PDXBall Soirée
Join us as PDXBall celebrates Portland’s ballroom (Kiki, Vogue, etc.) culture and annual accomplishments with a tropical themed Soirée for the ball community. An LGBTQ and POC focused celebration hosted by Lady Tournament Olivier and Father Flora. Come and enjoy DJ sets by Chanti Darling and SIME.N., a photo booth installation by Father Flora, drink specials, a dance floor and event photography by JABNMAR.
"Ballroom culture has come a long way in this world and is finally getting its chance to take center stage with the owners of the culture taking a front seat." -- George M. Johnson from the article "The Colonization of Ballroom Culture."
This culture was co-opted during the '30s by white LGBTQ people in the New York scene, where Black participants were discriminated against. However, Black ballroom wouldn’t be dismayed, as it continued to grow as an underground movement with chapters, leaders, and houses named after some of the most famous designers.
Decades later, this underground culture of primarily Black and Brown people continues to thrive in major cities throughout the United States, with expansion as far as Japan and UK.
Current & Upcoming
Art Exhibit: ¡Soy Yo! by Mika Martinez
¡Soy Yo!, is a multi-media project, created by Mika Martinez, that examines and celebrates Latinx identity featuring more than 50 portraits of the Hispanic/Latino community in Portland.
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.
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!
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.
Art Exhibit: Garam Garam Chai by Yusra Siddiqui
Portland Center Stage will host Garam Garam Chai, an art exhibit by Portland-based multidisciplinary artist Yusra Siddiqui, featuring a series of hand-sewn teabag printmaking pieces that serve as a contemplation of the communal tea times shared between Desi and British culture.
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.
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
Season Superstars
Season Supporting Sponsors
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