My friend and I just dropped into here to see Lizzie Borden the Musical which was a whole lot of…read morefun. It was a touch weird to see the performers with head set microphones and also holding microphones but also having a bit aggressive on the sound. It is a small space and seemed to be set to levels that would sound a venue twice this size. Seat comfort can always be better. I was shocked there was zero bathroom line as they have one. As someone with a peanut sized bladder, I will never complain about an available restroom that is clean and has soap and all the papers. And now, a small rant. I am not 'sober' but I don't tend to drink while out and about and I have quite a few sober friends due to recovery or even a few are actually allergic to alcohol (I am allergic to hops and agave, aka tequila). Several of the friends I go to things with are one of these so I don't drink. I am also many times the one driving. Can I just get a Coke or Pepsi... seriously, the options to not drink beer or wine is kombucha, coffee or hot cocoa??? We seriously thought she was kidding. Thanks for having a tap with water? But kombucha? Here, since you don't want booze, how about vinegar....

One of the best kept secrets in the area. A charming little theater offering a wide variety of…read morevenues. Just saw "Red Hot Patriot", a one woman play recapturing the life of well know writer and editor, newspaper columnist, and much more, Molly Ivins. Exceptionally well done. Highly recommend seeing this play before it ends 3/24/19. A very small theater so be sure you get your tickets ahead of time. Coming up 4/6/19 is Improve Comedy. Last performance sold out. Get tickets early. Ease of parking available on street or in small parking lot.

The Headwaters theater is a small black box theater with a modest reception area and cafe by…read morerailroad tracks. If you want to rent a less than 100 seat theater as a presenter, or see some experimental performances as an audience participant, this is a good spot to explore. They are also home to workshops at the space and in the St Johns area. As others have mentioned, the theater fronts a broad gravel yard entering behind the building address. You can drive, bike or walk easily around the front of the building on NE Farragutt to the right facing it, traveling behind to the East to the area below by train tracks. You might bring a flashlight to avoid puddles when it is raining between car-bike and theater. I have seen quite a few very unique performances here. The comradery, community and discussions are unbeatable. If you are a cultural explorer in the area, suggest to bookmark the site for upcoming events and then sample them as you desire. They are Portland central for performances and workshops in the modern dance butoh dance form. Headwaters Theater has a rare schedule of performances and workshops, but if you learn about them through Yelp, and it sounds interesting to you, go, see do!

The Headwaters Theatre seems to be located the No-Fo-O-Fo bridge neighborhood... Over the bridge,…read moreNorth of Lombard, so far north that you're almost in the Columbia slough. I guess that's why it's called the Headwaters! But it really only took 10 minutes to get there from the Rose Quarter. We were warned that the theater was a little tricky to find, especially in the dark. This was good advice, as the theater is located in the bottom of a building, which you can only approach from around the corner near some sketchy looking railroad tracks. Once inside, the place is actually quite nice, with comfortable seats and good sound and lighting. They seem to present a lot of experimental theater and dance; check their website for current listings!

Wow... Light Opera of Portland is doing a performance of The Gondoliers. I am severely disabled and…read morehave a pretty limited income. I try hard to stay going out, being supportive best I can of the arts. Light Opera of Portland is listed as offering Arts for All and to contact them for ticket arrangement. I emailed and received an email back they were passing my information on to someone so they could arrange a ticket. After 2 weeks, the event was getting closer. I emailed again stating that I had heard anything... crickets... I was going to the symphony next door at Arlene Schnitzer. I figured I would just go to the box office... however, they informed me that Arts for All tickets were not available, per Light Opera of Portland until 2 hours before the show. She also said she just turned away another disabled person for the same things. She said LOOP what's aware that the only seats remaining for the shows were ADA, that those exact seats were $27 versus $5 and that they realize those of us with disabilities are not able to jump through the gauntlet of crowded will call lines or get to a show 2 hours ahead to sit around very unfriendly seats, praying we can get a seat to a show... maybe or if the trek of trying to find parking downtown or walking blocks from public transportation just to get into the venue. Those of us with disorders like MS, Lupus and a long list of varying tissue disorders swell and suffer from pain when stresssed. The arts are healing but not when we are made to feel this unwelcome. If you are not going to actually offer Arts for All tickets, please don't. Do not sign up stating that you are welcoming to people with disabilities, including income when it is clear, very clear that you are not welcoming.

