Join us for a season kick-off luncheon with our playwright, Tanya Barfield
Friday, February 5, 2016
Noon-2pm
Artists Rep Lobby
Enjoy a tasty lunch, some words from our playwright and the opportunity to support
bringing Ms. Barfield’s work to life!
Tickets $60 per individual | $420 per table
deadline to purchase January 25, 2016
In Dialogue Community Events are opportunities to come together to discuss, explore or experience themes and ideas that lie at the heart of the work of our featured playwright. Often presented through partnerships with other local organizations, these events are free to the public.
Upcoming Community Events:
We have no upcoming Community Events at this time. Check back for more information in the new year!
Past 2016 Community Events:
Wednesday, February 10th:
From Saving to Serving: An Oregon Humanities Conversation Project Event | 7:30
Morrison Theater
Profile is thrilled to partner again with Oregon Humanities to examine issues that lie at the heart of the first production of our season, Tanya Barfield’s The Call. Many of us try to make a positive difference in the world through our work and volunteering, and we often find that this can be difficult. The language of helping reflects this difficulty. Charity sounds admirable to some and offensive to others. Service can be bland, saving can be paternalistic, and social entrepreneurship can feel corporate. Join Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis for a conversation that will explore why it’s so hard to find the right words for the good work we try to do in the world. How should we think and talk about our efforts to make positive change?
Monday, April 11th:
Blues People: A Journey Through African American Music | 7:30
Alder Theater
Join us on the set of our second production of the season Blue Door for an incredible night of musical exploration. Experience the versatility, depth, energy and vibrancy of African American music – traditions that are at the heart of American culture – as they are explored by local music luminaries The Obo Addy Legacy Project, LaRhonda Steele, Adrian Baxter, Carmen Brantley Payne and Mic Capes!
Monday, May 9th:
Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?: A Hidden History| 7:30
With Walidah Imarisha
Morrison Theater
Have you ever wondered why the Black population in Oregon is so small? Oregon has a history not only of Black exclusion and discrimination, but also of a vibrant Black culture that helped sustain many communities throughout the state—a history that is not taught in schools. Author and educator Walidah Imarisha will lead participants through a timeline of Black history in Oregon that speaks to the history of race, identity, and power in this state and the nation. Participants will discuss how history, politics, and culture have shaped—and will continue to shape—the landscape not only for Black Oregonians but all Oregonians.
Walidah Imarisha is an educator, writer, public scholar and poet. She is the editor of two anthologies, Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories From Social Justice Movements (AK Press/IAS, Spring 2015) and Another World is Possible (Subway Press, 2002). Imarisha is also the author of the nonfiction book focused on criminal justice issues, Angels with Dirty Faces: Three Stories of Crime, Prison and Redemption (AK Press/IAS, 2016) and the poetry collection Scars/Stars (Drapetomedia, 2013). She was a nominated for Oregon’s Poet Laureate, and was awarded one of two 2015 James Tiptree Jr. Fellowships for her science fiction writing that explores the intersections of identities. Imarisha teaches in Portland State University’s Black Studies Department. For the past six years, she has presented all over Oregon as a public scholar with Oregon Humanities’ Conversation Project.
In Dialogue Staged Readings include new and contemporary plays in conversation with Tanya Barfield’s body of work, as well as readings of Barfield plays not included in our Main Stage season.
2016 In Dialogue Reading Titles:
Of Equal Measure by Tanya Barfield
Directed by Pat Patton
March 14 & 15, 2016
SuperTrue by Karen Hartman
Directed by Jillian Gibson
June 20 & 21, 2016
An Evening of One Acts By Adrienne Kennedy:
Electra and June and Jean In Concert (A Concert of Their Lives)
Directed by Arlena Barnes
July 18 & 19, 2016
The Book of Grace by Suzan-Lori Parks
Directed by Arlena Barnes
July 25 & 26, 2016
*These two reading events were presented in tandem, in collaboration with CoHo Productions
Hazardous Beauty by Bonnie Ratner
Directed by Josie Seid
Co-produced with Community Dreams Productions
October 3rd & 4th, 2017
Click here to see our 2015 Season In Dialogue Staged Readings.
Join us this season for Profile’s In Dialogue Book Club!
Over the course of the season we will explore the worlds of our main stage productions by reading a variety of different works, then gathering together and engaging in lively discussion over light refreshments. If you would like to join us, please RSVP to carmen@weinribs.net
August 9th, 2016
6-7:30pm
In the lobby at Artists Rep 1515 SW Morrison
The Watch
by Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya
Following a desperate night-long battle, a group of beleaguered soldiers in an isolated base in Kandahar are faced with a lone woman demanding the return of her brother’s body. Is she a spy, a black widow, a lunatic? Or is she what she claims to be: a grieving young sister intent on burying her brother according to local rites? Single-minded in her mission, she refuses to move from her spot on the field in full view of every soldier in the stark outpost. Her presence quickly proves dangerous as the camp’s tense, claustrophobic atmosphere comes to a boil when the men begin arguing about what to do next.
