Join for Nora Ephron’s endlessly charming You’ve Got Mail, the cozy, bookish romantic comedy that makes the dial-up internet age feel magical. Grab a bingo card curated by Violet Hex and play along as Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox fall in love one anonymous email at a time.
Book superstore magnate Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) and independent book shop owner Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) fall in love in the anonymity of the Internet—both blissfully unaware that he’s trying to put her out of business.
1998. Directed by Nora Ephron. Runtime: 1hr 59min. Rated PG.
Portland premiere of a new, independent film!
Fran (Geena Pietromonaco), a quirky, Christmas-obsessed designer is scrambling to move out of the Seattle apartment she shares with her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend before they get engaged on New Year’s Eve. Will (Zach Gilford), a jaded celebrity chef who has lost his love for cooking and the holidays, needs to salvage his reputation after a brutal breakup with his business partner.
Determined to succeed, Fran enlists her besties to pull off the perfect Christmas culinary pop-up and help Will remember why he loved cooking in the first place. And despite her vow to never date another chef, sparks begin to fly.
Special live introduction and post-screening Q&A with the writer, director, and producers Josh Androsky, Nate Fisher, and Amber A’Lee Frost!
Chapo Trap House presents: CHUNKS – an anthology film of six unique comedy shorts threaded together with our host Ruby, a faded Hollywood starlet (Ruby McCollister, Search Party, Rap World) and taking inspiration from the glamorous by-gone era of late nite public access weirdness.
With live action shorts featuring originals from friends of the podcast, like Pod About List (Adam Friedland Show, Rap World), Sandy Honig (Adult Swim’s Three Busy Debras), Will Senett (A Closer Look, Eephus), and two animated segments from Episode 1 & Jim Soper (The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie) and Nick Mullen (CumTown) & Saul Crinier.
PLUS PLUS Fest invites you to dissolve your boundaries, question everything and reimagine what could be.
PLUS PLUS is a 4-day festival celebrating bold storytelling across mediums. It is an exploration of art forms converging, where art, music, comedy, film and conversation collide. Join PAM CUT at the Portland Art Museum, the Whitsell, and the Tomorrow Theater for this yearly festival of unbound storytelling.
Search and Destroy (S.A.D. for short) is a multimedia variety show happening on the last friday of every month featuring artists and local leaders sharing their craft and talking about what matters most to them. Through storytelling, live conversations, audience interaction, and heavy doses of honesty and humor, S.A.D. seeks to give hope and to be an entertaining and informative space for all to have fun, let loose, and be reminded that we as a people have the agency and ability to initiate change by working together as one.
S.A.D. was partly inspired by late-night television talk shows and variety hours and follows a similar format: an eye-catching opening number, a charming Emcee willing to play the fool, and a shared evening of dance, music, film, comedy, and conversations/interviews, all loosely tied to a theme of the night. The show ends with a dance party where the audience is invited to join the party on stage.
One of the main goals of each S.A.D. show is to dissolve the separation between artist and audience by directly engaging, conversing, and interacting with the audience, inviting them to participate in their seats as well as on the stage.
Every show features dance movement, improvisation, visual imagery and soundscapes, conversations and spoken word, and various bits that play with the blurring of boundaries between the scripted and unscripted, all through an honest and humorous lens and the intention to entertain, educate, and inspire. Each episode of S.A.D. showcases different artists and acts than the previous one, guaranteeing that every iteration is unique and can only be experienced once.
S.A.D. is a show for everybody and every body, regardless of their identity, background, age, and anything else used to describe oneself.
*Revenue generated from each show is split evenly amongst the contributing artists
See full details at tomorrowtheater.org.
One Last Gathering of the Crows. Join Darcelle XV Plaza for the Wildwood: Follow the Crows Farewell Weekend. After soaring across Portland all season, all 30 spectacular crow sculptures are coming together for one final celebration. This free, family-friendly event is your last chance to see the crows in Portland—and the only opportunity to experience the entire flock in one place.
Meet some of the talented artists behind the crows, collect autographs, take plenty of photos and support OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital through optional donations.
Costumes are highly encouraged. At 2 p.m. on Halloween Day, costumed guests can strut, flap or swoop through the plaza in a festive Costume Parade. Prizes will be awarded in both Adult and Under-18 divisions for:
Admission is free, and all ages are welcome. Bring your family, gather your flock and help give Portland’s beloved crows a send-off to remember.
Tickets $15. This indie punk-rock comedy premiered at this year's SXSW festival, and stops by the Tomorrow for one night only.
November 4, 2026
Powaqqatsi: Live with The Philip Glass EnsembleSpecial Concerts
OverviewThe Philip Glass Ensemble returns to Portland for Powaqqatsi, an artful cinematic experience that speaks to the impact of modernization and industrialization on traditional ways of living. Seen through the lens of communities across the globe, the narrative is amplified by compositions from Philip Glass that feature native, classical, and electronic instruments. Enjoyed alone or as the second in The Qatsi Trilogy, you won’t want to miss this thought-provoking performance from The Philip Glass Ensemble and conductor Michael Riesman.
po.waq.qa.tsi (from the Hopi language, powaq sorcerer + qatsi life) n., an entity, a way of life, that consumes the life forces of other beings in order to further its own life.
About the ShowThis concert is part of the Special Concerts series, and is eligible for the Choose Your Own Series (Portland only). Concert length is approximately 1 hour 40 minutes. No intermission.
Concert begins promptly at the time listed.
Loading... Select a Date Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland Wed, Nov 4, 2026, 7:30 PM Promo Code Buy TicketsOne of the crowning achievements of the German expressionist movement, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau’s THE LAST LAUGH stars Emil Jannings stars as an aging doorman whose happiness crumbles when he is relieved of the duties and uniform which had for years been the foundation of his happiness and pride. Through Jannings’s colossal performance, THE LAST LAUGH becomes more than the plight of a single doorman, but a mournful dramatization of the frustration and anguish of the universal working class.
