Performing Arts❯Theater

This fall, Portland welcomes an extraordinary celebration of classical ballet as PRIMA Ballet Gala brings together artists of the Grand Kyiv Ballet and international guest performers for one unforgettable night.

More than a performance, PRIMA Ballet Gala is a night of elevated artistry – where timeless classics meet contemporary expression, and the stage becomes a space of beauty, power, and emotion.

The program features iconic highlights from world-renowned ballets including Don Quixote, Spartacus, and The Dying Swan, alongside vibrant national dance such as the thrilling Hopak, set to music by legendary composers including Tchaikovsky.

Begin your evening on the red carpet, then step inside for a celebration of artistic excellence and international cultural connection.
Guests are warmly encouraged to attend in the evening attire, helping create an atmosphere of elegance worthy of this special occasion.

Join us for a rare opportunity to experience world-class dancers, timeless choreography, and a night filled with beauty and inspiration.

Seats are limited. Be part of PRIMA Ballet Gala — where ballet speaks from the heart.

The Saloon Ensemble‘s epic all-ages production of The Nitemare B4 Xmas is back. Featuring Kylee Wegner as Jack, Patrica Charms as Sally, Jason Wells as The Mayor, Noah Veil as Oogie Boogie, Dan Stauffer as Dr. F, Phil Sano as Sandy Claws, Richard Cawley, Iris Asher, and Stacey Ludlow as Lock, Shock, and Barrel, Julia Andalora as Zero, plus Jon Vancura on sax, Mike Danner on accordion, Jeremy Baron on mandolin, and Joe Hagel on drums.

Portland's legendary performance troupe, The Saloon Ensemble, will once again bring to the stage a live performance of the brilliant score complete with interactive sing-along, a costume contest, everyone's favorite screaming contest and many other 'horrible' surprises.

Celebrate the Halloween season with the annual production that's been packing houses and delivering joyous fun for all spirits, young and old.

Ekklesia Theatre launches its “Love Your Neighbor” season with Will Eno’s funny, haunting “Middletown,” Oct. 23-Nov. 1 at Magenta Theater, in partnership with NAMI Southwest Washington. The play follows an unlikely friendship between longtime Middletown resident John Dodge and newcomer Mary Swanson. Around them, a librarian, a mechanic, a police officer, tourists and other townspeople try to make sense of their lives — and one another. Their paths cross in surprising ways, taking audiences everywhere from a library to outer space. Shows are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays from Oct. 23-31 and 2 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 1 at 1108 Main St., Vancouver. NAMI Southwest Washington will be at the theater after performances on Oct. 25 and 30 to discuss loneliness and mental health. Plays are recommended for viewers age 13 and older. Tickets are $15 at ekklesiatheatre.com/tickets.

Each year, Milagro observes Día de Muertos with the premiere of a new production, altar displays, and community events with the Día de Muertos Festival. The Centerpiece event of the 31st Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration is Marigolds y Memorias, an original devised production inspired by the traveling carpa tradition, in which humor, music, and storytelling come together in a vibrant theatrical journey. Guided by an elder, a younger generation learns o build an altart, the heart of Día de Muertos, discovering the meaning behind each of its elements, from candles and marigolds to photographs, ofrendas, and cherished recuerdos. Through song, dance, and short theatrical vignettes, the altar gradually takes shape as an act of remembrance and cultural inheritance, inviting audiences to consider how traditions are taught, how memory is kept alive, and what is carried forward when we share rituals across generations.

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a long-honored tradition with roots in Indigenous Mexican culture. Día de Muertos is observed annually in Mexican and other Latin American cultures on November 1st and 2nd as a remembrance of those who have passed. Individuals and families who honor this day set up ofrendas (altars) with offerings to their departed loved ones. Typical offerings include marigolds, calaveras, photos of the dead, and traditional food like “pan de muerto.”

Stephen Mallatratt’s The Woman in Black has been terrifying audiences since its London debut in 1987 and is one of the most successful and terrifying shows in West End history. Based on Susan Hill’s beloved novel, it’s one of the most celebrated ghost stories ever staged: atmospheric, relentless, and the kind of theatrical experience that makes you question every shadow on your way to the car.