Told from various points of view, including those of the U.S. soldiers, Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya’s heartbreaking and haunting novel takes a timeless tragedy and hurls it into present-day Afghanistan. Taking its cues from the Antigone myth, Roy-Bhattacharya recreates the chaos, intensity, and immediacy of battle, and conveys the inevitable repercussions felt by the soldiers, and their families, and especially one sister. The result is the most powerful expression to date of the nature and futility of war.
We are thrilled to welcome Professor Pancho Savery as the moderator for our August book club. Pancho Savery is Professor of English, Humanities, and American Studies at Reed College, where he teaches courses on modern and contemporary drama ( both American and European), African American literature, nineteenth and twentieth century American literature, and Reed’s required freshman course on the Ancient Mediterranean (Greece, Rome, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Egypt). He has given talks at all the major Portland theatres and is associated with The August Wilson Red Door Project. His poems have appeared in the Oregonian, Hubbub, and elsewhere.
Coming up
November 1st, 6-7:30pm: The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel
Past 2016 Book Club Books:
February 9th, 6-7:30pm: Love in the Driest Season: A Family Memoir by Neely Tucker
To see what we read in 2015, click here.
If you have any questions about our book club or other In Dialogue programming, please contact our Interim Artistic Director, Lauren Bloom Hanover.
Dates of Run: October 27-November 13
Directed by Rebecca Lingafelter
Featuring: Chantal DeGroat* and Maureen Porter*
Time stops when you meet the love of your life. Vicky and Erica are catapulted through a lifetime of love and
heartbreak as they navigate an ever-shifting present. Through courtship, children, marriage, conflict and the whisper of mortality, this kaleidoscopic journey is a stunningly honest depiction of the fortitude and courage it takes to fight for love.
Creative Team: Peter Ksander (Scenic Design), Miranda Hardy (Lighting Design), Jenny Ampersand (Costume Design), Mark Valadez (Sound Design), and D Westerholm* (Stage Manager).
ASL interpreted performance: November 4, 2016.
Featured Charity: SMYRC Read more HERE.
See the Media Kit for Bright Half Life here.
See the Bright Half Life playbill here.
Dates of run: September 7-11, 2016
Directed by Dawn Monique Williams
Featuring Chris Murray*, Lauren Modica, Cecily Overman, Seth Rue*, Alex Leigh Ramirez, Andrea White and Andrea Whittle.
“My favorite offering in (the) season” – Broadway World
Antigone Project: A Play in Five Parts is the exhilarating realization of a fascinating idea -reimagining the myth of Antigone- brought to life by some of the most vibrant contemporary voices in theatre. Together, these five playwrights – Barfield, Hartman, Svich, Nottage and Miyagawa – present us with a kaleidoscope view of our society, exploring themes of honor, love, loyalty and mortality through this exceptional collection of plays. The five short plays are:
Hang Ten by Karen Hartman
Medallion by Tanya Barfield
Antigone Arke^ by Caridad Svich
A Stone’s Throw by Lynn Nottage
Red Again by Chiori Miyagawa
Conceived by Chiori Miyagawa and Sabrina Peck
^Antigone Arkhe presented with String House Theatre and directed by Emily Gregory.
(Read about our collaboration with String House HERE.)
Creative Team: Kaye Blankenship (Scenic Design), Jennifer Linn (Lighting Design), Sara Ludeman (Costume Design), Phillip Johnson (Sound Design) and Miranda Russ* (Stage Manager)
ASL interpreted performance: September 10, 2016
See the media kit for Antigone Project here.
See the playbill for Antigone Project here.
Dates of run: April 7-24, 2016
Directed by Bobby Bermea
Featuring Victor Mack* and Seth Rue
“Intense and vital drama” -Oregon Arts Watch
“Astounding” –Edge Media Network
Lewis, a highly successful mathematician, has never found himself up against a problem he cannot solve. But underneath his veneer of success lies a soul troubled by questions of personal and cultural identity. Suffering from insomnia on the eve of the Million Man March, Lewis inadvertently summons the ghosts of his ancestors. Three generations of men (all played by one actor), from slavery through Black Power, challenge Lewis to embark on a journey combining past and present. Infused with abundant humor and woven through with original songs, Blue Door is a tour de force for two actors; a vivid, exuberantly theatrical play about the African-American male experience. With beautiful songs and haunting imagery, Pulitzer-nominated Blue Door will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to live with – or escape – the past.
Creative Team: Megan Wilkerson (Scenic Design), Sarah Gahagan (Costume Design), Ruth Nardecchia (Lighting Design), Rodolfo Ortega (Sound Design), D Westerholm* (Stage Manager)
ASL interpreted performance: April 15, 2016.
Featured Charity: A Story Like Mine with Children’s Book Bank. Read more here.
Blue Door Media Kit here.