Limited number of discount passes to see all the films in the Weimar Germany: Queer Visions series while supplies last.
Portland premiere of a new, independent film!
After a tragic accident involving possibly fatal weed, stoner gig worker Marlo teams up with her journalist ex-girlfriend Julia to trace it back to the source and unravel a corporate conspiracy.
Screening followed by a Q&A with directors Tyler Aquilina and Brady Petrik, moderated by author Alison Cochrun and video essayist Lola Sebastian.
Live Wire joins forces with the Portland Art Museum for an afternoon of roving performances ahead of an evening recording of the program. The event coincides with PAM's monthly Free First Thursday and the Portland Book Festival's expanded programming. Performers will include poet and rapper Dessa, bestselling children’s author Mac Barnett, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Ed Park, and Portland comedian Mx. Dahlia Belle.
Free pop-up performances will take place throughout the Museum’s galleries, giving visitors a chance to catch live performances and storytelling while moving through the PAM spaces. Completely free through PAM’s Free First Thursday general admission. Also, enjoy a fully seated, ticketed Live Wire taping hosted by Luke Burbank with announcer Elena Passarello, featuring a blend of interviews, comedy, and music performed live for the audience, then edited into an episode for broadcast to over 200 public radio stations nationwide.
Visitors can take in the afternoon gallery pop-ups, the evening show, or both.
Portland Art Museum invites the community to join a Free First Thursday event, offering free admission to the museum for all, plus a Live Wire event as part of the Literary Arts Portland Book Festival. Visitors can take in the afternoon gallery pop-ups, the evening show, or both!
Free First Thursday + Museum pop-ups4:30 – 6 p.m. — Free, pre-show, pop-up performances will take place throughout the Museum’s galleries. Performers are poet and rapper Dessa, bestselling children’s author Mac Barnett, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Ed Park, and Portland comedian Mx. Dahlia Belle.
Free First Thursday tickets can be reserved online one week in advance and are also available at the door.
tickets for free first thursday Live Wire Evening Recording7 p.m. — Enjoy a fully seated, ticketed Live Wire taping hosted by Luke Burbank with announcer Elena Passarello, featuring a blend of interviews, comedy, and music performed live for the audience, then edited into an episode for broadcast to over 200 public radio stations nationwide. Performers are poet and rapper Dessa, bestselling children’s author Mac Barnett, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Ed Park, and Portland comedian Mx. Dahlia Belle. Doors will open at 6:30pm.
GA Tickets are $15. Preferred Seating is $40. Discounts available to Portland Book Festival passholders.
Dessa is a singer, rapper, and writer who fell in love with language as a toddler—and just never got over it. Now, she works in fields that traffic in words: she’s recorded rap bangers as part of the fiercely independent Doomtree collective, released a live album with the Grammy-winning Minnesota Orchestra; contributed to The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler; delivered a TED Talk on the intersection of romance and neuroscience that’s notched more than 4 million views; hosted 2 seasons of behavioral science podcast Deeply Human (BBC/American Public Media); and published a memoir recounting most of the above called My Own Devices (Penguin Random House).
Mac Barnett, the 2025–2026 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, is a New York Times bestselling author of stories for children. Mac’s books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book Awards, three E. B. White Read Aloud Awards and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, as well as several international prizes. He lives in Oakland, California. His latest book, illustrated by X. Fang, is Tom Nancy: The Sheep Who Swapped Brains with a Boy. From two of the most exciting picture book makers today comes a hilarious trickster tale and Freaky Friday switcheroo story: a sneaky, cheeky sheep named Tom Nancy has a brain swap proposal for an innocent farm boy named Felix that will change both of their lives forever. Laugh-out-loud, subversive, and totally unexpected.
Ed Park is the author of the novels Personal Days and Same Bed Different Dreams. He is a founding editor of The Believer, and has worked in newspapers, book publishing, and academia. His writing appears in The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic, and elsewhere. Profound, wily, and beautifully wrought, his new book Three Tenses: A Transmission from the Nineties is a meeting of memory and myth, confession and obfuscation, coalescing to offer a singular picture of creativity in action.
The princess of Portland comedy, best known for her breakout performance on the popular Netflix special Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda, Mx. Dahlia Belle has been compared to a Swiss Army knife—different tools to extract sharpness, softness, vulnerability, hope, and wicked wit. She’s been declared one of “11 Trans Comedians… Funnier Than Dave Chappelle” by Out Magazine, repeatedly featured on NPR, and has written for Cosmopolitan Magazine, The Guardian, The Stranger, and Portland Mercury. Her live performances have included NW Black Comedy Festival, Upper Left Comedy Festival, SF Sketchfest, and an awkward conversation with John Waters and Piers Morgan. In the upcoming live taping of her comedy special Affirmed at Polaris Hall on November 22nd, Mx. Dahlia Belle delivers 60 new minutes of stand-up to celebrate and affirm being human in the modern world through a combination of the wholesome and mundane, anecdotes about house cats, liscivious foibles of the LGBT community, and an unapologetic account of her personal journey with gender-affirming care, all delivered with her trademark free form wit.
About Free First ThursdaysFree First Thursdays at the Museum and PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater aligns with the revitalization of the long-standing Portland art galleries’ tradition of opening their doors for openings, receptions, and events on the first Thursday of each month. In recent months art and culture organizations have joined to bring back this popular activity, including the Pacific Northwest College of Art and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education in the North Park Blocks.
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
Learn more about other discounted and free opportunities.Meet the Tokyo Kanpai Boys, Japan's funniest stand-up comedians bringing brand-new material and a wildly entertaining look at life & comedy through Japanese eyes.
