CULTUREPHILE: PORTLAND ARTS

Portland Comedy-Goer’s Guide

Let Portland’s burgeoning comedy scene put a little mirth into your work-week. Culturephile wrangles together a short list of the best recurring showcases.

Intro: Anne Adams
Listings: Rebecca Waits

Posted by: Anne Adams on Nov 21, 2011 at 08:00AM 5 Comments

Not too long ago, Portland was a one-horse comedy town. If you wanted to see stand-up, you drifted into Old Town’s brick-and-mortar laugh shack, Harvey’s, to watch road hacks chew well-worn chunks of comedy cud, á la, “Women! What are they thinking?” or “Air travel sucks! Am I right?” In all likelihood, this schlock sent you clamoring home to your TiVo, vowing never to catch live comedy again.

But at some point, there was Suki’s. And then there was Curious. And Bridgetown. And Helium. (And Dawner! And Blitzen!) And all of a sudden, weeknight open mics are packing in participants citywide. There’s no question among comics and bookers that Portland’s in the throes of a comedy renaissance—but audiences, bless their hearts, are still warming to the trend. If you’ve yet to seek out a good laugh at a local club, trust us: it’s high time.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, grab your sharpie and black out April 2012 for Bridgetown Comedy Festival, the can’t-miss 200-act comedy juggernaut that has already hosted household names like Patton Oswalt, Margaret Cho, and Maria Bamford. (Last year, Bridgetown even unleashed a disoriented Andy Dick into the PDX streets, where he reportedly wasn’t found for days. Don’t hold that against them.)

Now then: To lighten the long, dreary winter slog that stands between us and Bridgetown (yet mercifully buffers us from the dangers of Andy Dick), Culturephile’s resident comedy correspondent Rebecca Waits has compiled a pretty thorough list of regularly-recurring local open mics and showcases. Often cheap, usually free, and always fun, there’s something in here for everyone (unless you’re under 21 or a humorless curmudgeon). And if you fancy yourself funny enough, you can even sign up and try your turn at the mic! (No airline jokes, please.)

Note: Even though many of the following shows are “regular," schedules are subject to change. We suggest you use this list as an overview and confirm details with individual venues.

MONDAY

Down to Funny
Every first and third Monday
Free, 21+
East Burn, 1800 E. Burnside.
A straightforward showcase, Down to Funny features 5-7 hand-picked, organic, farm-raised performers who each do 10-20 minute stand-up spots. A reincarnation of Beauty Bar’s “A Lukewarm Mess” showcase, this amusing array of comics is a great way to laugh off your Monday blahs. Plus, it’s free! Hosted by Katie Brien and Danny Felts.

Boiler Room Open Mic
Every Monday
9pm. Free, 21+
The Boiler Room, 228 NW Davis St, 503-227-5441.
This downtown mainstay is always a trip. Surprise guests tend to include ambling Chinatown folk, such as homeless dudes selling weird trinkets and drag queens waiting around to sing Tina Turner at Karaoke, which starts at 11 after the mic. Touring headliners sometimes stop in here to do a quick set.
Signup protocol: Send host Kevin-Michael Moore a facebook message the day before or day of to request a spot on the list. Hurry, as this mic is popular and fills fast—the show is now capped off at twenty performers.

TUESDAY

Helium Comedy Club Open Mic
Every Tuesday
8–10pm, Free with 2-item minimum, 21+
1510 SE 9th Avenue, 888-64-FUNNY
Portland’s newest comedy club and most “formal” feeling comedy stage consistently boasts one of the best open mic crowds in town. Hosted by rotation, usually by established locals like Gabe Dinger, Ron Funches, Ian Karmel or Virginia Jones. Fair warning, teetotalers: Helium’s vigilant staff will sweat you for your drink order every three minutes or so.
Signup protocol: Get there around 6pm to sign up, because this one’s a competitive meritocracy. Many comics are eager to try out their stuff in a professional club, and not everyone who signs up gets put on. Amateurs and newbies get a 3-minute set; known headliners often get more time. The official list gets posted at 7:30.

