Chris Coleman's new blog can be found at www.pcs.org.

In the 2000 season, 78,607 people attended the theater, and we sold a total of $541,024 in single tickets. During this past season, 120,000 people attended PCS, and we sold $1,762,445 in single tickets.
In 2000, we mounted 6 productions, our Annual Operating Budget was $3.2 million. This season we mounted 8 productions, and the budget was $7.2 million.

In 2000, we raised a total of $1,848,000 for operations, the average board gift was $3700, our largest foundation gift was $25,000, our largest corporate gift was $40,000 and the Gala netted $34,315. This season we will have raised a total of $2,870,000, the average board gift was $7700, our largest foundation gift was $125,000, our largest corporate gift was $175,000 and the Gala netted nearly $425,000.

In 2000 about 300 students saw productions at PCS. This season, over 4000 students saw shows here, including 1700 kids from Title I schools who attended for free. In 2000 – our education program consisted of the Visions & Voices program at 2 High Schools. This season, Visions and Voices touched 80 kids participating in 4 schools, while our education efforts also included classes offered through the Greenhouse School (involving 84 students).

In 2000, Portland Center Stage’s journey had never been noted on the national scene. In the past several years, articles about our work have appeared in American Theater Magazine, the Seattle Times, the Atlanta Journal/Constitution, Forbes Magazine, Metropolitan Home, Sunset Magazine, Portland Monthly, Auditoria Magazine (in the U.K.), and the Wall Street Journal.

So a heck of a lot of road has been traveled in seven years. We’ve made astounding progress in some areas, hit roadblocks in others. What’s all the work been in service of? What’s the larger goal?

Eighteen months ago, as an exercise in beginning a branding discussion, the marketing committee asked me to draft a manifesto expressing the company’s mission. I’ve written twenty two versions, but here’s the latest:

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“Portland Center Stage inspires creative dialogue in our
community by bringing stories to life in unexpected ways.”
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Sharing stories creates community. A group of strangers wander into a dark theater on a given night, and over the course of a few hours (with the help of live actors and a good story) find themselves sharing the dreams, joys and sorrows of the room.

Portland Center Stage tells stories that resonate for our time. We create events with big imaginations – work that speaks to the moment we inhabit right now.

We want to gather an audience as varied as the faces you see walking down the streets of Portland, ask them to lean forward and bear witness. We want them to engage in making magic happen right here and right now. We celebrate the energy of intersections: actor and audience; past and present; romance and goofiness; Prada and Birkenstocks.

Populist? You bet. Provocative? Sometimes, sure, because we live in one of the most unpredictable, independent communities in the country. Our job is to keep people looking forward.

The dream of PCS’s new home in the Armory is to encourage the spirit of community that naturally blossoms inside the theater, to waft out into the lobby, onto the sidewalk, into imaginations far beyond the building itself.”

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So where are we today? We are completing our first year in a new home that has been more successful at creating that “spirit of community” than I think any of us hoped to imagine. We are one of the many, many sources of inspiration in Portland – definitely not the sole animating force by any stretch. But the thread, the spine through our efforts is indeed trying to inspire creative dialogue in our community through the unique power of sharing stories.
I don’t really believe that we can become “the best regional theater in America,” or that we should try to aim for that. But I do believe that, much like the quirky city we live in, by becoming more uniquely ourselves, we have the opportunity to become one of the most special theaters in the world.

Outdoor Dining at the Armory Café
Summer is here and in Portland that means patio dining! The Armory Café is proud to announce the addition of outdoor tables, just outside the main entrance, facing Eleventh Avenue, for your dining pleasure. Wake up and get ready for work with a croissant and a cappuccino or enjoy sparkling water and a Caesar salad for lunch. Had a long day shopping at Powell’s? Regather your energy in the afternoon sun (the sun hits these tables from approximately 3pm-5pm) with a peanut butter cookie and a cup of traditional Valrhona drinking chocolate, mmmmm. The streetcar whispers by every 15 minutes while you ponder the paradise that is Portland and enjoy some of the city’s finest people-watching in the Pearl District. Whatever your pleasure, enjoy the outdoor seating at the Armory Café while weather permits!

Tai Chi Takes Center Stage this Summer -
Portland Center Stage Hosts FREE Lunchtime Tai Chi Classes in the Gerding Theater at the Armory
Give yourself a deserved break from your usual now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t noontime. Slide into an oasis of calm in the heart of the city’s buzzing cultural center—and rejuvenate with free Tai Chi classes at Portland Center Stage.
Like a wise tale passed from generation to generation, Tai Chi Chuan is an ancient Chinese martial art rich in poetic slow motion and flowing postures that can improve balance, increase circulation, and promote overall good health. The form’s gradual, low-impact workout and slow, graceful movements are within reach for all, regardless of age or ability—especially great for seniors and people with health considerations!
Whether a beginner or a more experienced practitioner, David Vanadia, a popular local instructor, is a masterful guide for the moving meditation that is Tai Chi.
Lunchhour Tai Chi at the Armory—Go with the flow!

Where? At Portland Center Stage, Gerding Theater at the Armory (Mezzanine)
128 NW Eleventh Ave (between Couch and Davis), right on the streetcar line. Here's a link to our map.

When? Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, June 6th through August 31st.

What style do you teach? We’ll practice Yang style.

What should I wear? Just wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Work clothes are fine, but heels are not.

What if I never did Tai Chi before? Welcome! Everyone is welcome. Come once a month, once a week, or every time.

What does it cost? Classes are free and open to the public.
(Donations and tips for the instructor are accepted!)