Reviews of The Great Leap
What Critics Are Saying
"We started the show laughing, ended in tears, and couldn’t stop talking about it after. If that’s not reason enough to buy tickets, I don’t know what is." - PDXParent
"The stakes are high and the consequences dire for all of The Great Leap’s players." - Portland Mercury
"The Great Leap brings together basketball, politics and history to explore personal identity, cultural ties and relations between the U.S. and China." - Portland Tribune
"Cultural divides and father-figure issues ensue, along with the looming cataclysm of the Tiananmen Square student protests." - Oregon ArtsWatch
"It’s not just a story—it’s an invitation to watch all the pieces of these living characters surface and fall into place." - Willamette Weekly
"Lee succeeds in communicating the full spectrum of human emotion without saying a word." - BroadwayWorld
"The Great Leap is worth your time. It's full of the kind of drama we've missed for so very long." - The Crippled Critic
Audience Raves
"A lot to take in here with Tiananmen Square Rioting and the basketball game all happening at the same time. Wonderful acting and lots to learn about life that you will reflect on long after the performance. I loved it!" - Audience Rave
"Such a great show! Not just about basketball, much more than I expected!!" - Audience Rave
"One of the best productions I have seen at Portland Center Stage. The actors were outstanding in their roles. I have always been interested in other cultures and The Great Leap told the story of an important time in the history of China from the perspective of Chinese Americans and Chinese." - Audience Rave
"Strong examination of cultural differences through moving personal stories" - Audience Rave
"We thought it was funny, well written, perfectly paced- with amazing use of light and space/set design!" - Audience Rave
"Blown away. Funny, deep, and well-paced. It hits you in all the ways you want and in many ways that you aren't expecting." - Audience Rave
"Impactful story touching on so many important themes - immigration, values, history, culture, family. Very well done!" - Audience Rave
"It was wonderful! The story was captivating and the actors were great! As usual, the set and direction were superb. It pulled me into the story as if I were there." - Audience Rave
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).
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