The Gerding Theater at the Armory has become one of the most sought-after wedding venues in PDX! Our versatile space has been home to many a memorable evening over the last few years.

Cameron and Sasha shared a laugh during their lovely ceremony on the Mezzanine. Their evening also featured some wonderful musical performances! Photo credit: Brian McDonnell, BMAC Photography

The Starfield Chandelier helped set the mood for Lindsey and Daniel’s entrance to their reception. Photo credits: Bryan Rupp Photography.

Jennifer and Vesa found some nice shots outside our historic building and in the Vera Katz Park. Photo credit: Bryce Jenkinson,  Studio I Do

Priya and Todd pulled out all the stops with a live band and dance floor. PCS’s premier event company, West Coast Event Productions, contributed to this classy evening.  Photo credit: Tim Will.

For more information about weddings at the Armory, email us at rentals@pcs.org or check out the rentals page of the PCS website!

Where is your hometown?

I spent my childhood in idyllic Lee, Massachusetts, but spent the next 30 years moving all over the U.S.

What do you miss most about your hometown?

It was small and efficient; One supermarket, two churches, one library. Everyone knew everyone else. People cared about each other and you really felt like a part of a community. I spent a lot of time in the hospital, and every day I got mail from people in Lee. It was lovely.

How long have you been attending Portland Center Stage?

Since about 2000, but it’s become much more exciting since Chris became artistic director. I’ve been a season ticket holder for several years, and a Producer for 3 years now.

Which PCS production has been your favorite throughout the years?

Batboy was amazing, as was Fully Committed. It was about that time that I decided to be a lifetime supporter of PCS. The Merchant of Venice production knocked me out. When I saw people walking out because of the nudity I knew this was something really important. I felt like I was part of something significant and authentic because of the daring honesty of that production.

Oh, there are so many… How To Disappear Completely and Never Be Found was amazing, as was I Am My Own Wife. I could go on and on… I am in awe of PCS’s ongoing commitment to exploring issues around bigotry and prejudice. After seeing Ragtime I couldn’t stop thinking or talking about it. Apollo was another example of courageous and profound theatrics. I loved that show.

I think some people may go the PCS productions to be entertained, but if you open your mind and heart to what they’re doing, you’re in for a deeply affecting window into the dark, perverse, but also hopeful permutations of the human heart. I go there to learn – to be inspired – to be uplifted to new levels of understanding of the drama of being human. It’s an invaluable gift.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

When I’m out in public I’m very gregarious and friendly. I love people – I love giving kudos where they’re due. I love being on stage speaking and teaching – sharing my ideas with all kinds of people. But I’m actually an introvert. I need lots of solo time to integrate the incredible charge I get from other people or I get overwhelmed.

Pets?

Two dogs – a black lab named Dexter (after the serial killer) and Louie (after the ill-fated King of France). Two cats – Ziggy (named after David Bowie’s alter ego Ziggy Stardust because he has two-colored eyes) and Nina (named just because).

Sometimes I think pets are overrated because there’s always a mess to clean up, but there’s nothing more endearing than 4 creatures greeting me with unadulterated joy when I walk in the front door!

Hobbies?

I believe that money has no value unless you spend it on travel. I’ve been all over the world and I am always planning my next trip. My consciousness expands with every new place I visit. So far my favorite city in the world is Bangkok. I’m taking my children to Switzerland this summer, and later in the year I’m going to India, finally.

I also like to sail, but not in Portland. I’ve sailed all over the Pacific Ocean and in the Caribbean Sea – after that I just can’t see the appeal of tacking up and down a river. I’m a certified skipper – that allows me to charter boats and take them anywhere I want.

I also like to play the piano, paint, ski (the steeper the better), cook and read. I’m a religious devotee of Pilates – I go twice a week to Body Mechanics on Hawthorne.

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I was always going to be a doctor. I had lots of operations as a child, and doctors made my life possible. So when I went to medical school and then got to practice medicine, I discovered what it means to accomplish a lifetime goal.

What is the most daring thing you have ever done?

When I was 19, I dropped out of nursing school in Wisconsin and put all of my money into a Greyhound bus ticket to California. My parents weren’t supportive of my dreams of being a doctor, so I had to take my life into my own hands and go. After a few years of sailing and working as a sailmaker, I got into UC Berkeley and then got into medical school – all on my own.

The life I lead now is a direct result of the courage I had at the age of 19 to reject my parents’ limited vision of what I could do and to pursue the bigger life I knew I could have. I still marvel at the determination and downright stubbornness it took to do that.

What other organizations do you support in Portland?

I am a long-time supporter of the Cascade AIDS Project. They have an art auction every year, which I happily attend. This year I’m getting more involved by helping collect art pieces and catalogue them in preparation for the auction. I have also been a supporter of Girls, Inc. They do wonderful things for underserved girls in the Portland area, with the goal of getting them into college. I’m a true believer in the power of education.

How did you get introduced to theater as an art form?

I was a theater nerd as a kid. I can sing and dance and act – but haven’t done any of that since high school except in my living room! However I have never forgotten the power of theater to transport us from everyday sameness to worlds of joy, grief, and critical pivot points in life. I think that’s what theater is all about – what do you do when you have huge choices to make? Sometimes those choices creep up on us in seemingly mundane ways. But everything counts. Theater shows us that every moment of life is rife with deep existential meaning, and we only become fully human when we accept and embrace that fundamental reality.

What do you think sets PCS apart?