Featuring Kansei Yasuda, Daniel Wilson, Shota Saimu and Daisuke Muramoto.
Whether they're explaining Japanese dating culture, exposing everyday misunderstandings between East and West, or simply proving that awkwardness is universal in every language, Tokyo Kanpai Boys delivers a show that's packed with laughs.
Don’t miss this unforgettable night of international comedy that bridges cultures through laughter. Cheers ("Kanpai!") to that. 🍻
Featuring:
Kansei Yasuda
Originally from Tokyo and now based in Toronto, Kansei is one of the fastest-rising international comics working today. A Golden Ticket winner on Kill Tony, he has toured throughout North America and Asia, earning acclaim for his energetic storytelling, sharp cultural observations, and brilliantly unpredictable style.
Daniel Wilson
A Japanese-American comedian based in Tokyo, Daniel has built a massive global following through his viral "Let Me Teach You Some Japanese" videos, earning over200,000 Instagram followers and 5.5 million TikTok likes. Trained at Japan's prestigious Watanabe Comedy School, he combines Japanese and American comedy traditions into a style that's both insightful and endlessly relatable.
Shota Saimu
Known for his deceptively quiet stage presence and devastating punchlines, Shota has become a favorite among audiences in both Japan and the United States. Performing in both English and Japanese, his dry delivery, understated confidence, and viral online clips have made him one of Japan's most exciting emerging comedic voices.
Daisuke Muramoto
One of Japan's most recognizable comedians, Muramoto first rose to fame as half of the legendary manzai duo Woman Rush Hour, appearing on hundreds of television programs before reinventing himself as one of Japan's boldest stand-up voices. His acclaimed documentary I Am a Comedian chronicles his journey from mainstream celebrity to internationally touring performer whose fearless comedy tackles politics, culture, and identity.
Management reserves the right to prevent customers from entering the facility who they deem disruptive or dangerous to other patrons.
It took Cam all of 3 weeks to drop out of college at FAMU to pursue comedy full time at the age of 19. Cam recently appeared on Season 16 of ‘America’s Got Talent’ receiving a “Yes” from all 4 celebrity judges, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Sophia Vergara, and Howie Mandel. In 2019, Cam Bertrand became the youngest comic to win the 'Florida's Funniest' competition, beating out over 300 comics, previous winners include Daniel Tosh, Bert Kreischer, Preacher Lawson and JB Ball. In that same year, Cam also became the youngest comedian to record his own half hour comedy special with DryBar comedy, his special 'Sophisticated Ignorance' which has garnered over 140 million total views since its release. Cam has built up a social media following of nearly 1 Million Followers on TikTok, 176k on Instagram, 270k on Facebook, and 47k on Youtube. He has also worked with some of the biggest names in comedy today including: Joe Rogan, Andrew Schulz, Matt Rife, Bert Kreischer, Pete Davidson, Hannibal Buress, Michael Che, Josh Blue, and Mike Epps. Couple's Package includes: - 2 premium seats - $90 food & beverage credit ($45 per person)- Gratuity - Ticket Protection Management reserves the right to prevent customers from entering the facility who they deem disruptive or dangerous to other patrons.
Parallel Worlds Bookshop and the Hollywood Theatre present a special author conversation with Jane Schoenbrun and SenLinYu, celebrating the release of Jane’s debut novel, Public Access Afterworld, followed by a screening of Schoenbrun’s acclaimed film I Saw the TV Glow.
When: November 5, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Where: Hollywood Theatre 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
Tickets: $18 sold via Hollywood Theatre
Ticket price does not include a copy of the book. Preorder Here!
A mysterious realm waits on the other side of our screens. A dark force draws victims into its static. An unlikely hero must save them, and herself, from an electric hell.
Spanning decades and realities, Public Access Afterworld follows an unforgettable ensemble of outcasts and obsessive television viewers whose lives become entangled with a surreal pirate network. At the center is Bethany Peters, a trans content moderator working the night shift at a sprawling tech corporation. When a young streamer begins appearing in her feed and calling out to Public Access Afterworld, Bethany is pulled into a conspiracy stretching across screens, timelines, and realities.
A mesmerizing collision of speculative fiction, horror, conspiracy, and queer transformation, Public Access Afterworld marks the literary debut of the celebrated filmmaker behind I Saw the TV Glow and We’re All Going to the World’s Fair.
About Jane SchoenbrunJane Schoenbrun is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. Their films include I Saw the TV Glow and We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. Their newest film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, starring Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder, releases in 2026. Public Access Afterworld is their first novel.
Event and Pre-Signing InformationTickets for the screening and conversation are sold through the Hollywood Theatre. Copies of Public Access Afterworld will be available for purchase onsite from Parallel Worlds Bookshop.
Jane Schoenbrun and SenLinYu will not be signing books. Pre-ordered books or books purchased at event will be pre-signed.
Still photography is permitted. Audio and video recording are not permitted unless approved in advance.
Pre-Order Books HerePublic Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun - Signed Edition
(Pub Date: October 27, 2026)
A mysterious realm on the other side of our screens. A dark force that draws victims into its static. The unlikely hero called to save them and herself from this electric hell. Public Access Afterworld is the profound, binge-all-night, headrush of a novel by the celebrated filmmaker of I Saw the TV Glow and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.
Alchemised by Senlinyu 3 Volume Deluxe Boxset(Pub Date: October 13)
In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past.
Part comedy special, part concert, and full of surprises. Bernice Ye, dubbed “The Jackie Chan of Comedy” by The Stranger, brings Wuhan Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ ta Duck Wit to Portland’s Kickstand Comedy for one night only. Wu-Tang energy meets immigrant storytelling in a live show blending stand-up, original comedy rap, martial arts, audience interaction, and cinematic multimedia. It’s about identity, ambition, and building your own clan when the world doesn’t hand you one.
