June First Thursday
Celebrate the beginning of summer and The Armory's final show of the season with live jazz and a peek at the set of Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. Enjoy jazz music by local jazz artists Ben Graves, Andrew Jones, Eddie Parente and Tim Rap.
From 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. get a special sneak-peek of the set with our production manager, Liam Kaas-Lentz.
Every First Thursday, we open our doors to the community: whether you're just strolling by, headed to a gallery down the street, or here for a show, come on in and join us for local music, snacks a-plenty and a complimentary beer from our neighbors over at Deschutes.
About the Ben Graves Quartet
 | Ben Graves has studied, shared the stage, and toured with national and internationally known artists including Rick Zunigar (Stevie Wonder), Tony Dumas, Leon Russell, Dick Berk and Charles McPherson. While living in Los Angeles, he studied classical guitar with Scott Tennant (of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet), Evan Hirschelman and Robert Mayeur. Ben has performed in music festivals all over the U.S. including the Reno Jazz Festival and Portland Jazz Festival. He has performed with local jazz greats including Ron Steen, Andre St. James, George Cooligan, Bobby Torres, Dave Captein, John Stowell and Darrell Grant. |
 | Eddie Parente has performed at Mt. Hood, Portland, Newport Jazz Festivals, PyongYang DPRK (North Korea) and also travels frequently to Russia collaborating and performing at Festivals, intimate jazz clubs and concert halls with many great musicians there. He performs Straight Ahead Jazz, Standards, Latin, Be-Bop, Gypsy Jazz, Mariachi with Mariachi Viva Mexico as well as his own original music on 6 string, 5 string, and acoustic 4 string violins as well as the viola. |
 | Timothy Rap grew up in the Pacific Northwest playing with and learning from some of the region's finest musicians including Shirley Nanette, Nancy King, John Stowell, and Obo Addy. He is a longtime member of the Tony Pacini Trio and can be heard playing with the Ed Bennett Quintet, the Ben Graves Trio/Quartet, Dan Schulte's Strange Pilgrims and many other groups. |
Current & Upcoming
Piano Bar with Courtney Freed and David Saffert
Join us for this monthly event with local songstress Courtney Freed and Portland-based pianist David Saffert as they host a good old-fashioned PIANO BAR.
NASSIM
From Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (creator of the Off-Broadway smash hit White Rabbit, Red Rabbit) comes an audacious new theatrical experiment, presented in collaboration with Boom Arts. Each night, a new, unrehearsed local performer joins the playwright on stage, while the script waits, unseen, in a sealed box... Touchingly autobiographical yet powerfully universal, NASSIM is a striking theatrical demonstration of how language can both divide and unite us.
Coriolanus
Shakespeare’s tragedy about the war hero Coriolanus and the fight between the elite and the deprived masses will be fueled by a dynamic female and non-binary ensemble with a muscular, movement-focused staging.
First Annual 503 Day
Portland's first annual 503 Day. Discounts on tickets, drink specials, and more!
Pre-Show Music with Chera Chera
As part of BIPOC Affinity Night for Nassim, join us for a pre-show music performance featuring Chera Chera, blending Iranian music and Farsi lyrics for the matinee crowds.
Improvisation Classes for Beginners
Whether you're looking to get more confident in social situations, think quicker on your feet, or get in touch with your imaginative side, these "one-off" improv classes will set you on the path to success!
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
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