Dante’s Comedy Open Mic
Every Tuesday
9–10pm, 21+
350 W. Burnside, 503-226-6630
Dante’s is like your Satanic uncle’s glammed-out den, and host Rochelle Love-Cox—yep, that is her real name—always keeps things colorful, short and sweet. Plus, a live taping of the excellent sketch-improv-bizarro public access show “Ed Forman Show with ME! ED FORMAN!” follows. This is also a good option for comics who get bumped from the Helium list or just aren’t ready to brave Suki’s yet.
Signup protocol: Send Rochelle Love-Cox a message on Facebook by mid-day Tuesday, as the show is short and the list fills up quickly.

Suki’s Legendary Open Mic
Every Tuesday
9pm, free, 21+,
Suki’s Bar & Grill, 2401 SW 4th Ave, 503-226-1181
Usually, when a comedy event is described as “hit or miss”, you’re not talking about throwing punches….but at Suki’s aptly-titled “legendary” open mic, things often get literal. Hosted by the jovial and jocular Jimmy Newstetter and faithful keyboardist Ira Novos, this weekly jokefest is infamous for Springer-style antics, both in the audience and onstage. The room may be packed with college meat-heads or filled only with other comedians. A clown may get into a fistfight with a stripper (seriously). Slurs may be shouted, groan-worthy puns may be lobbed across the plate. Regrettable decisions may be made by all parties involved. Above all else, Suki’s is always an experience. Now with remodeled bathrooms!
Signup protocol: Check in with Jimmy early in the evening to put your name down. This list gets LONG, so order something cheesy and a drink special, because you might be sitting around for awhile.

WEDNESDAY

The Weekly Recurring Humor Night!
Every Wednesday
9pm, pay what you will ($3-5 suggested donation), 21+
Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy Blvd.
What’s that? A night of humor that, in fact, recurs weekly? With a vague dinosaur-and-unicorn theme? Sign me up! Hosted by the sparkly-eyed and sharp-tongued priestess of puns, Whitney Streed, this evening might include music, sketch, or other surprises in addition to stand-up sets from locals of all ilks. True comedy warriors will wait it out until the drunken improv games that usually “wind things down”. An open mic follows this pre-booked show.

THURSDAY

Funny Over Everything (formerly known as “Cheap Date”)
Every month (usually), dates differ
Hollywood Theatre
$6-10, 21+
Hosted by Ian Karmel, Sean Jordan and Shane Torres, this well-crafted showcase features excellent headliners from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Has hosted performances from Moshe Kasher, Ron Funches, Timmy Williams and more.

The Smutty Clown
Every Second Thursday
10pm, Free, 21+
The Saratoga Bar, 6910 N. Interstate
Regular comedy nights not “blue” enough for ya? Promising "fine performances of the comedic persuasion,” The Smutty Clown is Portland’s newest—and dirtiest—open mic comedy night. At each showcase, a $40 bar tab will be awarded to whichever comedian the audience deems most worthy/filthy. Dirty improv games follow. Hosted by Whitney Streed and Sterling Clark. For November’s installment, come early at 8pm and enjoy a new comedy event, CHAD Chats : Satirical Presentations on Various Important Things (a la the popular Internet series TED talks).
Signup protocol: Show up at 9:30 and get your name on the list.

Open Court (improv)
First and Third Thursdays
8–9:30pm, $5 donation to play or watch
Curious Comedy Theater
5225 NE MLK Blvd.
503-477-9477
Where most events are standup-centered, Open Court is an ‘open mic’ for long-form improv. You’ll find the evening much more engaging and exciting if you sign on to perform, especially if you’re looking to brush up your on-the-spot thinkin’ skills.
Signup protocol: Tell the folks at the door you want to play when you show up.