Born in Wuhan, China, Ye came to the U.S. with $1,000 and a computer science degree from Peking University. She built a career at Microsoft and Hulu, then walked away from tech for the comedy stage. Now an internationally touring comedian, comedy rapper, and taekwondo black belt, she turns that unlikely journey into an evening of laughter, music, and reinvention. It was the most unhinged sequence of decisions she’s ever made. It’s working. With 400K+ followers and more than 100 million views online, Ye has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Stranger, and Seattle Gay News. Her credits include the New York Comedy Festival, Bergamot Comedy Festival, and Best of the Fest honors at Burbank Comedy Festival, Laugh After Dark, and Nate Jackson’s Super Funny Comedy Festival.
Following previous appearances at The Siren Theater, Ye returns to Portland with the road-tested show that launched a 13-city national tour. Whether you’ve followed her online or are discovering her for the first time, you’re invited into the Wuhan Clan. Come for the comedy. Leave with a clan—and songs stuck in your head.
British breakthrough Brett Goldstein has swiftly cemented his status as a formidable creative force, both on and off screen. Goldstein most recently starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in Netflix’s irreverent romantic comedy “Office Romance,” which he also co-wrote and produced alongside Joe Kelly. The film immediately soared to the No. 1 spot globally, drawing an astonishing 20.9 million views in its opening weekend.
He also continues to push creative boundaries as co-creator and executive producer of the cathartic comedy “Shrinking,” alongside Jason Segel and Bill Lawrence. The Emmy-nominated Apple TV series is currently in production on its fourth season. In addition to his behind-the-scenes work, Goldstein’s pivotal guest performance has drawn widespread critical acclaim. His contributions to the series have earned him a BAFTA TV Craft Award nomination for ‘Writer: Comedy,’ a SAG Award nomination for ‘Outstanding Ensemble,’ and a 2024 WGA nomination for ‘New Series.’
Goldstein first broke through as writer, executive producer, and star of the Apple TV phenomenon “Ted Lasso,” set to return for its fourth season in August. His brash yet lovable performance as Roy Kent previously earned him two consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for ‘Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy’ – the first back-to-back win in the category in nearly 15 years. He also received a Critics' Choice Award, Golden Globe nomination, and shared in the SAG Award for ‘Outstanding Ensemble,’ along with the WGA Awards for ‘Best Comedy Series’ and ‘Best New Series.’
What do you get when Don Lemon, award-winning journalist, and DL Hughley, one of the original Kings of Comedy, and highly recognized stand-up comedians come together for a night of conversation?
Expect the unexpected from these two brilliant minds doing their public service while taking you on a journey exploring topics spanning everything from social issues, race, pop-culture and current events. Nothing is off limits!
Featuring special guest Gary Hershberger (Mike Nelson) in person! Joins us for the complete Twin Peaks series on the big screen for the first time in history! We continue our year-long celebration of the greatest TV show of all time The Missing Pieces. Rarely shown in theaters, this feature film presents deleted scenes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me assembled together as an untold portion of the story’s prequel. Following a Q&A, we’ll then begin The Return with episodes “My Log Has a Message for You” and “The Stars Turn and a Time Presents Itself.” Gary Hershberger will be signing autographs and taking photos with fans for an additional fee at the event.
What’s Up, Doc? (1972) Directed by Peter Bogdanovich. 1hr 34min. Rated G. 35mm.
Join Film School x PAM CUT @ The Whitsell for What’s Up, Doc (1972) in 35mm. The 1972 screwball comedy, starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal, follows a wild and eccentric mix-up of plaid luggage through 70’s San Francisco. This portrait is tailored to showcase Barbra Streisand’s unique and distinct comedic persona and the chaotic magnetism she brings to the screen—echoing the screwball heroines that came before her.
Film School is a community film club hosting monthly screenings, discussions, and a blog. They celebrate cinema, spark conversation, and connect film lovers—on and off the screen.
We do not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, and films exhibited don’t necessarily reflect the views of PAM CUT or the Portland Art Museum. In addition to the synopses, trailers, and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on sites like Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com.
Leapin’ Louie: The Upside Down Ocean. Leapin’ Louie’s new show: An ocean animal circus spectacular. It’s science, but you laugh so hard. Gastropod Cousteau (aka Leapin’ Louie Lichtenstein ) is a nudibranch detective trying to figure out what happened to the missing kelp forests. Whales, sea otters, decorator crabs, giant squid and a peacock mantis shrimp help Gastro solve the mystery. And the story is told with circus and comedy. Featuring giant lasso, glow juggling, a 6 foot unicycle, enormous puppets and a slide-show of amazing ocean animals. You know him from White Album Xmas or the Rose Festival. Leapin’ Louie has performed his solo shows in 35 nations around the world, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brazil, the UK and a few dozen European tours. He has toured opening for country stars Brooks and Dunn and the rock legend Primus. He makes adults laugh with family-friendly material, and he gets audiences very excited.
Join the Farewell Weekend at Darcelle XV Plaza. See the entire flock gathered together for the first—and final—time before the sculptures head to auction in support of OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
Meet the Tokyo Kanpai Boys, Japan's funniest stand-up comedians, bringing brand-new material and a wildly entertaining look at life and comedy through Japanese eyes. Whether they're explaining Japanese dating culture, exposing everyday misunderstandings between East and West, or simply proving that awkwardness is universal across languages, Tokyo Kanpai Boys delivers a show packed with laughs.
Featuring Kansei Yasuda, Daniel Wilson, Shota Saimu and Daisuke Muramoto.
Don’t miss this unforgettable night of international comedy that bridges cultures through laughter. Cheers ("Kanpai") to that.
