echo Theater, 1515 SE 37th Ave. Tickets $12 and up at www.boomarts.org.
Guest artists:
-Friday, May 4: Jan Derbyshire, Vancouver-based artist and comedian and facilitator/consultant for Canada’s Deaf, Disability, and Mad Arts sector
-Saturday, May 5: Portland’s own Disability Art & Culture Project, Artistic Director Kathy Coleman, and the Inclusive Arts Vibe Dance Company
* Sun 5/6 2:00-5:00 pm "Heroes of the Imagination, a workshop with Touretteshero" for kids of all abilities and their families, relaxed and fun, experiential; at Echo Theater, 1515 SE 37th Ave, Portland
An afternoon of free, fully accessible, multi-sensory drop-in activities for disabled and non-disabled children (and their grown up sidekicks) created and facilitated by Touretteshero and featuring superhero-themed activities. Heroes of the Imagination is wheelchair accessible; a roaming American Sign Language interpreter and an audio describer will be on hand to make sure everyone can get involved; and a “chill space” will be set up for anyone who needs a break. Over the course of the afternoon, children will discover their powers, create their own superhero identity, and use their imaginations to change the world.
* Thu 5/11 & Sat 5/12 7:30-9:30 pm "Stand Up, Sit Down, Roll Over" performances, artist presentation, and a short conversation. All performances are relaxed - meaning all audiences are welcome to move around or make noise if and as they wish or need.
Boom Arts presents four one-of-a-kind evenings of highly irreverent stand-up from one of Europe's most distinctive voices in arts and disability justice, accompanied by performance & conversation programs featuring local and visiting artists. May 4, 5, 11, & 12 at 7:30pm at Echo Theater, 1515 SE 37th Ave. Tickets $12 and up at www.boomarts.org.
Guest artists:
-Friday, May 11: Portland-based multidisciplinary performance project Wobbly Dance and documentary filmmaker Cheryl Green
-Saturday, May 12: Portland-based performer Little Clown Big Shoes plus TBD
"Boom Arts presents the West Coast premiere of She is King, a hilarious, heartbreaking multimedia documentary theatre production about pioneering American woman athlete and tennis legend Billie Jean King. In She Is King, acclaimed Minneapolis-based creator/performer Laryssa Husiak and New York director Katherine Brook recreate a series of King's real television interviews from the 1970s--complete with period video technologies, fake potted plants, and hairdos true to their time. As the cameras roll, we witness King’s resilience and courage as she boldly breaks the glass ceiling for women in sports amid rampant gender bias. Don’t miss this unique occasion to celebrate this true American hero and pass on an important part of women’s and sports history to up-and-coming generations."