Comedy At the Bulldog
Every Thursday
8pm, free, 21+
Bulldog Tavern, 1650 W. Burnside
Hosted by Brady Echerer, The Bulldog is yet another hybrid comedy event: a planned showcase kicks off at 8, followed by a late-night open mic. All sorts of locals show up here and take advantage of the cheap well drinks.

Space Room Lounge Monthly Stand-Up Showcase
Every First Thursday
9–11pm
4800 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd, 503-235-6957
If you haven’t experienced the surreal alien kistch of the Space Room, comedy is a great excuse to check it out. This new-ish showcase boasts local up-and-comers, drink specials, and a kitchen that’s open ’til close! Hosted by Kevin Clarke Strauser.

FRIDAY

Fly Ass Jokes
The first and third Friday of every month
10pm, $6, 21+
The Brody Theater, 16 Northwest Broadway
Portland Mercury calls Fly Ass Jokes “the best showcase in Portland." Combining seasoned performers with the best up-and-comers the scene has to offer, its a safe bet you’ll have a knee-slappin’ good time in this intimate but casual downtown theater.

Comedy Night at The Bagdad
Every Friday Night (usually)
10pm, $5, 21+
Hosted faithfully by Tristian Spillman, this weekly showcase is a late-night affair, which means it’s perfect if you’re already ambling around Hawthorne and want a fun way to cap off your evening. Around since 2005, this stage has hosted familiar national headliners like Art Krug, Susan Rice and Dwight Slade. With a new format of 5-7 comics each week (and the occasional guest drop-in), you’re bound to see someone who tickles your fancy and/or funnybone. Once you get over the awkward acoustics of a booming P.A in a gigantic theater, the Bagdad’s comfy seats make you feel right at home—as will the pizza, beer, and good-natured rants about the absurdity of daily life.

For more about Portland arts events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar, stream content with an RSS feed, or sign up for our weekly On The Town Newsletter!

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Tags: comedy, overview

Q&A: Lewis Black

“Laughter is one of the few things
that allow us to hang on to sanity.”

Posted by: Anne Adams on Apr 07, 2011 at 05:00PM 1 Comments

Lewis Black is, we daresay, back.

Upon hearing that comedian Lewis Black will hit the Schnitz this week , events editor John Chandler immediately thumbed through some old issues and exhumed the following Q&A from June 2007. Though this issue of PoMo has long since become decoupage fodder, the caustic comic’s answers hold up fine.

Have you always been an angry comic?
No, the first stuff I did was all about my sex life—which was pretty funny at the time. The anger thing didn’t really come along for another 10 or 15 years. The stupid thing is, it was right there in front of my face. I was funny when I was yelling.

Whom do you find funny?
Dave Attell, Kathleen Madigan, Dom Irrera, John Bowman, Susie Essman, Judy Gold, Bobby Slayton—it’s a long list.

What do they have in common?
They all have a really strong point of view, and they don’t back off. They lead audiences to places the audience really doesn’t want to go sometimes.

So they actually stretch an audience’s comedy muscles?
Exactly! The nice thing about the current boom in comedy is that it does stretch that muscle. But it should have been stretched since the time we were kids. You know, the breakthrough of the first knock-knock joke. Laughter is one of the few things that allow us to hang on to sanity.

If there is a liberal media, would The Daily Show be its flagship?
I think we’re the flagship of the “How stupid are you?” media. We go through the day’s news and say, “Hey! Here’s what you might want to pay attention to.”

More about comedy…
More interviews…

Lewis Black will be at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Friday April 8. For more about Portland arts events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar, stream content with an RSS feed, or sign up for our weekly On The Town Newsletter!

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Tags: comedy, Interview

Henry Rollins at Alberta Rose

Posted by: Anne Adams on Mar 31, 2011 at 09:00AM 1 Comments

In his 1980’s rock diary Get On The Bus, Henry Rollins wrote of ordering entire pots of diner coffee for just himself, and performing countless sit-ups while sleeping on the floor of a garden shed in order to tone his famed muscular frame. More than 20 years later, the former Black Flag frontman is still a punk-rock straight-edge Spartan, but he’s segued gradually from rock into talk, becoming one of the most dynamic voices on the spoken-word stage. It probably goes without saying that Rollins has tons of cred and great energy, but he’s also got a rare ability to segue between humor and humanitarianism. But whether he’s expressing sympathy, humor, or anger, he’s always intense.