Yvette Segan is a comedian, actor, writer, and producer. She performs standup all over the globe, most notably at New York Comedy Festival and Top Secret in London. She has featured across the US at Cobb’s Comedy Club in San Francisco, The Hollywood Improv in Los Angeles, Helium Comedy Club in Philadelphia, and headlined Don’t Tell in Washington, DC. In NYC she performs at clubs and indie shows across the boroughs. Her work has been featured by Buzzfeed, Betches, New Yorkers, and Barstool. She has a BA in Drama from Vassar College and Certificate in Classical Acting from the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA).
Couple's Package includes:
- 2 premium seats
- $90 food & beverage credit ($45 per person)
- Gratuity
- Ticket Protection
Management reserves the right to prevent customers from entering the facility who they deem disruptive or dangerous to other patrons.
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World (2026) Directed by Sasha Waters Freyer. 1hr 31min. Not Rated.
If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Best-selling poet and Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, queer and out but intensely private—Oliver’s poems inspire liberals and conservatives, atheists and believers, naturalists and urbanites. She was America’s unlikely, contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly fifty years in order to open herself—and us, her readers—to the known and unknowable world. Sasha Waters’ beguiling portrait features poems read by Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Buscemi, Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Jesse Welles, and Oprah Winfrey.
This film is featured as part of Portland Book Festival’s Cover to Cover.
We do not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, and films exhibited don’t necessarily reflect the views of PAM CUT or the Portland Art Museum. In addition to the synopses, trailers, and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on sites like Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com.
The Understudies, Portland’s hottest new musical improv group, is debuting their one-hour fully improvised musical, The Understudies: A Fully Improvised Musical. It’s curtain time, but the musical’s principal cast has all mysteriously fallen ill! Can the Understudies fill in and perform a show they’ve never even heard of, much less practiced? Come enjoy a fully improvised musical comedy filled with drama, epic songs, joy, dance, and a heaping helping of laughs.
21Ten Theatre is a cozy 40-seat black box theater in Southeast Portland, providing an up close and personal experience with some of Portland's most talented performance artists.
The Understudies are Sean Arlo (Dropped Notes, Curious Comedy), Whitney Kemper (Mouth Stuff, Kickstand Comedy, Curious Comedy), Lydia Manning (Slydia, Bike Play, Kickstand Comedy), Heather Riggs (Mouth Stuff, Kickstand Comedy), Megan Monroe (Kickstand Comedy, Curious Comedy), Wren Reynolds (Kickstand Comedy), Brantley Bacon (pianist extraordinaire, No Soap Radio, Los Mal Hablados), and Bloom Davis (Kickstand Comedy).
The one-man band without a plan, Mattress started in 2006. To quote a sassy pal (with initials IB): “You are wildly unpopular for that amount of time.” Amen. Who cares? Art for art’s sake. For the first time ever–Mattress is putting together a full band for this show. 5 guitars? 8 keyboards? 12 drummers? Yodelers and a glass harmonica? Probably.
Mattress has made some friends over 20 years and put together this stellar bill (more of a mini-fest), bringing together acts he met 20 years ago and 2 years ago. Check this out:
Black Shelton (solo), a one-man band powerhouse of wit, sleaze and electro boogie. Songs "I'm Back in the Doghouse Again" and “White Lover” will warp your mind.
Dragging an Ox Thru Water fingerpicking melody noise glitch heart string puller.
THRONES Joe Preston is coming out of semi-retirement to do this show. Hopefully this will get some elder goths and heshers out of their LazyBoys and into the show.
Joe Von Appen, the monologue performance semi-comedy satirist who has toured with Mattress for close to 10,000 miles. He will host the show; his dry wit will confuse and entertain most in attendance.
Special guest TBA, probably famous, very name-droppable.
Who is in the Mattress band? Members of Modest Mouse, The Fur Coats, Dommengang, Room, WIBG, Black Shelton and others.
Wildwood is a handcrafted epic fantasy that transports audiences into a secret, dangerously alive world. A girl’s desperate quest to save her baby brother unfolds into a spectacular, high-stakes adventure through a forbidden forest full of enchanted creatures, endearing allies, and formidable adversaries — where an entire hidden realm hangs in the balance. In an era of automation, LAIKA delivers its most ambitious and globally accessible film yet — a bold fusion of human-crafted artistry and cinematic storytelling from the makers of Coraline.
Duration: 2h 19m | Rating: PG-13 | CC and AD Available | Accessible Entrance Available
$9 Adults, $8 Seniors, $7 Youth | OMSI Members receive 50% admission for this screening
Member Empirical vouchers are not applicable.
DATES:
Saturday, October 24 at 12pm, 2:45pm
Sunday, October 25 at 1pm, 3:45pm, 6:30pm
Tuesday, October 27 at 4pm, 6:45pm
Wednesday, October 28 at 3:30pm
Thursday, October 29 at 4pm, 6:45pm
Friday, October 30 at 5pm, 7:45pm
Saturday, October 31 at 2pm, 4:45pm, 7:30pm
Sunday, November 1 at 1pm, 3:45pm, 6:30pm
Tuesday, November 3 at 4pm, 6:45pm
Wednesday, November 4 at 4pm, 6:45pm
Thursday, November 5 at 4pm, 6:45pm
Join a screening of Union County, starring Will Poulter and Noah Centineo alongside a cast of non-actors from central Ohio. Set in the shadow of the opioid epidemic, this hopeful drama follows two brothers navigating court-mandated recovery and the community that helps them imagine a different future.
Ohio-born filmmaker Adam Meeks drew inspiration from the real-life recovery community he encountered in his hometown, full of people healing and rebuilding their lives. Some of them were cast in the film, and the result is an intimate, compassionate portrait of people rebuilding their lives and finding solidarity and hope in the aftermath of a devastating drug crisis.
