For the first show of 2015, Dmae Roberts spotlights the Fertile Ground, perhaps the largest city-wide Festival of New Works in Portland. We’ll get an overview from festival director Nicole Lane. Then we’ll find out about three of the events with Eric Nordin of  The Snowstorm, Turiya Autry of Roots, Reality and Rhyme and Miriam Feder of PDX Playwrights.

Learn more about the 11-day festival and check out the schedule and the info about the festival pass. 

(Aired Tues 1/6/15 on KBOO 90.7FM.)

Turiya Autry, Eric Nordin & Miriam Feder
Turiya Autry, Eric Nordin & Miriam Feder

Read more about the guests and their shows!

CoHo Productions & Many Hats Collaboration presents the world premiere of

The Snowstorm
​By Eric Nordin

Described as a “visceral and sonically vivid new performance piece” that brings together the talented director and choreographer Jessica Wallenfels with the writing and musical performance of writer  Eric Nordin who performs the classical piano music of Rachmaninoff. The piece promises to be a cutting edge physical theatre spun around a classic romance with magical elements of puppetry and mask.

Directed & choreographed by Jessica Wallenfels. Musical Direction & piano performance by Eric Nordin. Script Advisor William S. Gregory

thesnowstormAll shows are at CoHo Theatre located at 2257 NW Raleigh St. in Portland. Festival Show runs  Jan 23, 24, 29, 30, 31 @ 7:30pm; Jan 25 @ 2pm. Full Run Dates: Jan 16 – Feb 7 – visit CohoTheatre for showtimes.

Tickets: $25/$20 for over 60, under 30/$15 groups, Purchase tickets online at cohoproductions.org.  Manage your pass at boxofficetickets.com or email fertileground@boxofficetickets.com

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Good Sista Ink Presents…

get-attachment.aspxRoots, Reality & Rhyme, a multimedia, theatrical production that personalizes the experiences of the marginalized and addresses institutional and interpersonal dynamics of power, privilege and violence while reflecting on beauty, potential and love for self. It’s a poetic journey about a female protagonist as she traverses the domains of childhood, adolescence, relationships and motherhood while also navigating the realities of being poor, Black and woman in America.

Saturdays & Sundays at 2pm on January 24, 25, 31 & February 1st at Conduit Studio, located at 918 SW Yamhill St. #401

Tickets: $10 available at fertilegroundpdx.org and at the door. Find our more info at: TuriyaAutry.com 

About Turiya Autry’:

Artist, author and educator, Turiya Autry has been bringing a bold strong voice to encourage social change across the nation for years. Whether directing youth programs, teaching, rocking the mic or working behind the scenes, Turiya is a positive motivational force. Through her work she encourages people to look more critically and lovingly upon the world around them.

For nearly two decades Turiya has spent her time educating, motivating and inspiring audiences of all ages. Opening for renowned leaders like Nikki Giovanni, Angela Davis, bell hooks, John Trudell and Hilary Clinton, Turiya delivers messages that resonate with wide audiences. Her work incorporates the arts, pop culture and history with personal, community and political struggles.

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The last 10 days of January 2015 will unleash not only Portland’s Fertile Ground Festival of New Works, but also PDX Playwrights’ festival-within-the-festival, featuring 26 plays by 19 local playwrights at Hipbone Studio, 1847 E. Burnside.

Calendar of PDX Playwright’s Festival PDXPStageEmblemWithLogo

Noon Friday, Jan. 23

A Teaser for Weekend I — by PDX Playwrights
Tickets: Free | Venue: Portland Center Stage Mezzanine
Whet your appetite for new work with this sampling of the new plays PDXP will debut the first weekend of the festival at Hipbone Studio.

7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24
Daisy Dukes Shorts Night — by PDX Playwrights
Directed by Dave Chapman
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)

Good things come in small packages, especially these short shorts written on the theme Fertile Ground and chosen by PDX Playwrights from submissions. Alphabetical order by playwright: Brad Bolchunos — Cracking Rulers; Dave Chapman –Taking it All In; Gary Corbin –Papacino’s; Miriam Feder –Bird First; AJ Haslett – Grounds More Fertile; Remi Newhouse — Culinary Discourse; Nick O’Conner — Club 13; Matt Russell — Caressing the Earth; Sharon Sassone –Kama Sutra Wednesdays; and John Servilio — Scar and Buzzkill.

