Stage & Studio

Oregon Children's Theatre is set to open two shows at Portland 5 after delays from recent snow and ice storms that have shut down most productions. Dmae Lo Roberts got a chance to speak with Jenn Hartman Luck, OCT's artistic director about (h)opening "Goodnight Moon" (based on the classic book by Margaret Wise Brown) in the Winningstad and "The Lightning Thief" (of the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan) in the Newmark Theater on the weekend of January 20th. The post Jenn Hartmann Luck appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Black Nativity is back at PassinArt, A Theatre Company, the oldest Black theatre company in Portland. The show is a retelling of the Nativity as a celebration of gospel music, first created by famed poet Langston Hughes in 1961. It's … Read the rest The post Black Nativity & Jerry Foster appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Since 2020, Renegade Opera has been striving to produce operas in equitable ways that support and feature emerging artists while creating an immersive experience for their growing audience. Renegade Opera’s artistic director and founding member, Danielle Jagelski, talks with Jenna … Read the rest The post Renegade Opera -Adam’s Run appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Dmae Lo Roberts  first saw actress Regina Taylor on the television show “I'll Fly Away” in 1991.  She admired her presence and the way she could command a scene with just a look and a feeling. That show went on … Read the rest The post Regina Taylor at PassinArt appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Hanako Wakatsuki-Chong was recently appointed the new executive director of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (JAMO). She speaks with Jenna Yokoyama on Stage and Studio about her personal and professional background in preserving Japanese American history as well as … Read the rest The post Hanako Wakatsuki-Chong appeared first on Stage&Studio.

The 8th Annual Festival Vanport Mosaic Festival is underway in Portland through May 29, 2023. Curated and produced by Laura Lo Forti, who calls  herself a Story Midwife, two artists who’ve worked with the festival through the years are taking … Read the rest The post Vanport Mosaic with Chisao Hata and Aaron Spriggs appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Grace Lin, a Taiwanese-American author and illustrator of more than 30 children’s books. She is a Newberry, Geisel and Caldecott honoree living in Northhampton, Massachusetts. Dmae Lo Roberts talked with Lin for the Stage and Studio podcast about her … Read the rest The post Author Grace Lin appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Priti Gandhi came to take the helm as artistic director of Portland Opera during the fall of 2021. She inherited a dynamic season that began with one of her favorite operas Carmen and followed by newer operas Thumbprint and ABSENCE: … Read the rest The post Priti Gandhi & Thumbprint appeared first on Stage&Studio.

(Photo: Hurt at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival from his Wikipedia page) Stage & Studio focuses on an interview on Oscar-winning actor William Hurt who died in Portland on March 13, 2022. He was 71.  A prolific actor both … Read the rest The post Remembering William Hurt appeared first on Stage&Studio.

On February 19TH 1942, FDR signed Executive Order 9066 sending more than 100,000 Japanese Americans to concentration camps during World War II. To commemorate the Day of Remembrance on that day, Portland's Japanese American Citizen's League (JACL) will host a … Read the rest The post No No Girl appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Illuminating Time as a title can mean a time that can be illuminating to a person or a time period that is bright with illumination like during the holiday season. But in this case Illuminating Time is the name of … Read the rest The post Horatio Law & Alex Chiu -Illuminating Time appeared first on Stage&Studio.

  You always think you have more time. That's what I thought when I hit a snag in scheduling an interview with David Ornette Cherry. I was shocked to learn he died on November 20th 2022 in London from … Read the rest The post David Ornette Cherry- Remembrance appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Actor, writer, activist, and a Pulitzer Prize nominated tour de force artist, Kristina Wong  created a solo show born out of the pandemic. When her tour was cancelled, Wong found herself at home with her sewing machine and decided to … Read the rest The post Kristina Wong – Sweatshop Overlord appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Portland Opera debuts it's multi-year project to commission new operas that feature the stories and histories of BIPOC Oregonians for their young audiences program for their Portland Opera to Go Program (POGO) and their first original work is the biographical … Read the rest The post “Beatrice”- A New Opera appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Dmae Lo Roberts has a timely pro-choice conversation with writer Judith Arcana. On June 24, 2022, the majority conservative U.S. Supreme Court, overturned Roe v. Wade. After 50 years as precedent, it was dismantled as a constitutional right for a … Read the rest The post Judith Arcana – This is Jane appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Since he moved to Portland in 2016, Joe Kye has made a name for himself in the music scene as a respected musician and composer but also has created strong bonds with the AAPI artist and creatives community. A classically … Read the rest The post Joe Kye- Music, Community & Tiger Tiger appeared first on Stage&Studio.

As a veteran scenic designer, Carey Wong made magic happen in 300 productions throughout the Northwest and beyond for more than 45 years. He got his start professionally in the 1980s as the resident set designer at Portland Opera for … Read the rest The post Carey Wong & The World Transformed appeared first on Stage&Studio.