From humble beginnings 50 years ago busking on the streets of Philadelphia, to acclaimed sold–out runs on Broadway and renown as the longest-running and one of the most-beloved resident headline acts in Las Vegas history, magic’s legendary duo — Penn Jillette and Teller — continue to defy labels (and at times physics and good taste), by redefining the genre of magic and inventing their own very distinct niche in comedy.
Their Off-Broadway debut in 1985 electrified New York with a stage show the likes of which had never been seen. Combining magic, comedy, and social commentary in a theatrical event the New York Times said was a “A witheringly funny…Brazen assault on the temple of magic,” the show moved to Broadway in 1987, the first of three eponymously titled Broadway runs. Their efforts in New York have been awarded an Obie and a Lucille Lortel Award. Their most recent return to Broadway, hailed as “Deliciously Demented” by USA Today, was the highest-grossing non-musical for the entirety of its run, even out-grossing Hamilton for one week.
Performing nearly 300 live shows every year from the stages of America’s greatest performing arts venues as well as the Sydney Opera House and London’s Apollo Theatre, their record-breaking Las Vegas show at The Rio Hotel & Casino has an amazing 10 wins, including 2025, as “Las Vegas Magicians of the Year” and was called “The single best show in Vegas,” by the Los Angeles Times.
The current hit series Penn & Teller: Fool Us! for The CW Network, on which up-and-comers and magic veterans try to fool Penn & Teller for a chance to star in the pair’s hit Las Vegas stage show, was nominated for a Critic’s Choice Award and has been renewed for an unprecedented 12th season. The show is the longest continual American magic television series in history, introducing the art to new fans and cultivating new generations of innovators within the craft.
Hundreds of outrageous appearances on everything from Fallon to Friends, The Simpsons to Colbert, Modern Family to Big Bang Theory, Dancing With The Stars to The Masked Singer, plus their own specials for NBC, ABC, PBS and Comedy Central have garnered them an Emmy, a Writers Guild Award, and their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The controversial Showtime series, Penn & Teller: BS! was nominated for 13 Emmys and was the longest-running series in the history of the network. The show highlighted the pair’s ardent skepticism by tackling the fakes and frauds behind such topics as alien abduction, psychics, and bottled water.
In recent years they have become acclaimed documentarians with the BAFTA-nominated Sony Pictures Classic release, Tim’s Vermeer, which follows Texas-based inventor Tim Jenison on his quest to discover the methods used by Dutch Master painter Johannes Vermeer. Their other films, the critically-lauded feature The Aristocrats and the Showtime short The Gambler’s Ballad, were met with wide praise.
The Olivier-nominated Magic Goes Wrong, written and created in collaboration with Mischief Theatre (creators of the Tony-nominated The Play That Goes Wrong), played at London’s West End Vaudeville Theatre, setting a box office pre-sale record. The Daily Mail hailed it as a “Spellbinding romp,” while The Sun theater critic raved, “I’ll be laughing into next week.” In 2024, they had two shows running Off-Broadway as creators and producers: the Magic Goes Wrong spin-off The Mind Mangler, which returned to London’s West End in
March, and the technology/magic/thriller Stalker.
As individuals, they are just as prolific. Teller directed versions of Macbeth and The Tempest which toured to raves from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, co-wrote and directed the Off-Broadway thriller Play Dead and has written two books. Penn has written five books, including the New York Times Best Sellers “God No!” and “Presto”. For his role in this year’s critically acclaimed Oscar-nominated film, Marty Supreme, he was nominated for an Actor Award (formerly the SAG Awards), alongside co-stars Timothee Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Twice named “Magicians of the Year” by the Academy of Magical Arts, the equivalent of the Oscars in magic, they were named the 2024 Masters Fellowship recipients, the highest honor the Academy bestows. The pair live in Las Vegas where they are engaged in their community, acting as honorary chairmen for AFAN (Aid for AIDS Nevada), raising and donating nearly $2 million and serving as grand marshals for AFAN’s annual Las Vegas AIDS Walk for the past 23 years. Through their involvement with Opportunity Village, which assists in employment placement and lifestyle betterment for those living with intellectual disabilities, they have raised over $1 million. The annual blood drive, Penn & Teller’s 13 Bloody Days of Christmas, has resulted in over 85,000 donors since its inception. In 2023, they took part in the USO’s annual Christmas tour, entertaining thousands of servicemen and servicewomen in bases across Europe.
In 2025, the pair celebrated 50 years as innovators in combining smart, edgy comedy with their unique magical style.
Elite ski mountaineers Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson fell deeply in love while reaching the pinnacle of their sport. Their drive sharpened into a shared dream: to climb and ski the direct North Face of Everest - the most difficult and dangerous climb on the mountain and the most coveted ski line on earth. Thousands have summited the mountain via Nepal's southeast ridge, but only a handful have ever reached the top by this route — and no one has successfully skied down. Already known for their extraordinary feats in the mountains and no strangers to loss, Morrison and Nelson stake everything on this daunting challenge.
“Everest: The Other Side” is directed and produced by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, and produced by Shannon Dill, Anna Barnes, Bob Eisenhardt, Janet Yang. The executive producers are Carolyn Bernstein, Tim Horsburgh, Nina Fialkow, David Fialkow, Andrew Reiner, Elizabeth Reiner, Moudhy Al-Rashid, Sam Frohman, Kenneth A. Howery, Jason Bowden, Will Griffith, Bettina Kadoorie. The film is edited by Bob Eisenhardt, ACE, and Simona Ferrari. The directors of photography are Clair Popkin, Jimmy Chin, Christopher Murphy.
Internationally renowned artist Pipilotti Rist presents her major installation 4th Floor to Mildness in a West Coast premiere and only second exhibition in the U.S.
