PCS’s production of Ragtime offers us an opportunity to take a keen look back at the physical and socio-cultural forces and aspirations that shaped our city (and in many respects continue to influence how we imagine progress and change), as well mine some of the historic connections between Ragtime-era New York and Portland. How did the Lewis & Clark Expo’s  infusion of commerce, chaos and the one- million visitors who came along for the ride influence the shape of the city? What role did labor activism, women’s suffrage, a radicalized middle-class play in shaping the public realm?  Did A.E. Doyle get all those buildings built by being a nice guy or through Macchavellian negotiations?  What was the City Beautiful all about?

Find out this Sunday:

Architecture, Power & Justice in Ragtime-era Portland
Sunday, October 25, 2 pm
Central Library (801 S.W. 10th in downtown Portland)
Discussion moderated by Randy Gragg, former architecture critic for the Oregonian and Portland Monthly editor, featuring historians Jan Dilg and Chet Orloff, and Philip Niles, author of Beauty of the City: A.E. Doyle, Portland’s Architect. Cosponsored by AIA Center for Architecture, in conjunction with the Portland Architecture and Design Festival. FREE

Another program that puts IDEAS IN PLAY
Portland Center Stage’s IDEAS in PLAY series asks: What do shared stories tell us about who we are and what we believe? Come explore theater, culture and community interconnectedness. Let stories come to life in unexpected ways through conversation-driven programs that ask—what’s the big idea?