For this edition of Stage & Studio, we highlight Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage month and we feature innovative taiko artists Michelle Fujii and Toru Watanabe, the founders and directors of Unit Souzou and Constant State of … Read the rest The post Unit Souzou and Constant State of Otherness appeared first on Stage&Studio.

  To say that Lauren Steele is a gifted actress is an understatement. In 2019 she delighted audiences with a tour de force performance playing 19 characters in Queens Girl in the World,  by Caleen Sinnette Jennings. Steele showed the … Read the rest The post Lauren Steele – “Queens Girl” Actress and “Nighttime” Singer appeared first on Stage&Studio.

  Dmae Lo Roberts talks with Marc David Pinate, a playwright and artistic director of Borderlands Theater  remotely from Tucson, Arizona. In 2017, Pinate had difficulty paying the salary of  an ensemble member who was also on staff at Borderlands. … Read the rest The post Marc David Pinate and Antigone appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Intisar Abioto calls herself “an explorer-artist working across photography, dance and writing.” Since she moved to Portland as a young adult with her family, she's been creatively highlighting and documenting the contributions and talents of Black Oregonians. A prolific cross-disciplinary … Read the rest The post Intisar Abioto – Black Art/ists Gathering appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Dmae Lo Roberts presents an audio podcast produced by The Immigrant Story that features a frank and personal exploration of mixed race Asian American identity. Roberts and writer and educator Patti Duncan as friends and colleagues have explore what this … Read the rest The post Many Roads In Conversation appeared first on Stage&Studio.

It’s safe to say 2021 was a better year than 2020. With the vaccine, life this year became a little less fearful. People started to gather, first in small groups, and then with larger audiences for theaters and public events. … Read the rest The post End of the Year Reflections appeared first on Stage&Studio.

“Madness, pain, ear-cutting despair, desolate poverty, Van Gogh's myth tells the tale of a melancholic martyr who took his own life in an ultimate act of revulsion. By contrast, to follow the evolution of Van Gogh's works is to go … Read the rest The post Experiencing Beyond Van Gogh appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Dmae Lo Roberts talks with perhaps the most influential benefactor of Oregon arts. Most artists and arts organizations in Oregon know the name of Ronni S. Lacroute. Anyone who attends performing arts events, art exhibits, films and music festivals knows … Read the rest The post Ronni S. Lacroute – Friend to the Arts appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Join Dmae Lo Roberts for a conversation with Sankar Raman, founder of The Immigrant Story, a website, traveling art exhibit and podcast documenting the journeys and stories of immigrants in the Portland and across the country. A volunteer-run nonprofit, … Read the rest The post The Immigrant Story + 20th Anniversary of 9/11 appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Dmae looks at the Black contributions to fashion design throughout American history with writer, publisher and fashion expert Rhonda P. Hill. She recently published a series of eight articles called A Study of Eight, The Untold American Story,  … Read the rest The post Rhonda P. Hill and the EDGE of Design appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Dmae Lo Roberts features the first annual Pasifika Unity Festival a free outdoor event that celebrates Pacific Islander culture and health. With live music, crafts vendors and local food trucks, the celebration is also a health fair and COVID-19 vaccination … Read the rest The post Pasifika Unity Festival + Kalani Pe’a appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Dmae talks with award-winning author Heidi Durrow who is a keynote speaker at this year’s virtual Willamette Writers Conference (July 29-Aug.1). The daughter of a Danish immigrant mother and an a Black serviceman, Durrow grew up overseas before settling in … Read the rest The post Heidi Durrow-Mixed and Remixed appeared first on Stage&Studio.

For the last 23 years, Dmae Roberts has featured both Northwest Children’s Theater and Oregon Children’s Theatre and their various productions. This time, the artistic directors of both companies are sharing the podcast stage. It’s rare to have two successful … Read the rest The post 2 Youth Theaters Talk appeared first on Stage&Studio.

In this week’s Stage & Studio podcast, Dmae Roberts talks with James R. Dixon and Tyler Andrew Jones about producing the first-ever BlaQ Out.For Pride Month,  Fuse Theatre Ensemble and The OUTwright Theatre Festival is celebrating its decade of producing … Read the rest The post BlaQ Out appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Dmae talks with Laura Lo Forti and Damaris Webb, co-directors of Vanport Mosaic, a multidisciplinary organization that devotes itself to memory activism through visual and performing arts, history and community dialogue. First formed to honor the history of the devastating … Read the rest The post Vanport Mosaic 2021 appeared first on Stage&Studio.

For her second episode during Asian American/Pacific Islander month, Dmae Roberts delves into the layers of filmmaking and identity with filmmaker Devin Fei-Fan Tau. He’s reached a milestone in his career with his first feature documentary Who’s On Top?  The … Read the rest The post Devin Fei-Fan Tau-Who’s On Top? appeared first on Stage&Studio.

For Asian Pacific American Heritage month in May, Dmae Roberts features theater director Desdemona Chiang. Like many theater artists, this noted director has been perfecting the virtual reading which has evolved as its own art form during the pandemic. Hear … Read the rest The post Desdemona Chiang -A Great Leap appeared first on Stage&Studio.