Next Tuesday, Rollins will be pacing the floor and speaking his mind at Alberta Rose Theater, but in case you can’t wait ‘til then, here’s a video to tide you over. (If you have any trouble keeping up, try drinking an entire pot of coffee.)

WARNING: SOME ADULT LANGUAGE

Rollins will be at Alberta Rose on April 5. For more about Portland arts events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar, stream content with an RSS feed, or sign up for our weekly On The Town Newsletter!

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Tags: comedy, author, video

Michael Ian Black’s Best Tweets

Whet your appetite for the comic’s weekend shows with these nuggets of hilarity.

Posted by: Jonathan S Banasky on Mar 03, 2011 at 07:46AM 2 Comments

Comedian Michael Ian Black: cheeky Tweeter.

Upon hearing that comedian Michael Ian Black would hit Helium this weekend, Bar Pilot blogger John Chandler exclaimed, “That guy has hilarious tweets!” Best known for his role on Comedy Central series Stella, and much-murmured-about as one of the only mainstream celebrities to show up in a crowd at hyperlocal indie-rock fest PDX Pop Now!, Black is also apparently a witty little birdie in the Twittersphere. We asked intern Jon Banaski to find some funny quotes from the noteworthy absurdist.

Ladies and gentlemen…
TWEETS FROM MICHAEL IAN BLACK

~ How great would it be if we really burped bubbles when we were drunk, just like in cartoons? Answer: really great.

~ Gaddafi has the best sunglasses of any dictator.

~ Finally saw ˝The King’s Speech.˝ Thought the end where the Bear Jew killed everybody was gratuitous.

~ No matter what you look like, if you want to feel better about your physical appearance, spend some time at a water park.

~ There should be a professional sport that involves eating a small bowl of ice cream while lying on the couch. I would dominate.

~ Now if we can just get those Egyptians to do something about Kanye.

~ Visited cat shelter. Cat scratched my hand. I adopted the cat just so I can take it to a different shelter to be put down.

Tweets compiled from michaelianblack on Twitter. For more about Portland arts events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar, stream content with an RSS feed, or sign up for our weekly On The Town Newsletter!

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Tags: standup, comedy, Helium, quotes

Tig Notaro Hits Helium

Posted by: Anne Adams on Feb 08, 2011 at 04:00PM 0 Comments

You might recognize Tig Notaro’s deadpan delivery and Peter Pan haircut from her recurring role as “Officer Tig” on The Sarah Silverman Program, or from various comedy showcases. But did you know that she’s slated to release a comedy album this year on beloved indie record label Secretly Canadian? Or that she’ll gig all weekend at Helium, including Valentine’s Day? For a taste of her stand-up style, watch the clips below. (Safe language, but adult themes.) Tig might be a great no-nonsense alternative to all things sappily romantic.

Discussing her memorable name:

Delivering a Valentine’s Day public service announcement: ¡No Moleste!

For more upcoming arts events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar, stream content with an RSS feed, or sign up for our weekly On The Town Newsletter!

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Tags: standup, comedy, Helium, video

Patton Zingers

Patton Oswalt hits Portland with a joke-and-book one-two punch.

Posted by: Anne Adams on Feb 02, 2011 at 01:00AM 0 Comments

This comedian and writer indulges a taste for sour grapes.

You might recognize Patton Oswalt’s sarcastic voice and puggish mug from—well, anywhere. In addition to a slew of standup appearances, Oswalt’s appeared in more than 20 films, played “the friend” on several seasons of the TV series King of Queens, voiced a rat in Rattatouille, and sliced and diced at several Comedy Central Roasts. What next? Well, naturally: a book.

