The Butt That Bites Black: Subverting race and power through Humor
For every joke, someone is the butt--whether you like it or not, but for every butt there is a head. How then does the instigator (the head) choose who is left out of the joke? How does audience determine which face we, the head, choose to use? All humor is based on in and out groups formed by cultural references. Come join playwright and satirist Mylan Gray as you learn together how to wield humor that hurts and subverts.
NOTE:
Admission is FREE, but in order to maintain a high level of quality, attendance for each lab is limited and determined by random lottery.
To enter, please email education@pcs.org by Wednesday, July 22 and list which labs you would like to attend. All lottery entrants will be emailed results by Friday, July 24.
JAW New Play Festival FREE! July 24-26, 2026
A week-long assembling of artists and audiences to create new plays! Artistic teams, including playwrights, directors and actors, come together to rehearse — and a lot of times rewrite! — a play. The final piece of the process happens during the weekend, when we share “music stands readings” with audiences so the playwrights can hear their work, often for the very first time!
Mylan Gray is an Eagle Scout and Kansas State Debate champion turned playwright. He is a graduate of Stanford University, where he received the Kennell Jackson Jr. Award for his honors thesis. He has also received the Lorraine Hansberry Award from the Kennedy Center for his play Buried in Blood. Their work has been developed by the Baryshnikov Arts Center, the Cygnet Theatre, the Tank Theater, the Workshop Theater, the Kansas City Public Theater, the Whim Theater Company, the Mid-America Theater Conference, Whitman College, Loyola Marymount College, and the Writing Downtown Residency in Las Vegas. Currently, he is under commission from La Jolla Playhouse for a play about AI companions, masculinity and intimacy.
Most recently, Gray is joining us from his fellowship at Whitman College as Visiting Faculty in Theatre and Dance. His work draws on his deep reverence for Brazil and his penchant for spiritual journeying.
Current & Upcoming
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!
Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer
⭐ Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Portland. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Hans Zimmer at The Armory - Portland under the gentle glow of candlelight.
Candlelight: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
⭐ Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Portland. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Fleetwood Mac at The Armory - Portland under the gentle glow of candlelight.
Working Thru It #4
Make sure to RSVP to the 4th edition of Working Thru It, a Workshop + Social presented by PCS + Thru & Thru. For July's edition, we have a panel discussion hosted by Ameer Safadi of 7Degrees. This conversation will center on creative networking, featuring some of Portland's greatest music minds.
PCS Movie Night: The 28ish Year Anniversary Screening of The Parent Trap
The next installment of our Odd Anniversary series is the 28ishhhh Year Anniversary of The Parent Trap. Join us for a fun filled evening, with live activities in our Lobby & Mezz that are pulled straight from the film itself! We'll play some poker, eat some peanut butter covered Oreos, and maybe even learn how to fence 👀. All of that + the movie itself, see y'all there :)
JAW Play Reading: Cessair: The Birth of Ireland
A new musical with music and lyrics by Holly Harmon, and book and lyrics by Lolly Ward.
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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