Until The Flood
Available from November 15, 2020
The searing production that took Portland by storm gets its streaming debut!
On August 9, 2014, Darren Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed Michael Brown, an African American teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting ignited weeks of social unrest, propelled the activist movement known as Black Lives Matter, and prompted a controversial investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Traveling to the region a few months after the shooting, Dael Orlandersmith conducted interviews with dozens of people who were grievously shaken by the shooting and its turbulent aftermath. From these intimate conversations, she created eight unforgettable characters who embody a community struggling to come to terms with the personal damage caused by these complex events. Her tour-de-force performance gives voice to a community haunted by injustice and a country yearning for change.
About the Broadcast
In partnership with ALL ARTS, the free broadcast and digital platform dedicated to the arts, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, and a consortium of regional theaters across the country, PCS is proud to present the broadcast premiere of Until The Flood. Originally commissioned by Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Until The Flood was filmed in 2018 during the New York engagement at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. PCS brought the production to Portland in 2019 to rave reviews and sold out performances.
Neel has enjoyed a long and happy collaboration with Dael Orlandersmith. They met almost 30 years ago, on a production of Romeo and Juliet. Over the last decade, they have worked closely on creating Orlandersmith’s acclaimed plays Until The Flood and Forever, presenting them at theaters across the U.S., and in Ireland, Scotland, and England. Other recent productions include the world premieres of Julia Cho’s Office Hour, Eliza Clark’s Quack, Jennifer Haley’s The Nether, Kimber Lee’s different words for the same thing, and Lucy Alibar’s Throw Me On The Burnpile and Light Me Up. Neel has directed at many theaters, including The Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Kirk Douglas Theater, Goodman Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Denver Center Theater, Long Wharf Theatre, ACT Seattle, and Portland Center Stage. Neel is an Associate Artistic Director at Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles.
The Creative Team
Until The Flood was directed for the stage and screen by Neel Keller, with set design by Takeshi Kata, lighting design by Mary Louise Geiger, costume design by Kaye Voyce, sound design and original music by Justin Ellington, and projection design by Nicholas Hussong. Read their bios and view the full credits for the 2019 production at Portland Center Stage.
Reviews
“Until The Flood is so palpably compassionate, it achieves a great beauty by bringing us together rather than driving us apart." –Chicago Tribune
“She brings the questions, the pain and even the unspeakable thoughts of hundreds, if not millions, to life. Until The Flood is an urgent moral inquest.” –The New York Times Critic’s Pick
“Until The Flood is the best kind of theatrical masterpiece — the kind that shatters a slew of assumptions and leaves the audience to pick up the pieces.” –Willamette Week
“In this powerful one-woman show, Dael Orlandersmith embodies the frustrations and fears of an entire community.”
–The Oregonian
Audience Raves
“This show was AMAZING! Everyone should see it.”
“Astoundingly powerful, complex, and thought-provoking. I was rapt for seventy minutes.”
“A moving and deeply touching play. The acting was unbelievable and the writing was extraordinary.”
“One of the most profoundly moving performances I have ever seen.”
“Outstanding and important. This is one of the most moving, thoughtful, and well executed pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen.”
“One of the most powerful performances I’ve EVER seen!”
“As many people as possible, with as many different views as possible, should see it.”
Current & Upcoming
Art Exhibit: Meet Me At The Center by Maria TD Inocencio
Portland Center Stage will host Meet Me At The Center, a two-part art installation by Portland-based visual artist Maria TD Inocencio. The mixed media collage uses images from nature to represent our city's residents and the ways that their lives intersect.
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, this once-a-month improv class will set you on the path to success!
Liberace & Liza Holiday at the Mansion (A Tribute)
Don’t miss this exhilarating parade of musical and comical fireworks! Featuring iconic songs, enchanting costumes, and unforgettable laughs, this cheeky and delightful show will have your holidays sparkling.
Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really
Bouncing between horror and humor, this thrilling adaptation questions who the true monsters are. Fierce, feminist, and frightening, Dracula is a revenge fantasy worth sinking your teeth into!
Albina Music Trust & Brown Branch present A Holiday Tribute To Count Basie
Celebrate this holiday season with a musical tribute to Count Basie, led by the Brown Branch Big Band featuring directors Domo Branch and Charlie Brown III.
Foundations of Improvisation
Looking to expand your knowledge and skills of improvisation? Whether you did theater in high school and want to jump back in, are looking to find creative connections with others, or are a theater professional looking to deepen your training, this course is perfect for you!
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
Season Producing Sponsors
Guardians of the Arts