We saw A Christmas Carol here on December 21st 2017 and it was a cute little play. A Christmas…read moreCarol is one of my favorite holiday movies and plays to see during the holiday season and my family and I have made it a tradition. Let me start off by saying if you have kids or don't like sitting through a long show this is PERFECT! There was only one act and there really isn't a bad seat in the theater. The people who volunteer or work here are very pleasant and greeted us with big smiles. The seating is ok. I would not be comfortable in these seats for very long. Take into account I also have Chronic Illnesses so I get more uncomfortable than most, HOWEVER they actually were not that bad, there was plenty of room in front of you which I LOVE! And even though the theater is small they don't pack you in there, so you definitely don't feel cramped in. Again if you are on the fence about bringing your kids to a play here this is something that is a plus. Also they do have WONDERFUL accommodations for the disabled. This is something I take notice of because of my illness, so when I notice these things I always try to include them. One thing to keep in mind is that because the theater is small some of the "effects" can be more overwhelming such as the smoke, or laser lights. The smoke used in some of the scenes definitely bothered me and some of the others I was with. But not a big deal. The sound is INCREDIBLE! Dont worry about not hearing, again because it is a smaller space you are really right there, but they do have a good sound system that really makes you feel as if you are right in with them. I thought that was pretty cool! Now as for the actual play, I personally thought it was about a C+. It was definitely a cute, and the acting and singing was fun! However being such a big fan I noticed a lot of stuff that was off, Ebenezer Scrooge was definitely different. No top hat! Lol but that totally ok! New and different are always good! The actor who played him did a great job! Same with Bob Cratchet. The ghost of Christmas past had a really good voice, and the ghost of Christmas present was cool, but I wish they would have spent more time with Christmas present as he is the most fun! Marly was extraordinarily talented! In fact probably one of the more of the bunch. Someone made a comment that they felt that the parts didn't necessarily fit the characters, that the people choose their parts. I could see that. Even though they were all very talented some of them just didnt seem to fit that part. But I suppose that isnt something you would notice unless you are a theater geek, or professional (like the person in our group who made that comment) All in all I would recommend this if you are looking for something cool to do with kids during the Holidays. I'm not sure if I would go back to see this again, but I am definitely glad I went to see it. I would recommend seeing it at least once! Its a CHRISTMAS CAROL! with that said Merry Christmas, to one and all!!

What is more Portland than a theater in the back of a coffee shop?! Great venue for intimate plays…read more Really enjoyed myself. Definitely recommend folks support this great theater. Actors were super talented. Stage manager was funny and informative.

The Backdoor Theatre is located, as it sounds, in the backdoor to a coffee shop on Hawthorne. And…read moreof course, it's tiny, with bench seating and fold out chairs. But somehow it manages to have some of the best theatre in Portland. Shows have minimal props and focus largely on the acting and the script. It's refreshing to see a bare bones play that hits you just right, and it puts some of the larger theatre companies in town, with light tricks and major props and scenes, to shame.

I attended a performance last night of "Notes From the Field". It was my first time at this venue…read moreand I was impressed with every aspect of the venue and the play. Seats were comfortable and you could see the stage from every seat.. The sound system was perfect and oh my gosh, the performance was outstanding. This is a one person play, and Ramona Lisa Alexander was amazing. I was literally on the edge of my seat throughout the entire performance, and it brought tears, laughter and a much greater knowledge of the black experience. I will be coming here often if this is a reflection of what happens in this space! Bravo Portland Playhouse and everyone involved in this production!!

Wonderful actors and great facility! Actors were talented and you could tell they were enjoying…read morethemselves. Highly recommend! We saw Christmas Carol and it was the highlight of the season!