Oswalt’s kicking off the post-millenial decade with Zombie Spaceship Wasteland, and during his visit to Portland this weekend, he’ll not only perform standup sets at Helium, but also sit for a signing at Powell’s. Here’s a little taste of his lovably bitter wit:

OSWALT ON LIFE

I had a romance novel inside me, but I paid three sailors to beat it out if me with steel pipes.

If you hit a midget on the head with a stick, he turns into 40 gold coins.

If I actually had a time machine, I would go back to around 1993, 94—and kill George Lucas with a shovel. That’s how I would try to save history.

The Oswalt family crest should be, like, a pair of eyes rolling off to the side, and then a bag of Cheetos, and then the word, “f*ck.”

I don’t trust joy; it hurts my skull. It’s like: Rip! Bleed! Demon! Potato-bug! Every horrible thing comes tumbling out….

Does this washcloth smell like chloroform to you?

ON COMEDY

90% of every art form is garbage – dance and stand-up, painting and music. Focus on the 10% that’s good, suck it up, and drive on.

I have to drink this much to be as unfunny as you.

There were a few years in the early nineties where I really began to hate what was valued as funny and just sort of what was valued in stand-up, period.

I mean, the death [of comedy] in the late eighties and early nineties really shook out a lot of hacks. The pond just sort of dried up for a lot of really bad comedians.

All alternative comedy is, are comedians that have being doing it for so long, that they were relaxed enough to start becoming personal on stage.

According to Helium’s box office, Oswalt’s standup sets are sold out, but you can always spring for the book and get a little face-time with the funnyman at Powell’s. For more upcoming arts events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar, stream content with an RSS feed, or sign up for our weekly On The Town Newsletter!

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Tags: standup, comedy, Helium, quotes

The Missing Pieces

Portland Playhouse’s Fertile Ground offering runs only through this weekend.

Posted by: Alexis Rehrmann on Jan 27, 2011 at 11:46AM 0 Comments

David Seitz as Hugh Hefner and Daylen Chipps as Timmy in The Missing Pieces now playing at Portland Playhouse.

The Missing Pieces, by Nick Zagote runs only through this Sunday, January 30 at Portland Playhouse. The premiere is the first fully-staged production of the play since the script was workshopped at the 2009 JAW playwrights festival, and it’s Portland Playhouse’s offering for this year’s Fertile Ground Festival. It’s encouraging that here in Portland, there’s a path for Nick Zagote, a local playwright, to workshop a new script and find an opportunity to dress his work up in full production, all within our fair urban growth boundary. To me, this seems to speak well of the long-term health and growth of our local theater scene.

The Weaver brothers, co-founders of Portland Playhouse, have never met a kitchen sink drama that wasn’t urgent, modern, and relevant. I love this company for their ongoing contribution to new narrative theater. Moment to moment, the actors turn in the kind of impassioned, nuanced performances that have become Brian Weaver’s directorial signature. He mines his story for dark humor, physicality, and often, an underlying threat of violence. In one opening scene, two brothers rough-house, throwing food and chasing each other around a kitchen table. Part of what makes this scene hum is the physical disparity between the two brothers: one is full-grown, a sullen twentysomething wannabe drummer, the other a skinny 10-year-old boy scout, and their play-fighting has a hint of real danger.

I’m not sure, though, that The Missing Pieces ever adds up to something greater than the sum of its parts.

Funny in bits and deftly acted throughout, the play ultimately suffers from a sort of narrative cacophony. What’s it really all about? Mount St. Helens has exploded, a Catholic mother is filled with rage after her husband leaves, a boy scout wants to visit Hugh Hefner, and a former Playboy bunny may or may not be dying. The Bahgwan makes a surreal third act visit, and says that in the face of chaos laughter is godly (I’m paraphrasing).

Perhaps The Missing Pieces is meant to bring laughter to the things that we cannot make sense of in life–which would be a relief, if it weren’t also vaguely confusing.

