A new theater event is joining Portland’s Pride celebrations this weekend as Third Eye Theatre presents the inaugural Portland Pride Play Festival. Running July 18-20 at CoHo Productions in Northwest Portland’s Slabtown neighborhood, the festival features eight staged readings of new plays exploring queer identity, history and relationships.
Third Eye Theatre, a Portland-based company dedicated to presenting work with LGBTQ+ themes and perspectives, will select one play from the festival for a full production later this season as part of its Queer Voices New Play Development Program.
The Portland Pride Play Festival is one of several events happening during Portland Pride weekend. The Portland Pride Waterfront Festival takes place from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 19, and from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 20, at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, with a $10 suggested donation. The Portland Pride Parade begins at 11 a.m. Sunday, July 20, starting from the North Park Blocks and ending on Naito Parkway at the festival grounds.
The Portland Pride Play Festival lineup includes comedies, dramas and coming-of-age stories, all written by local playwrights and performed by Portland-area actors. Themes range from a 1940s queer fire escape club to modern-day friendship, gender, sexuality and family conflict.
Among the featured readings are “Echo,” a contemporary adaptation of the Japanese novel “Kokoro” centered on generational lesbian relationships, and “Predator Pray,” a tense drama about a Mormon missionary grappling with his identity upon returning home. View the full lineup of shows with casting details here.
No reservations are required, and seating is first come, first served.
Details: Showtimes vary; full lineup of shows here; July 18-20; pay what you will ($20 suggested); CoHo Productions, 2257 N.W. Raleigh St.; facebook.com/ThirdEyeTheatre
— Chiara Profenna covers religion, faith and cultural connections. Reach her at 503-221-4327; [email protected] or @chiaraprofenna.
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