PCS elevates our city in so many ways. It’s not just the quality and sophistication of the productions. It’s also the community that PCS has created around itself. Those of us who appreciate what PCS does become part of a vibrant, creative network. The leadership and staff at PCS are committed, worldly people who give our city a powerful boost in the realm of culture and artistic expression.

On top of that, the environment they’ve created at the Gerding is a catalyst for more creative development in Portland. It stands as a shining testament to what a commitment to artistry and sustainability can create. It’s a point of pride. It makes me glad to be a Portlander.

What besides theater are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about health. Without health, it’s so much harder to fulfill our potential and do great things in this life. Obesity, diabetes, bad food policies, and short-sighted healthcare practices are going to ruin us in the long run if we don’t do something about it. I teach graduate and medical students about these issues and travel all over the U.S. educating healthcare professionals and others about the need for a more thoughtful approach to food policy, eating, and health – and how these things are interconnected. I think someday I may find myself chained to a factory farm gate protesting the way the animals are treated and how that kind of profit-driven food production is affecting the nation’s health. But in the meantime, I’ll continue writing books and blog posts and teaching classes about it.

Why is philanthropy important to you?

I believe that as long as there is injustice anywhere in the world, none of us are truly free. I believe that if you have a nickel to spare, you should give it away. I think opulent, ostentatious wealth is an insult to humanity. If people are hungry, hurting, or without access to basic medical care, then those of us who have those things are obligated to share.

If everyone in the world who is comfortable and thriving gave just a little bit to people in need, we’d have much less suffering on the planet. For myself, I can’t enjoy the fruits of wealth without knowing I’ve extended my good fortune to others who aren’t as lucky as I am. It’s a spiritual path but also a rational decision based on what seems fair and what will help create the kind of world I want to live in.

What is your favorite book? Favorite children’s book?

Children’s book – I know everyone says Goodnight Moon and that is one of my favorites – but I also love Skippyjohn Jones. The silly delusion that a cat can become a Mexican Chihuahua bandit king is just too cool! We all should dream that big!

Otherwise, my favorite books include The Road by Cormac McCarthy (read it before you see the movie – and prepare to cry for a week…). I tell all my students to read Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl. If you ever doubt your life is precious, this book will knock those thoughts right out of your head. Oh, and I like my book, too: 10 Simple Solutions to Stress, which was published in 2007.

What is your favorite play and why?

Hamlet. As a psychologist, I’m fascinated by the wide variety of personality and dysfunction in that play – some of which is rather subtle. Hamlet and Ophelia aside, the other characters show many interesting approaches to the situation, from Claudius and Gertrude’s shared guilt to the interesting relationship between Polonius and Laertes (which is in contrast to the relationship between Hamlet and his father).

Is there a play or playwright that most reflects how you feel about the world? Henrik Ibsen has always inspired me because of his criticism of traditional social mores. I was rather young when I read A Doll’s House but even then, his critique of a woman’s place in Victorian times spoke to me.

What is it about theater that inspires you?

I’m constantly amazed at the ability of theater to absorb me and take me away. The immediacy of the actors’ bodies and voices draws me in like movies rarely do. It’s a shared experience, not a passive one. I’m part of the play because I’m there, witnessing what’s happening. It’s magical, really.

What is one of your biggest inspirations and why?

I think that would have to be the resilience of people going through hard times and the kindnesses they show one another. I work for the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, and part of what we do is help people who’ve been through trauma due to war and natural disasters. Some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met were New York City firefighters and the people of New Orleans. The concern they have for each other transcends what they as individuals have endured, and this is human nature at its finest.

If you could give one piece of advice, what would it be?

Stop worrying about what people think and get to work – whether that’s building houses for the poor or painting a picture. There’s lots to do and we all have a time limit!

In The 39 Steps, our dashing hero Richard Hannay finds himself unwillingly handcuffed to a hostile (but beautiful) woman for the night. It works out pretty well for him.

So we thought we’d offer our patrons the same chance at sparking a love connection through strategic metalware.

Show up to any performance of The 39 Steps handcuffed to your date and you’ll be able to buy tickets to that night’s performance for half price.

UPDATE: To clarify the rules, this promotion is good for adult regular price tickets purchased at the box office the day or night of the performance. But don’t worry, exchanges and cancellations often make for GREAT seats the night of the performance!

Hitchcock tales are rife with mistaken identities, wrongful accusations and simple misunderstandings taken to woeful extremes. Often the protaganist is an ordinary person who finds themselves suddenly thrust into extraordinary circumstances by a misunderstanding or shady character.

In The 39 Steps, our hero Richard Hannay finds himself on the run when he is mistakenly caught up in a spy plot, a murder and the possible international sale of British National State Secrets.

Isn’t that just like your life? Share your own tale of mistaken identity or inadvertent infamy with us here and you’ll be entered to win a pair of ticket to The 39 Steps.

Winner will be chosen on Friday, March 5th.

Want to make good on that new years resolution to write a play this year?  Did you give up procrastination for Lent and want to enroll in that acting class you’ve always been meaning to take?  Or do you just want to channel your supreme skills of telling people where to go and what to do into Directing a play?

As always, PCS is here to fulfill these dreams.  Classes beginning in April include a playwriting course with Matthew B. Zrebski, an Acting: Shakespeare course with Chris Murray, and a Directing class with Devon Allen.  These courses meet for 2 hours, once a week for eight weeks, and are a steal at just $200.00.

Deeper description of each class and instructor bios can be found here.

Call Kelsey at 503-445-3793 or email kelseyt@pcs.org to register.  Class size is limited to 12, so early registration is encouraged.