The Fertile Ground Festival runs through Jan 30 at various venues. For other upcoming arts events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar!

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Tags: Theater, comedy, Review, drama, festival

Fertile Ground Speaks for Itself

Playwrights plug the upcoming festival with a few choice quotes, straight from their scripts.

Posted by: Anne Adams on Jan 24, 2011 at 10:00AM 2 Comments

Photo by Gary Norman.

Here at the Culturephile blog, there’s always more art than we can cover. And something like the Fertile Ground Festival, a ten-day cornucopia of 70 performance works, could metaphorically plow us under if we took the old preview/review approach. So we decided to let the upcoming performances speak for themselves, by asking playwrights to pick a favorite line—a hilarious outburst, an absurd non-sequitur, or even a profound philosophical truth. Here’s what they said:

“What happens to the dreams of the dead?”
Immaterial Matters, by Steve Patterson

“You put your eye up to the glory hole, you’re going to get a poke in the eye.”
Death of the Party, by Sven Bonnichsen

“If you enjoy adaptations of the classics, you are sure to appreciate Undeath of a Salesman, a timely retelling of Arthur Miller’s great American tragedy featuring Willy Loman as a zombie.”
Spoused, by Mark Saunders

“I can chop down trees with one hand and no axe.”
Captured By Aliens (improvised line by actor)

“I have no qualms about hurting you. I want to know who you are, why you’re here, and why I have two mutilated corpses in the other room.”
Krueger, by Zack Calhoon

“Because the only thing stronger than gravity is the heart.”
That Was the River, This Is the Sea, by Claire Willett & Gilberto Martin del Campo

“Food can hear you. It hears what you’re thinking. A master chef will tell you, cuisine prepared by an angry man tastes different than food prepared by a man who’s at peace.”
Yarp?!, by Jeremy Benjamin

“We’re already in Hell; it’s the rage! Millions upon millions are flocking in, escaping secretly into their designer drugs – manufactured pharmaceuticals for manufactured conditions.”
Losing Ground in the Big City, by Don Teeters

“It’s just who you do, and for what reason, that changes. It’s the same game everywhere.”
Bridgetown, A Musical, by Karen Alexander-Brown

“I told him his choice was between me and artificial flavors and preservatives, and just look what the bastard picked!”
Food For Thought, by Rich Rubin

“If you want to stop and smell the roses it’s going to cost you $5.”
Stories: From the Streets, by Ann Singer from Lunacy Stageworks

“The words in my head are morphing, like the eternal is talking back: rescue the kernel of the sacred diurnal, go journal, journal, journal.”
Reality Lit, by Molly Tinsley

“I’d lit a bunch of fires and for some reason my parents thought I should go to a mental institution to ‘re-think things.’”
Galaxy Blink, by Francesca Sanders

“Believe it or not, it’s a beautiful summer day. The sun is still there, it’s just got some nasty ash blocking it.”
The Missing Pieces, by Nick Zagone

“Why you not come Viet Nam? We need teachers.”
Threads: The True Story of an Indiana Farm Girl in Viet Nam, by Tonya Jone Miller

“Why would anyone want to rape you?”
Hello My Name Is, by Jenni Miller

“The Elements Pack actually transfers you to a ‘sandbox’ alternative dimension. It allows you to observe, record, and interact with a past-like experience, but you will be unable to ‘save’ any changes.”
Maxima Vrugleplex, by Liz Argall and Brian Allard

“Watching Vivian was like watching grease spatter on a floor you were about to walk across: You knew every step would be slippery, especially the first one.”
Noir(ish): A New Breed of Detective Story, by Evan Guilford-Blake

“Listen, dogs fight all the time. ‘Cruelty’ is taking their nature away from them. Be like making it illegal for dogs to eat grass, barf on the carpet and eat it again.”
Bitch, by Sean Pomposello