What is the current state of Portland’s creative community? One person who has had their finger on the pulse of the needs and challenges for Portland’s artists is Subashini Ganesan and she’s checking in with Dmae Roberts. (Photos: Intisar Abioto)… Read the rest The post Subashini Ganesan-Creative Laureate Checks In appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Dmae Roberts first met Lillian Pitt when noted writer Cheryl Strayed curated an artists  section of a TEDx talk in 2013 that included Roberts and Pitt. Though she was familiar with Pitt’s work, it was a pleasure for Roberts to … Read the rest The post Lillian Pitt-10,000 Years Through Art appeared first on Stage&Studio.

(Photo: Julie Keefe) Note: Dmae interviewed conceptual artist Roberta Wong the day the killings of six Asian women in Atlanta, Ga. that night on March 15, 2021 in an apparent (though not yet charged) hate crime. In the conversation between … Read the rest The post Roberta Wong, Conceptual Artist & Tireless Advocate appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Debuted Tues 3/09/21 for the inaugural podcast on ArtsWatch! Dmae talks with veteran costume designer Wanda Walden, the Portland- and Oakland, California-based actor, visual artist, writer, and in-demand costume designer, who had an astonishing fourteen shows lined up in Portland … Read the rest The post Wanda Walden -Costume Designer Extraordinaire appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Dmae welcomes longtime friend and theatre collaborator Samson Syharath, Laotian-American theatre artist, for her final new show on KBOO radio.  They met when Samson came on the show as a guest for Shaking The Tree Theatre in 2013. Since … Read the rest The post Samson Syharath + New SNS Beginnings appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Dmae features S. Renee Mitchell, performer, multimedia artist, former Oregonian columnist  and the winner of the 2019 Spirit of Portland award.  She is the creative force behind the “Spreading the Black Joy Virus,” a multimedia intergenerational project intended to increase … Read the rest The post S. Renee Mitchell – Spreading Black Joy appeared first on Stage&Studio.

Dmae gets caught up with Damaris Webb is an actor, director, teaching artist and the co-director of The Vanport Mosaic. She’s directing a film version of the first act of Martha Bakes: a Biography of a Revolution and Insurrection that … Read the rest

Dmae Roberts opens up the audio vault with Talking With The Wind: The Mystery of Opal Whiteley. This half-hour documentary was  first produced in 1986 with playwright Dorothy Velasco and tells the story of a young woman from Cottage Grove… Read the rest

Dmae visits with Melory Mirashrafi,  actor, director, dramaturg and writer. As an Iranian-American she is dedicated to  presenting performance works and writing that truly represents her culture. She’s back in Hillsboro where she grew up when the Pandemic abruptly stranded … Read the rest

Dmae Roberts presents a half of her one-hour Pushing Boundaries Special. This was a year-long investigation with Dmae and producers Macon Reed and Tali Singer. Pushing Boundaries explored artists and arts groups pushing personal, artistic, cultural and physical boundaries in … Read the rest

Dmae spotlights Portland-based actor and singer Alec Cameron Lugo. He talks about being a mixed-race Latinx and gay artist who grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii and the depth his identity brings to his roles. We’ll also find … Read the rest

For Indigenous Heritage Month in November, Dmae presents selections from The Storyteller series, a collection of Alaska Native  folktales revived from the audio archives at KNBA radio station and the Anchorage Museum in Anchorage, Alaska. The Storyteller is a series … Read the rest

Dmae talks with Ajai Terrazas Tripathi, Portland actor, director, producer and playwright.   is collaborating on two Shakespeare virtual projects: A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Northwest Children’s Theater & School (Nov. 12 – Dec. 6) and Macbeth (Nov 11, 12, 13)… Read the rest

Dmae features a conversation with Yasmin Ruvalcaba, a Latinx theatre artist and community engagement advocate who works in the Portland-metro and Washington County area. She also works as a program manager for Advance Gender Equity in the Arts (AGE) and … Read the rest

Dmae focuses on MATTER, written and performed by Charles Grant as a response to police brutality and gun violence inflected on Black Americans. We hear clips from the film and excerpts of a Zoom conversation with Charles Grant, director James Dixon, filmmaker Tamera Lyn and performing artist Fyndi Jermany, a board member of Don’t Shoot […]

Dmae talks with Portland’s First Lady of Blues, LaRhonda Steele. We hear her talk about the struggles as a Black woman in Portland’s Blues scene. It’s tough times for Portland’s musicians who depend on live performance for a living, and even tougher for Black artists during this time of change, but LaRhonda keeps hope alive […]

Dmae features longtime Portland musician and composer Gerardo Calderon  who performs both traditional Mexican music and Pre-Columbian Indigenous music. He’s part of a two-night live stream called Dreams Deferred Live by a collective called The Immigrant Story. The first event is five Latinx storytellers on Sept. 12th at 7pm and and the second is Gerardo’s […]