Dates of run: February 4-21, 2016
Directed by Gemma Whelan
Featuring: Chantal DeGroat*, Jasper Howard, Anya Pearson, Amanda Soden* and Tom Walton
“Sublime Storytelling” -The Oregonian
“Heart-wrenchingly honest” – Willamette Week
“Smart and Engaging” -ArtsWatch
Annie and Peter have it all: successful careers, a lovely home and a good marriage, until failed attempts to start a family begin to turn their lives inside out. The choice to expand beyond the American border and adopt a child from Africa reveals to the couple new insight into their marriage, their identities, and their community. Faced with an ever more complex set of circumstances, they must decide together if they are willing to embark upon a most unexpected path to parenthood.
Creative Team: Megan Wilkerson (Scenic Design), Ruth Nardecchia (Lighting Design), Sara Ludeman (Costume Design), Sharath Patel (Sound Design), Emily Wilken (Props Design), D Westerholm* (Stage Manager) and Jake Turner (Production Assistant)
ASL interpreted performance: February 12, 2016.
Featured Charity:Portland Homeless Family Solutions. Read more here.
See the The Call press kit here.
See the program for The Call here.
Profile Theatre is proud to offer the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community subscription packages that include all four of our main stage productions, for the discounted price of $60. On the nights of interpreted performances, ASL interpreters will also be available at will call, among the ushers and at the concessions counter. Finally, whatever In Dialogue programming scheduled on the nights of the subscription package will also be interpreted for our patrons (to learn more about the In Dialogue program, click here.)
The remaining performance dates for the 2016 ASL subscription are:
Friday April 15 7:30pm: Blue Door
Saturday September 10 2:00pm: Fall Festival: Antigone Project
Friday November 4th 7:30pm: Bright Half Life
Click here to purchase your subscription.
In addition to our main stage performances, each of our four In Dialogue Staged Readings will also be interpreted. These readings are free and open to the public. The dates and titles of the readings have not yet been announced – check back for more information later in the year!
Questions? Contact Lauren Bloom Hanover, Director of Education and Community Engagement.
Having an entire season devoted to my own work is a true gift – and the fact that
Profile Theatre is in my home town makes it all the more magical.” ~ TB
Portland native Tanya Barfield’s plays intertwine subjective memory, truthful relationships and poetic language like fingers clasped together. Barfield’s work is infused with a sensitivity toward characters that are human beings rather than mouthpieces. They flicker through time in an exploration of how we define ourselves. Through sexuality, class, race, gender, politics, and love, Barfield’s plays focus on a microcosm while examining the macrocosm of the world we live in, the lies we tell to protect ourselves and those we care about, and the truths we must face to grow. Through snarled arguments and honest conversations, Barfield expresses the difficulty and the necessity of authentic dialogue. LEARN MORE ABOUT TANYA HERE.
THE CALL
2.4.2016 – 2.21.2016
Morrison Stage
Annie and Peter have it all: successful careers, a lovely home and a good marriage, until failed attempts to start a family begin to turn their lives inside out. The choice to expand beyond the American border and adopt a child from Africa reveals to the couple new insight into their marriage, their identities, and their community. Faced with an ever more complex set of circumstances, they must decide together if they are willing to embark upon a most unexpected path to parenthood.
BLUE DOOR
4.7.2016 – 4.24.2016
Alder Stage
Lewis, a highly successful mathematician, has never found himself up against a problem he cannot solve. But underneath his veneer of success lies a soul troubled by questions of personal and cultural identity. On a night of disorienting insomnia, Lewis inadvertently conjures three generations of ancestors and finds he must take in the wholeness of his history and face the life he has chosen. With beautiful songs and haunting imagery, Pulitzer Prize-nominated Blue Door resonates with anyone who has ever struggled to live with – or escape – the past.
Fall Festival: ANTIGONE PROJECT
9.7.2016 – 9.11.2016
Alder Stage
Antigone Project is a collection of short plays written by five of America’s top playwrights: Tanya Barfield, Karen Hartman, Chiori Miyagawa, Lynn Nottage and Caridad Svich. Based on the ancient Greek play by Sophocles, the five pieces are a modern retelling that confirms an ancient story can be both contemporary and relevant.
Antigone fights for justice, peace and religious and political freedom in a world that intends to keep her and her family enslaved. Revisiting this myth in light of our nation’s present civic unrest encourages audiences both young and old to examine their own roles in our society and how we may rise out of conflict to create new hope for the future.
BRIGHT HALF LIFE
10.27.2016 – 11.13.2016
Morrison Stage
Time stops when you meet the love of your life. Vicky and Erica are catapulted through a lifetime of love and heartbreak as they navigate an ever-shifting present. Through courtship, children, marriage, conflict and the whisper of mortality, this kaleidoscopic journey is a stunningly honest depiction of the fortitude and courage it takes to fight for love.
IN DIALOGUE STAGED READINGS
In Dialogue Staged Readings include new and contemporary plays in conversation with Tanya Barfield’s body of work, as well as readings of Barfield plays not included in our Main Stage season. Readings will be announced throughout the season. These staged readings are free and general admission, but do require reservations. Subscribers receive exclusive early seating for staged readings.
