Reviews of Young Americans
Audience Raves
"We saw this author’s King of the Yees and loved it. Came into this show with good expectations and really enjoyed it. The watching experience was full of what brings you to live theatre. The man who plays the husband/father inhabited the writing with a life and understanding that was exciting to watch. Highly recommended."
"I appreciated seeing an original, commissioned piece that spoke to contemporary issues."
"Lauren Yee writes fantastic plays."
"It was a light fun pallette cleanser! Very needed in our current world."
"We found it well thought out, engaging, and moving. We enjoyed getting to laugh at the 'human comedy.'"
"Innovative, moving, great set design, fabulous acting"
"Loved the story the acting and staging, especially in the intimacy of the small venue."
"Cast, script, stage setting; all A-One."
"As a first gen Filipino-American, I found this show to be incredibly heartwarming. I loved being able to resonate with pieces of the storyline and the characters' journey. I saw a lot of my own relationship to my dad, and it took everything in me to not mimic the accent alongside, too good!"
"I loved this show. It was outstanding. I thought the transitions from time periods were great. Dad was amazing. Truly a beautiful character."
"It was a good relatable story. I enjoyed the humour."
"The connections felt genuine. Acting was outstanding. Loved the set. My wife was the first person to give this show a standing ovation!"
"A beautifully written and acted production. The staging ... innovative and kept the audience immersed in the story."
Local Reviews
"Those of us without a direct link to immigrant experience inevitably underestimate the extent of our ignorance and the impact of our unexamined assumptions on what we see and what we expect to see. Lauren Yee’s new play, Young Americans, a co-production with Pittsburgh Public Theater that is enjoying its world premiere at Portland Center Stage, gently troubles our assumptions and, if we allow it, will awaken appropriate curiosity about what we don’t know." –Oregon ArtsWatch
"[Young Americans] asks you to reflect on a question that has no definitive answer in a way that takes a wide variety of perspectives into account. Especially in our current polarized environment, that's an endeavor worth pursuing." –BroadwayWorld
"Your nights out are precious, and this show is worth it. The skill of the actors, the wit of the playwright, the beauty of the staging, and bittersweetness of the story will leave you feeling that your entertainment dollars were well spent. This is a show you can see nowhere else, written by a playwright everyone is talking about, performed expertly in the intimate Ellyn Bye Studio. If you’re looking for the perfect date night to impress your partner or friend, this is it." –PDXParent
"Danny Bernardo is an Every-Dad, the boundless, goofy enthusiasm for the perfect trip" –The Crippled Critic
In the News
“Lauren is such a gifted writer ... She’s made the experiences shared between the two characters so universal that it transcends many cultures and really connects with both the artists and the audience.” –Danny Bernardo in an interview with Inquirer.Net. View the Feature
"American identity — however much the many decades of cultural, commercial and political orthodoxy have tried to fix it in baseball/hotdogs/apple pie imagery — always has been fluid in nature. Our brittle, perhaps fractured times make it an especially ripe subject for reflection." –Marty Hughley in a preview for Oregon ArtsWatch. View the Feature
Portland Center Stage Literary Manager Kamilah Bush joined Everyday Northwest to share more about transcendent theatrical experiences and community programs that break down the barriers separating people. View the Feature
PCS Artistic Director Marissa Wolf visited KGW's Hello, Rose City! to talk about this beautiful play and the amazing set and lighting you'll enjoy — along with highlights of our upcoming shows. View the Feature
"Go on a road trip with Portland Center Stage’s production of Lauren Yee’s Young Americans." View the Feature
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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