This review is for the building/theater space. Very intimate theater setting. Seats are moderately…read morecomfortable. Lots of vibrations is felt in seats from audience. Friendly staff. Building architecture is nice. Clean bathrooms.

I usually see productions upstairs at the Newmark. This theater is much cozier but there really is…read morenot a bad seat. I was able to catch a showing of Cabaret which I heard about thanks to Goldstar. I have seen Cabaret live numerous times including a fabulous production at the Keller a few years back. With that said, I actually prefer smaller productions like this because it seems more powerful. I like musicals ...not musical fans (just being honest) as the crowds are generally pretty douchey. I have had to relearn to walk five times in 6 years so I have a cane. I go out to a lot of shows and the staff throughout this building (which also houses the Newmark) have been amazing every time I go. Just knowing I do not have to deal with staff drama and can easily get in the door and to my seat with minimal issues having people trying to run me down, my having to fight to just get in and around a door, well marked stairs and such...just decent crowd control like sufficient elevators available or not having things that create lines trailing into one spot encouraging large crowds focused blocking walking so folks like me have to "excuse me ....excuse me.... excuse me" and people then slam into me trying to push through. The seats themselves are roomy and you are not stupid close to the person in front of you. More about the wonderful staff... one of the lovely ushers had let me know before the show started that I could move seats if I wanted to because my row was completely full and I was on the very end. When I was going into the theater, I had made a wince look as my knee was mad. I have a ruptured Achille's and it has been super cold so my knee that day decided to be less than content and was angry bending. She looked at me like the are you ok and I said yes, I am ok - it just somedays tries to make me regret getting out and about. I have had all the staff throughout the building see a struggle and offer to help which is so nice and genuinely rare.

Special guest stars and special performances are what draw me in. I love the Oregon Symphony but…read morehaven't been since pre-COVID. I was thrilled to learn that Avi Avital the maestro of the mandolin would be joining the symphony for a special performance of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. The guest conductor that night was also incredible. Grammy Award winner Jeannette Sorrell kept us spellbound as she introduced each movement of Vivaldi's four seasons with a brief, brilliant and clever overview explaining the meaning behind the movement. As we were treated to mandolin solos the orchestra was phenomenal. Meanwhile Ms. Sorrell accompanied the orchestra on the harpsichord. An instrument in which she holds worldwide acclaim. I sat rapt during The Four Seasons. It was imaginative and beautiful. I was truly swept away to the Italian countryside. At intermission they stopped serving warm cookies. That was disappointing. As was my neighbor to my left. A family brought their 5 year old son who had bad manners. He repeatedly kicked the seat in front of him and the parents did nothing. Please do not bring children under 10 years old to the symphony. Better yet just get a babysitter. After the intermission the full orchestra was assembled for Mozart's Symphony No. 35, "Haffner." Sorrell and the orchestra did a superb performance. The conductor is quite the sight with a head of long, curly, bright red hair that she flips around. We were treated to a pre-symphony interview with the Symphony's program annotator and the mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital. For about a half an hour he answered questions about his life and how he fell in love with the mandolin. That night was so special. What a treat. Looking forward to seeing what they do next. 2026 - Review # 9

Our cultural commitments tend to fluctuate, so it turned out that we hadn't been to the Symphony…read morefor a while. But lately, we've been attending on a more regular basis. I'm happy to report that they seem more robust than ever. At a couple of recent concerts, they had a conversation with the conductor, starting an hour before the performance, and then a visiting group (frequently a high school or community classical ensemble) playing a half hour before starting time, in the mezzanine level of the lobby. The main performances are varied, and surprisingly numerous. They have the standard classical warhorses, movies shown with symphony accompaniment, pops programs, visiting soloists, visiting bands, visiting conductors. The sheer volume of rotating programming really makes me appreciate the professionalism of the orchestra itself. They must be in a constant state of preparation for multiple upcoming shows. They have something for everyone.

This is the square dance club in Boring! When no dancing, they do Bingo night every 2nd and 4th…read moreweek of the month! So fun. It get crowded so come early! The parking lot is gravel and kind of up a hill. There are volunteers who help park. Definitely a good time for a Friday night!