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Mlima’s Tale Teaser
Listen to the first ten minutes of Mlima’s Tale by Lynn Nottage, directed by Reginald L. Douglas. Then, become a member or purchase a 24-hour rental on October 7 to hear more.
Remembrance of Tim Stapleton from Artistic Director Josh Hecht
“I met Tim Stapleton soon after moving to Portland when Steve Young, then one of our Board members, invited me and my then-partner to dinner with Tim at Steve and Jane’s apartment. Tim regaled us with stories of his Kentucky youth, and he told me of his excitement about our upcoming Lisa Kron season, since he had spent so many years in Lansing where Lisa is from, working at the Boorshead Theatre where Lisa cut her teeth.
Many years earlier, I had worked with Gore Vidal “dramaturging” a play of his. (I put that in quotes because Gore had little interest in that collaboration. But he did regale me with stories every afternoon. I was thoroughly, utterly charmed.) Tim reminded me of Gore, with his naughty twinkle and his southern drawl, which he leaned into occasionally for effect. Was there ever anyone more charming than Tim?
One of the things I loved most about Tim is that he believed you didn’t have be an “Artist” with a capital A to make art and to have your life enriched by the act of creation. He himself, of course, was a consummate artist, and he shared that gift freely and called it forth in others.
One of the first big “wins” for me at Profile was when we won a large near-six-figure Creative Heights grant to commission Ping Chong + Company to create a docu-theatre piece about living with chronic illness or caring for someone who does. 6 Portland residents told their own and each other’s stories. One of them was Tim. I was and am immensely proud of that piece, crafted with love and directed by Sara Zatz.
Tim had the last lines of the play. He hoisted himself to standing with the aid of his friend and documentarian Dave Poulshock and said these words:
“I stand with the aid of a cane on the porch of a house in a mid-west town. The sky rolls by pouring a blue-gray wash over an autumn landscape. Colors run and blend. To the west there is light. The yard dims. Fireflies, a seemingly vast constellation hovering in the yellow-orange carpeted darkness, pull me from the porch. I step off. Suddenly, in the early shades of night the fireflies transform into an army with fiery wands drawn at ready, soldiering me into this battle against my affliction.
My cane becomes a sword. […]
My name is Timothy Wayne Stapleton. I was born March 29th, 1949 in Fleming, Kentucky. My name means “a wagon full of things that honor God.” I’ve always felt I was born out of fire. It was the start of Spring in Coal Country, the season of rebirth.”
Thank you, Tim, for everything.” -Josh Hecht
Tim Stapleton and his friend, the documentarian David Poulshock,who turned pages for him during (UN)CONDITIONAL
The cast of (UN)CONDITIONAL with Tim in the middle. Photo by David Kinder.
“Holes in the Sky” by Tim Stapleton.
Currently hanging in the Profile Theatre office.
Set design by Tim Stapleton for Profile’s inaugural performance in 1997.
WINGS by Arthur Kopit
Sweat
Explore the Playbill:
Photo by David Kinder
Photo by David Kinder
The Baltimore Waltz
Explore the Playbill:
Photo by David Kinder
Photo by David Kinder
Indecent
Explore the Playbill:
Photo by Kathleen Kelly
Photo by Kathleen Kelly
Photo by Kathleen Kelly
Linda Alper, Jamie M. Rea. Photo by Kathleen Kelly
Michelle Alany, David Meyers, Andrew Alikhanov, Gavin Hoffman, Jamie M. Rea and Miriam Schwartz. Photo by Kathleen Kelly
“Claudia” is a gift to our community
As you know, due to the serious ongoing COVID-19 pandemic we’ve had to cancel our remaining in-person programming. In April, we called upon our supporters to see us through the crisis. Your generous contributions helped us surpass our fundraising goals and retain our staff. In addition, we were able to collaborate remotely with a team of artists to create a new play and adapt to an audio platform. Our vision is to give the gift of theatre in a way that you can enjoy anywhere, anytime. Episode 1 launches on Monday, June 15 and we can’t wait to share!
DEDICATED TO BIPOC WHO LOST THEIR LIVES TO HIV
“According to the Center for Disease Control, the Black and Diaspora communities have the most severe burden of HIV of all racial/ethnic groups in the United States. These communities face a higher rate of poverty than other racial/ethnic groups which results in decreased access to high-quality health care, housing, and HIV prevention education—directly and indirectly increasing the risk for HIV infection and affecting the health of people living with and at risk for HIV.” –Cascade AIDS Project (CAP)
For the rest of June, we are using our platforms to raise vital funds for the compassionate healthcare services that Prism Health and CAP provides to the LGBTQ community and beyond. Donate HERE
Since 2016, Profile Theatre has had an explicit commitment to presenting stories from a wide variety of perspectives, centering women, people of color, and Queer writers and artists. CLAUDIA was collaboratively-written by 9 of today’s most honored and exciting writers from a range of backgrounds.Check out their bios HERE
Now more than ever, we must deepen our collective compassion and fight for racial and social justice. Writers with diverse perspectives help us see, make sense of the most challenging of times, and light the way towards the future.
We hope that this serial audio play is a chance for you to sit back, relax, and use your imagination. Soak in the soundscape we’ve created and meet our diverse characters. Then, we hope you harness your renewed energy and creativity to ACT and be a force for change.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