1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25
In Search of the Red Skull — by Katie Bennett
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS) 
When Lady Emmeline’s baby sister is snatched, the prime suspect is a band of women pirates led by the vicious beauty Red Hart. When Emmeline asks for help from the pirate known as Charmin’ Zan, a map he discovered in his youth leads them to a secret in his past and unexpected trouble. Don’t miss this piratical romantic adventure romp.

3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25
Unmediated — by Brad Bolchunos
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS) 
When reporter Hal Turnin investigates a cult-like group near a small town, his life tumbles out of control. He unveils mysteries about a piece of property, investigates hints of harm to public safety, and confronts unsettling powers of a strange woman tied to it all. His search sends him down a path fraught with questions about the nature of truth and fear of the unknown. The backlash threatens far more than he ever imagined.

6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25
Alan’s Confectionery — by Alan Alexander III
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS) 
“Some folks can snatch the sweetness out of the cake and never crack the crust.” Alan’s entrepreneurial spirit has navigated the family through the Great Depression and World War II. But at least one of his children is plagued with an unanswered question from the past: “What happened to Mama?” This is a musical mystery about Family.

8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25
Greg and Lauren — by Sunbear Theatres
Bereavement — by AJ Franks
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)

Greg and Lauren are young at heart. They fall in love at first sight at the age of seventy, much to the disapproval of their adult children. A light-hearted comedy with strong language, strong opinions and strong determination.

Bereavement is a dark comedy portraying the life and limitations of a man pushed past his breaking point. Les has been a doormat for those around him. His manipulative wife, condescending Mother, arrogant Son and sadistic boss have sucked him dry of any passion he once felt for life. Though he finds little solace in staying at home, he frequently misses work to avoid his boss and eventually uses every last vacations and sick day available to him. When painful secrets are revealed, judgments aired and resentments expressed, Les begins to feel there is no escape. Then he develops a plan that just may solve all his problems.

Noon Friday, Jan. 30
A Teaser for Weekend II — by PDX Playwrights
Tickets: Free | Venue: Portland Center Stage Mezzanine
New work continues to sprout in this sampling of the plays PDXP will premiere the second weekend of the festival. All of the fll shows are at Hipbone Studio.

7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
The Conditions of Unconditional Love — by Sharon Sassone
Threshold — by Redmond Reams
Directed by Gary Corbin
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS) 
The Conditions of Unconditional Love: An adolescent girl makes an unannounced visit to her grandmother’s house for no reason at all–she claims. The grandmother may be old but she ain’t stupid and the unraveling of the reason may prove to be a major turning point in the girl’s life. Award winning actress ShaSha steps out of retirement to play the Grandma as well as being the playwright.

7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31
Short and Sweet: Short Plays by P Town Playwrights
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by Susan Faust, Miriam Feder, Heather Thiel and Rich Rubin
Tickets: $10 | Online or 800-494-8497 (TIXS)

Susan Faust — Technocchio: When a teen refuses to communicate except by iphone, can puppet therapy turn him back into a real boy?What’s the World Coming To? One woman’s absurdly funny struggle to keep up in a world that always demands more.

Miriam Feder — Those Bastards: Maybe you can tell more about a person in a crisis than you can from a dating profile.
We’re Just Stuffed: Every young woman needs a confidant or two when it comes to love. But they don’t have to be human, do they?

Rich Rubin – Eggs Over Easy: A breakfast ritual between two old friends ranges from the ridiculous to the sublime.
Will’s Dramaturg: When a dramaturg makes a suggestion, what’s a playwright to do?

Heather Thiel — Future Past Tense: A mother and daughter compare methods –from beer to technology “for finding love.”
Cannonball Antiques: Is the past ever truly said and done? A quirky antique seller tries to make sense of her brother’s life. But will customers ever stop interrupting the seance?

Eric Nordin, Turiya Autry, Dmae & Miriam Feder
Eric Nordin, Turiya Autry, Dmae & Miriam Feder

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