Set in a remote English village, it follows a young lawyer unraveling the secrets of a recently deceased client and the vengeful presence that doesn’t want him to. Just two actors portray all the characters, leaning into what B&B’s performers do best.

Chilling, clever, and unforgettable. Halloween is back at Bag&Baggage.

Sat, Oct. 24th – ASL Interpreted Performance
Sun, Oct. 25th – Audio Described Performance

Each year, Milagro observes Día de Muertos with the premiere of a new production, altar displays, and community events with the Día de Muertos Festival.

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a long-honored tradition with roots in Indigenous Mexican culture. Día de Muertos is observed annually in Mexican and other Latin American cultures on November 1st and 2nd as a remembrance of those who have passed. Individuals and families who honor this day set up ofrendas (altars) with offerings to their departed loved ones. Typical offerings include marigolds, calaveras, photos of the dead, and traditional food like “pan de muerto.”

Choreographer Lai Hung-Chung makes dances of striking beauty and intention. “Birdy,” his captivating signature work for Hung Dance, moves between suspense and explosive energy, between the weight of tradition and the pull toward something new. Hung Dance blends traditional Chinese arts, including tai chi, Peking Opera, and classical Chinese music, with contemporary dance technique and driving electronic music, creating work that is poetic and rhythmic at once. What audiences see on stage is a world in constant transformation, where bodies bend and resist, images linger, and the tension between holding on and letting go becomes the dance itself.

TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN

Birdy

“…a dreamy sensibility with astonishing athleticism in culturally sensitive modern dance performance.” —Charlie Smith, Pancouver

Sponsored by George & Nancy Thorn. White Bird’s Uncaged Series Sponsor: Ronni Lacroute

The Friday and Saturday performances will have pre-show talks. Come early to hear from the dancers from 6:15–6:45 PM. No ticket needed.

Join us November 3rd for the Hung Dance Lecture Demonstration, FREE with RSVP here .

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 movie Super Mario Bros. 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, and Amazon’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 the band leader of the 8G Band on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Ghost Show! is the story of a group of people who have found themselves at the lowest point in their lives — making a low-budget ghost hunting show that’s in last place in the local ratings. But an accidental death (is she dead, though?) leads to a boost in engagement…and a whole new set of problems. Filmed both behind the scenes and as in-universe episodes of the show, Ghost Show! is all about failure, found family, and trying to make meaning out of the ghosts of the past — and future.

Join the Tiny Park Productions team at Twilight Theater for the launch party of the pilot reading of Ghost Show! Not only will you see and hear the first official reading of the pilot script, but you’ll also get to enjoy fun, spooky-season-themed activities and treats — think of it as a theatrical carnival.

There will also be a costume contest with Door Prizes, so Halloween costumes are encouraged.

Tickets include a free raffle ticket. Prizes include real ghost-hunting gear.

Do You Feel Anger? lives in the familiar world of water coolers, staplers, and office conference rooms — but Nelson-Greenberg's language quickly reveals something far stranger underneath. When Sofia, an empathy coach, arrives at a debt collection agency as part of a lawsuit settlement, she finds a workplace where toxic masculinity has so thoroughly warped the atmosphere that even the most basic concepts — feelings, empathy, basic human decency — have become alien and absurd. The play is laugh-out-loud funny, populated by an unusual cast of characters whose skewed logic and bizarre non-sequiturs mask something genuinely unsettling. What emerges from the sensitivity training sessions is not reform, but a portrait of how pervasive and deeply embedded the patriarchy can be — and how it distorts everyone it touches, including those trying to resist it.

This performance will have ASL interpretation.

This is Community Night: Arts workers, PSU community and alumni receive $10 tickets.

Visit the Do You Feel Anger? web page to learn more about this production, including additional dates, cast and crew information, photos, and more as we get closer to opening night.

Do You Feel Anger? is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Learn more about the Theater Arts program at Portland State University's School of Music & Theater.