“Growing up, my holy trinity was never The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost. No, it was Bob Barker, Casey Kasem and Andy Rooney.”
Triskaidekaphilia (Just My Luck), by Jimmy Radosta

“You think I was looking forward to spending three months in Sri Lanka with a twenty-three-year-old, un-bankable cokehead with multiple diplomas from Betty Ford and AA?”
The A List, by Dalene Young

“‘Cause, you know, I get paid a helluva lot more than five measly dollars to play that game. And you know I have. Lots of times. With all the pie-faced, pious-assed, fascist aholes in Chicago who think they better than me and prove the opposite just ‘cause they is with me."
Street Corner Profit, by John Servilio

“I want your paws in my mouth.”
99 Ways To F*ck A Swan, by Kimberly Rosenstock

“They’re dropping Armageddon any minute and you’re standing there talking about teeth?!”
Sundowners, by Cassidy Barnes

“My relationship with Facebook has gotten complicated.”
Smarter Than Phones, by Sara Fay Goldman

“Jesus Christ, I was almost born in a glove compartment!”
David Saffert’s Birthday Bashstravaganza!, by David Saffert

“It’s lovely how my thoughts meander. It reminds me of a stream. Not a huge river or a bounding ocean, but a little teeny weeny brook sort of winding in and out of a forest.”
My Mind Is Like An Open Meadow, by Erin Leddy

“Snow only stays beautiful for what seems like a minute…then everything gets dirty and that’s what life’s all about.”
The Shadow Testament, by Susan Mach

“Maureen says civilization couldn’t possibly exist without clothing. ‘Imagine,’ she says, ‘greeting your guests at the door wearing nothing at all!’…‘I’ve done that,’ I say.”
All Together, by John Servilio

“Time is a dominatrix.”
Past :Perfect, by Ellen West

“And pianos don’t like the shore.”
Suburban Tribe, by Kate Mura

The Fertile Ground Festival runs from Jan 20-30 at various venues. For other upcoming arts events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar!

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Tags: Theater, comedy, drama, festival, modern, contemporary

Eat us, Portlandia!

Portlandia must be a glutton for Portland Monthly ’s punishment.

Posted by: Anne Adams on Jan 11, 2011 at 02:00PM 3 Comments

Well, Portlandia , you certainly got something right: You totally nailed the hipster emotional response. Portland Monthly ’s cool reception of your first effort , seems to have triggered a rabid hunger for our approval:

Well, today, you got it. We like you all right today. And around the PM office, this sketch elicited genuine laughs, instead of mere syllables that sound like “ha.”

What’s that? You have a thing at Hollywood Theater on Friday ? Well, I don’t know what I’m doing that day, but…I might try. Text me and remind me. You think you can put me on the list? I’m totally broke.

PS: Hey, I think I might recognize that guy from Baby Ketten Karaoke.

For a list of upcoming arts events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar!

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Tags: comedy, video, portlandia, television, tune in

Portland, Meet Portlandia.

The new SNL-affiliated show saddles Portland with “The Dream Of The 90s,” but hopefully not the nightmare.

Posted by: Anne Adams on Dec 19, 2010 at 11:00PM 9 Comments

UPDATE! Our neighbors to the North have responded to this post. Read Seattle Metropolitan Magazine’s take on Portlandia, and whether or not their original “dream of the 90’s” actually died.

This early glimpse of Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein’s Portlandia, reveals that the IFC/SNL show that bills itself as a comedy, actually seems more bent on sociological commentary. Brace yourself for the first Big Idea: “The dream of the 90s is alive in Portland.”

Let’s test this. Does Young Idealistic Portland:
…sleep ’til 11? Guilty.
…indulge childish or counterculturual whims? Indeed.
…wear cheap clothes? Posi-lutely.

Are these 90s values as well? Yes.

