PORTLAND, ORE.: Artists Rep has announced their 37th season, titled ART on Tour, with productions at six different venues across the Portland while the company transitions to a new permanent home.
“These plays will bring audiences a timely and dynamic mix of subjects, settings, themes, and theatrical styles (including three plays filled with live music) by acclaimed playwrights who are responding to the world through their work,” said artistic director Dámaso Rodríguez in a statement. “Not only did we need to choose shows, but we also needed to make sure that they fit within each venue. We have the opportunity to not only ask big questions, but create genuine community with every performance around Portland.”
In a statement managing director J.S. May called the ART on Tour season “a period of transition while we design our new home, complete fundraising, and build two new theatres. While the process will be complex and challenging, we are energized by what the successful completion of this project will mean for ART, and the community of artists, organizations, and audiences that will benefit in the years ahead.”
ART will vacate its current home on June 1, as it sells the north half of its property to apartment developers Wood Partners, who will construct a 22-story building with 304 units of housing, underground parking, and ground floor retail space. ART will use the proceeds from the sale price as the lead investment to transform the remaining half of its property. Because of the resulting construction, ART must move out of its building by June 1, 2019.
The itinerant season will kick off with 1984 (Sept. 7-Oct.6), by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan, based on George Orwell’s classic novel. The story follows Winston, a man evading Big Brother’s watchful eye.
Up next is La Ruta (Nov.1-Dec.1), by Isaac Gomez, about the mystery of missing women in Juárez, Mexico.
Following will be The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (Nov.30, 2019-Jan.5, 2020), by David Greig, about an academic scholar lost in a forest.
After that will be School Girls; Or the African Mean Girls Play (Jan. 18-Feb.16,2020), Jocelyn Bioh, about Ghana school girls pining for the crown of Miss Universe.
Up next will be Indecent (Feb.19-Mar.8,2020), by Paula Vogel, which weaves together the history of Jewish theatre with melodic musical scenes.
The season will close with Looking for Tiger Lily (May 2-31,2020), by Anthony Hudson, about Anthony, a queer Native American, weeding out labels to find his true identity.
Artists Repertory, founded in 1982, strives to produce provocative theatre and present audiences with innovative work.
