A previous version of this letter was sent with missing information. This is the corrected version. Thank you for reading and for joining us at 21ten this year! |
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Dear Community, As 2023 comes to a close, we are reflecting on all the exciting developments of the past year. It’s been a great period of growth for 21ten—from Mainstage productions with a bigger scope than we’ve ever seen, to our BareBones Theatre initiative getting out into the community, to our team of artists, staff, and volunteers growing and solidifying, we are truly coming into our own as a theatre company. Keep reading to learn all about our 2023 — and the perfect holiday gift for the theatre lover in your life. But first, check out the info for our upcoming Mainstage production A Number, opening in just a few weeks. |
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Coming Soon - A Number by Caryl Churchill We’re kicking off 2024 with a production of Caryl Churchill’s modern masterpiece A Number, directed by Michael O’Connell and featuring Alex Hurt and Bruce Burkhartsmeier. A Number is a jolting two-hander that explores the ethics and implications of cloning as well as the complicated relationship between parent and child. Tickets are AVAILABLE NOW at the link below. |
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VOLUNTEER Interested in helping out as a volunteer? Reach out to Victoria Spelman at victoriapspelman@gmail.com to sign up for a front of house shift As a thank you, all volunteers receive a complimentary ticket to the show they’re helping out with. |
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DINNER AND A SHOW Gift Card We are thrilled to be partnering with local establishment Deadshot restaurant for the remainder of our season through a combination package: "Dinner and a Show." When you purchase one of these gift cards - priced at $70 - you receive a ticket to one of our Mainstage productions as well as a voucher for $50 to Deadshot down the street. Offer a great night out to the theatre lover in your life. |
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DONATE NOW We are a burgeoning, community-focused theatre company intent on telling excellent, intimate stories—and we’re only growing from here. Partner with us through a tax-deductible donation as we continue to evolve. We couldn’t do the work without you. |
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2023 - Year in Review It’s been a big year for our little theatre. We’ve produced and hosted projects that run the gamut from ambitious world premieres to minimally-rehearsed community readings. Let’s take a closer look: PDXonSTAGE One of the most recent gems of 2023 is this innovative new website designed by Chris Brantley and sponsored by 21ten Theatre. PDXonSTAGE is a centralized hub to learn about all the theatrical productions taking place in and around Portland. Designed by Chris Brantley, it features an easy-to-navigate guide to every show in town with an option to filter by genre, producing company, and title. Soon to come is an option to manually add your own show to the site. Check it out—and let us know what you think! |
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Mainstage Productions In June, we presented the final production of our first season: Going to St. Ives by Lee Blessing. Featuring powerful performances from Quigley Provost-Landrum and Erin McGarry, and directed by 21ten founder Ted Rooney, Going to St. Ives was a thought-provoking examination of power, culpability, and unexpected allyship. In the words of season sponsor Ronni Lacroute: “What a brilliant script with important and timeless themes! I appreciate this play's focus on moral dilemmas which don't have an easy answer. I will be thinking for a long time about the questions the play asks. Kudos to the very fine cast, the talented director and the production team on a terrific show.” |
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More recently, we put up the first show of our second season: Taking Care of Animals by Jerrod Jordahl. This was a world-premiere production presented in collaboration with the playwright and led by guest director Alex Hurt. Taking Care of Animals is a left-of-center dark comedy about survival amongst environmental catastrophes and constantly shifting power dynamics. It’s the most ambitious show we’ve put up so far. Check out these audience comments: “That was superb! From conception to final note. One of the best pieces of theater I’ve ever seen.” “The play really blew me away… A real gem!” “Weird & intense. Engaging and unsettling. GOOD THEATER!!” We just closed Taking Care of Animals last Sunday. Thank you to everyone who participated in this production—the artists, our fantastic volunteers, and the audience! |
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BareBones Productions
We launched BareBones theatre at the end of 2022 with the goal of telling good stories using just the essential ingredients. All BareBones productions receive an in-house run before they’re taken out on the road and into the community. We were proud to put up two BareBones productions this year: Here We Are Again Still by Christian O’Reilly and 52 Pick-Up by TJ Dawe and Rita Bozi. In addition to successful runs at 21ten, we brought the performances to Cultivate Initiative, a local non-profit that provides resources to the underserved population in the neighborhood; Rose Villa Senior Center in Milwaukie; and Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville. Take a look at BareBones Theatre on its feet. |
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Sunday Reading Series We presented eight readings of new work by local playwrights as part of our Sunday reading series in 2023, including The Usual Unusual by MJ Halberstadt, Still Harvey Still by Brianna Barrett, and Crooked Numbers by Ellen Margolis. These readings, which are entirely volunteer-operated, are a chance to breathe life into a new story as a community. We’ve taken a break from the series the past few months, but we’re getting back into it come January with a reading of Rich Rubin’s Shakespeare’s Skull. |
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What’s Next at 21ten We’ve got a lot lined up in 2024. Our Main Stage selection kicks off with A Number, and will be followed by an innovative production of Uncle Vanya led by Chris Connor. And in between, we’ll present Charles Evered’s Adopt a Sailor as our first BareBones production of the year. Plus, expect a return to the monthly reading series—kicked off with Rich Rubin’s Shakespeare’s Skull—a whole bunch of community events, and some exciting guest performances including our friend Corrib Theatre’s production of Spear by CN Smith, and The Actors Conservatory production of Hamlet. We can’t wait to see you there. |
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21tenTedTalks A Note From Artistic Director Ted Rooney As I write this, I am indeed grateful for the obvious reasons like all the people and good things that I have been blessed with in this life...and also for some of the hard things, from which I have grown. However, his year I have a special thanksgiving for all the people that I have gotten to know because of 21ten Theatre. The move in 2006 with my wife Lori from lonely Los Angeles back to my home town of Portland was prompted by the deep desire for connection in a community (Plus, Lori had asked me: “Can we not live HERE?”). Initially, the greatest source of feeling a part of a community for me was my acting classes in mine and Robert Blanche’s first studio, which led in time to the inception of 21ten Theatre, a place now busting at the seams with classes, original shows, community events, and outreach. As an introvert by nature, and prone to wander away from people, the force that is the community of 21ten Theatre holds me accountable to delving deep in the values I hold dear, and for this, I am so grateful. Won’t you join us in the community of 21ten Theatre? Yes, we are dedicated to having a fabulous time bringing great stories to life and sharing them with our village. But it is the village that matters most….or so I believe. I wish for all of you this season, love. Look for it in your neighbor and dish it out wherever you can, and I promise you will find purpose and contentment. I am not there yet, but thanks to the burgeoning community at 21ten, I am closer! Peace, Ted |
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Thank you all for a great year. To help us continue building true community, consider a tax-deductible donation. We really on your support to keep the ship afloat. Every bit helps. |
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Happy holidays! See you next year. Sincerely, The 21ten Team |
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