Pipilotti Rist dissolves exhibition spaces through luminous color, moving imagery, and melodic sound. 4th Floor to Mildness immerses the viewer in a soft, aquatically inspired environment, where a film shot underwater plays across two biomorphic-shaped screens hanging from the ceiling. A soundtrack by experimental musician Soap&Skin/Anja Plaschg adds to the ambience with lyrics about dreams, love, and memories as the camera catches glimpses of floating bodies. Two projected light circles move across the room, enlightening it with visceral hues. For Rist, this light represents a “desire to turn yourself inside out.”
Rist creates conditions for visitors to come together in unconventional ways so that they might better understand their relationships to one another, their own bodies, and nature. In the gallery, raft-like beds provide a place or visitors to rest and share social space as they watch the projection overhead. She asks: “What happens to our perceptions when we don’t have to stand or fight gravity?” The sensation of floating may evoke a sense of returning to an elemental state. For the artist, the work “describes the fantasy of [ourselves] being an organic plant . . . and simulates our dissolution into water, mud, slime, molecules and atoms.”
Originally created for the fourth floor of the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, PAM adapted the work to the Crumpacker Center with the assistance of the artist’s team at Atelier Rist; production partner Portland Garment Factory, a woman-owned B-corp and zero-waste creative factory, created the curtains, beds, and bed coverings, and Figure Plant engineered and fabricated the hanging screens.
Jason’s performed all over the world including for the troops in Europe, South America, & Afghanistan. His standup special: BISCUITS and GRAVITY can be watched right now on YouTube.
He’s been featured in Red Dead Redemption 2, Orange is the New Black, HBO, Comedy Central, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Hulu’s Wu Tang Clan Series, and 30 Rock.
Couple's Package includes:
- 2 premium seats
- $90 food & beverage credit ($45 per person)
- Gratuity
- Ticket Protection
Management reserves the right to prevent customers from entering the facility who they deem disruptive or dangerous to other patrons.
Fred Armisen is a comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He is the co-writer and co-star of IFC’s Emmy-nominated series Portlandia. He is in the hit Netflix series Wednesday as Uncle Fester. He stars in HBO’s Los Espookys, which he co-wrote and executive produced. He can also be heard in the hit animated Super Mario Bros movie. Armisen stars in, writes, and produces IFC’s hit show Documentary Now. He has also appeared in HBO’s Our Flag Means Death, Judd Apatow’s The Bubble, andAmazon’s series Forever. He voices characters in Big Mouth and The Mitchells vs. The Machines. He is currently starring in the Broadway play All In. Armisen is an 11-season veteran of Saturday Night Live. From 2014-2024, Armisen was band leader of the 8G Band on Late Night With Seth Meyers.
Panel discussion featuring MacArthur Fellows Sterlin Harjo and Reginald Dwayne Betts.
What is more shapeshifting than the truth? Sterlin Harjo & Reginald Dwayne Betts join PAM CUT for a MacArthur Fellows Panel. Presented as part of PAM CUT’s PLUS PLUS Festival, join us for a FREE hosted discussion exploring questions like: What are truths? What makes them true? In this moderated conversation, we ask multidisciplinary artists Sterlin Harjo and Reginald Dwayne Betts to consider truth and truthiness.
Sterlin Harjo (Seminole/Mvskoke) is a MacArthur Fellow, award-winner, writer, director, and showrunner from Holdenville, Oklahoma. Most recently, Sterlin created, wrote, directed and is the executive producer of THE LOWDOWN, currently airing on FX and Hulu, starring Ethan Hawke. Previously, he was the showrunner, co-creator with Taika Waititi and director of the Emmy-nominated RESERVATION DOGS for FX. The series ran for three seasons and received numerous awards including a Gotham Award, a Peabody Award, two Independent Spirit Awards and honors from the Television Academy.
Reginald Dwayne Betts is a poet, lawyer, and founder and CEO of Freedom Reads. At sixteen, he was sentenced to nine years in adult prison for an armed carjacking, where he discovered poetry and the law. His work since then has been one long inquiry into how a child ends up in prison and what it takes to come home, pursued through poetry, memoir, theater, photography, and film. A MacArthur Fellow, Betts has authored six books, including A Question of Freedom and Doggerel (W.W. Norton, 2025). His solo theater work Felon: An American Washi Tale has been performed at San Quentin and the Perelman Performing Arts Center. He earned his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he is an Associate Research Scholar. Freedom Reads is the only organization in the country dedicated to building libraries inside prison cell blocks. Each Freedom Library is handcrafted, often by people who have served time themselves, and placed within arm’s reach of the people it serves. Betts founded it on a simple conviction: freedom begins with a book.
Defying Boundaries: MacArthur Fellows at 45: This moment calls for creative courage. For 45 years, MacArthur Fellows have expanded the boundaries of possibility by questioning conventions, crossing disciplines, and driving collective progress. Throughout 2026, the Foundation is celebrating the ground- breaking work of the Fellows and inspiring public dialogue through a series of nationwide events and conversations. Learn more at macfound.org/fellows-45.
The MacArthur Foundation boldly invests in creative solutions to urgent challenges, sparking hope for our future. We strive toward transformative change on some of the world’s most pressing social issues, including the existential threats of climate change, criminal justice reform, revitalizing local news in the U.S., expanding who creates, uses, and benefits from artificial intelligence, and strengthening the well-being of Native communities. In addition, we maintain enduring commitments in our hometown Chicago, where we invest in people, places, and partnerships to build a more inclusive Chicago and in journalism and media, where we invest in more just and inclusive news and narratives. We also make awards to extraordinarily creative individuals through the MacArthur Fellows program and for solutions to critical problems of our time through 100&Change.