But there’s something else I remember about the early 90s: computers hadn’t quite “hit” yet. The internet, while it existed, was still in its infancy—the subject of intrigue and mystery. The idea that you could send “mail,” that was not tangible, that was called “e…mail,” was printed about in still-thriving glossy magazines. Little did we know then, that regular use of the internet had the potential to eventually legitimize the 90s slacker lifestyle into a viable M.O. These days, E-commerce and information jobs enable many of Portland’s crafty, “alternative” homebodies to make a sustainable living, even while they roost unshaven in the corner of a coffeeshop. The key word though, is sustainable. The Portland idealist/artist economy is not bountiful, by any means.

In the 90s, Seattle woke up (at eleven) in the new “hotbed of counterculture”—then immediately suffocated under the weight of a whole nation trying to pile on top of its mosh-mound. If Portland currently hosts the “dream of the 90s”, then it stands to reason that we’re about to endure the same rude awakening as our Seattle neighbors. And if Portlandia ’s smoke signals entice even slightly less-productive citizens into the welcoming flannel arms of Portland Proper, we may quickly run out of enough home-grown tomatoes to feed them.

A dream described is too often a dream destroyed, and a lot of Portland’s best art-punks are already skinny, poor and cold. Hopefully this show encourages the rest of the world to stay home, laugh at us, and buy things from our fine city’s many Bandcamp sites and Etsy stores. Because if everyone tries to move here and “retire early,” then the show’s over. Please, Portlandia, handle us with care.

For a more comprehensive list of events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar!

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Tags: comedy, Review, monday fun, video, circus, portlandia, punk

Review: Why Torture Is Wrong, And The People Who Love Them

A nook into America.

Posted by: Ryan Donaldson on Dec 14, 2010 at 08:00AM 0 Comments

Portland Actors’ Conservatory probes into dangerous territory.

Playwright Christopher Durang (Laughing Wild and Beyond Therapy) propels the audience into the psyche of American paranoia in Portland Actors Conservatory’s production, Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them. “Freedom toast,” Scooby-Doo, and Terri Schiavo are just a few things brought up in Durang’s dialogue.

Felicity (Jessica Anselmo) and Zamir (Sam DeRoest) hook up after fine dining at Hooters. Felicity wakes up to find herself married to Zamir, a guy who “drives a truck at night and gets paid.” When she breaks the news to her parents, they begin to speculate about Zamir’s nationality, and later, his involvement in presumed terror plot “The Big Bang.” Felicity’s father Leonard (played by veteran Portland actor Danny Bruno) promises to get to the bottom of the mystery by secretly enlisting his friends, including the low-panty-wearing Hildegarde.

Not to worry; when things get too heated, the play’s narrator steps in as a heroic deus ex machina, and under the light of a twinkling disco ball, he transports Felicity back in time to resume her Hooters dining. With this twisted comedy of post-9/11 rhetoric, porn, and time-travel, Christopher Durang blows the audience away into lunacy.

Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them runs through December 19. Portland Actors Conservatory, 1436 SW Montgomery St. Call 503-274-1717 for showtimes. For a more comprehensive list of events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar!

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Tags: comedy

Comedy At Bagdad
Benefits Smile Train

Portland comedians help cleft-palate children save face.

Posted by: Anne Adams on Dec 10, 2010 at 12:30AM 1 Comments

This is technically a post about comedy, but folks, let’s get serious for a sec:

The world can be a painful place for children born with cleft palate, and those who can’t afford facial reconstruction are staring down a lifetime of being laughed at, not with. Local comedians, possibly taking a cue from former Malcom In The Middle comedy mama Jane Kaczmarek, are donating proceeds from their Bagdad showcase tonight, to Smile Train, a charity devoted to mending torn baby faces.

Culturephile’s comedy ambassatrix Virginia Jones will be there, and Tristian Spillman will host. Trust us—after you watch the following Smile Train video, you’ll probably need all 8 local comedians to cheer you back up. Quips Jones, “Come out, unless you hate surgery for children in need!”

At Bagdad Theater, 10pm. Your $10 buys one-twentyfifth of a child’s smile. For a more comprehensive list of events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar!

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Tags: comedy, charity,