defunkt: about passion & risk

Dmae Roberts goes backstage with defunkt theatre with an audio tour and a candid talk with the company’s three co-artistic directors: Matthew Kern, Grace Carter and Lori Sue Hoffman. The ensemble company ihas cast two female lead actors in David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross. We’ll find out about their passion to create risky theatre.

(Photo left by Holly Andres, Pictured: Grace Carter as Roma)

The Drammy-award-winning defunkt theatre is in its 12th season at their space behind the Common Grounds Coffee House in SE Portland. They’ve made a mark in Portland theatre for creating adventurous work on a tight budget. The ensemble works together mostly as a labor of love dedicating themselves to taking artistic risks. One such risk is casting two women in the two main roles in Glengarry Glen Ross, an often macho and aggressive play about competitive men in a real estate office.

Featured music by Todd Barton at ToddBarton.com.

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Matthew Kern, Grace Carter and Lori Sue Hoffman.

Defunkt will also be producing Fire Island by Chuck Mee next spring. Mee is a playwright who posts his plays online and allows anyone to remake them in any form or genre.

Dmae talks with defunkt’s leaders, Matthew Kern, Grace Carter and Lori Sue Hoffman about the company’s history, their adventures and how three people can amiably run a company together.

Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet, directed by Tamara Carroll. The show runs October 14 through November 19, 2011 Thursdays – Sundays at 8pm (no show October 16) at the Back Door Theater located at 4319 SE Hawthorne Blvd. in Portland.

Tickets are Pay-what-you-can Thursdays & Sundays, $10-$20 Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations are encouraged as space is limited. Call 503-481-2960 for reservations or visit defunktheatre.com.

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