Get ready for a night of music, comedy and incredible a cappella music as Vocalocity brings We’re Halfway There. Vocalocity takes some of the biggest songs from the ’60s to today and completely reimagines them using only the human voice. From Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson to Coldplay and more, their fun show is packed with songs you know and love, Vocalocity’s signature harmonies and plenty of unexpected moments along the way.
This isn’t your traditional a cappella concert. Vocalocity combines powerful vocals, beatboxing, comedy and six distinct personalities into a fast-moving show designed to keep you entertained from beginning to end.
Come laugh, sing along and experience your favorite songs in a whole new way.
Live Soundtrack, Cello
Screening of Cronos, Guillermo del Toro's debut feature film, as part of the Portland Latin American Film Festival's 20th anniversary season (September 23 – November 18). $10 tickets.
Ornette: Made In America (1985) Directed by Shirley Clarke. 1hr 17min. Not Rated.
Guest programmed by Rob Lewis, PAM CUT @ The Whitsell presents Ornette: Made In America (1985). This freewheeling documentary is a portrait of Ornette Coleman’s life, legacy, and evolution over three decades. Featuring William S. Burroughs, Brion Gysin, Buckminster Fuller, Don Cherry, Yoko Ono, Charlie Haden, Robert Palmer, Jayne Cortez, and John Rockwell, the film features a free-jazz approach and style, using video collage and experimental segments to tell Coleman’s story.
“I’ve always been interested in films about artists. I think because they end up being a conversation not just between filmmaker and subject in a traditional way but also between two uniquely creative people. This film is a really interesting study of that relationship and connection.” – Rob Lewis
Rob Lewis is an artist and art director living and working in Portland, Oregon with his wife Joy Alise Davis, M.A. who serves as the Executive Director of Portland based, Black advocacy organization, Imagine Black.
Co-presented by KMHD.
We do not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, and films exhibited don’t necessarily reflect the views of PAM CUT or the Portland Art Museum. In addition to the synopses, trailers, and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on sites like Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com.
Date: November 29, 2026 from 2:00 PM
Pricing: $25 – $35
Louis Pearl has been thrilling audiences around the world for over 30 years with the art, magic, science and fun of bubbles. He is a favorite at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he has enjoyed 14 years of sell-out success.
Louis explores the breath-taking dynamics of bubbles, combining comedy and artistry with audience participation and enough spellbinding bubble tricks to keep everyone mesmerized. From square bubbles, bubbles inside bubbles, fog-filled bubbles, giant bubbles, bubble volcanoes, tornados and trampolines to people inside bubbles, the Amazing Bubble Man conjures shrieks of laughter and gasps of amazement from all ages.
Most shows will also feature multi-instrumentalist Jet Black Pearl accompanying Louis with bubbly music to double your pleasure.
“Greatest Bubble Show on Earth.” – San Francisco Chronicle
“It’s a fantastic show. Louis Pearl playfully forms bubbles beyond imagination and engages the audience with his easygoing nonverbal slapstick.”
“Louis Pearl – aka The Amazing Bubble Man – truly deserves his title. Most of the show is accompanied by gasps and awes…and that’s just the adults. Kids can be heard giggling with excitement.”
“This show captivated its young audience, and the adults loved it as well. Highly recommended.” –British Theater Guide.
“The show is one giant, joyous caper” —The Wee Review
“Better Than Cirque du Soleil” – Corbin Doughy, 11 audience member. The eight-year-old seated beside this reviewer summed it up neatly during the show, proclaiming after one nifty maneuver, ‘he sure is the amazing bubble man.’
Minors ok when accompanied by a parent or guardian
ALL SALES ARE FINAL. PLEASE, DOUBLE CHECK YOUR ORDER BEFORE PURCHASING. NO REFUNDS.
Self-help Singh is the alter ego of international comedian Masood Boomgaard. Self-help Singh, described as a comedic alternative life coach and de-motivational speaker, first appeared to Boomgaard in a vision after he fell and hit his head while rushing to the bathroom in an attempt to outrun the gastric consequences of bad lamb vindaloo. Boomgaard has since been sharing the "common sense wisdom" and de-motivational teachings of Self-help Singh to millions of people on the internet. The Self-help Singh live show is a hilarious yet thought-provoking juxtaposition of stand-up comedy, parody and motivational speaking. During his decade-long full-time professional comedy career Boomgaard has performed in New York, London, Dubai and during the lockdown, in his father's garage. He lives in South Africa with his cat...for now.
Couple's Package includes:
- 2 premium seats
- $90 food & beverage credit ($45 per person)
- Gratuity
- Ticket Protection
Management reserves the right to prevent customers from entering the facility who they deem disruptive or dangerous to other patrons.
Ahren Belisle has skyrocketed onto some of the biggest stages in comedy—despite only performing stand-up for a few short years. He won over millions as a Top 10 Finalist on America’s Got Talent and made an unforgettable debut on the wildly popular podcast Kill Tony, where he’s become a regular fixture. A former software engineer and mental health advocate, Ahren was born in Northern Ontario with cerebral palsy and is nonverbal, delivering his punchlines through his phone. His innate charm and quick wit have earned him a unique place in comedy—where the comedian who doesn’t speak is allowed to say anything. Ahren has built a devoted following of over a million fans across social media, using his platform to blend bold comedy with messages of positivity, inclusion, and resilience.
Couple's Package includes:
- 2 premium seats
- $90 food & beverage credit ($45 per person)
- Gratuity
- Ticket Protection
Management reserves the right to prevent customers from entering the facility who they deem disruptive or dangerous to other patrons.
A documentary detailing the storied history of drug-addled teen punks-turned-icons.
Featuring interviews with Fat Mike, Eric Melvin, Aaron ‘El Hefe’ Abeyta, and Erik Sandin.
Doors open at 6:30 PM. Film at 7:00 PM.