Plawrights Festival here in Portland this weekend and next

I'm starting my weekend out right: with a brand new play by a woman playwright, right here in Portland. This year, it's the ONLY play by a woman in this annual festival of new plays. I never miss this festival. Not only is the festival free, but it is a chance to see new works by playwrights from across the country, and thanks to the commitment of Portland Center Stage, new works from Oregon's playwrights as well (the Made in Oregon series). Any playwright in the area who is worth her salt is in attendance, learning, relearning, or honing her craft, while simultaneously networking and being entertained. As my long-time writing partner always says: we can always learn something, even if it's only what NOT to do. I've learned what TO do, from the most seasoned to the freshest youngsters who are still in high school -- the curtain raisers.
This year we'll see some sort of avant-garde work in the men's restroom. A couple of years ago it was the women's.
Read all about Andrea Stolowitz's play below, and join me there this Saturday, won't you? 4pm sharp. No! Come early and grab a sandwich or a drink, schmooz, people watch, network with other creatives like yourself.

The JAW Festival opens with with Made in Oregon series, featuring works-in-progress from Oregon writers, with performances at 4pm and 8pm July 16h & 17th on the Main Stage. Admission is free and no reservations are required for Made in Oregon readings.

Gerding Theater at the Armory
128 NW Eleventh Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97209 | 503-445-3700


Antarktikos by Andrea Stolowitz
Directed by Gemma Whelan
Saturday, July 16 at 4pm
Main Stage

Somewhere between Oregon and Antarctica lie several points on a continuum: Susan, a writer at an artists residency at the South Pole; Captain Robert Falcon Scott, leader of the British Antarctic expedition of 1912; and Hilary, Susan's 21-year-old daughter. When an insomniac EMT named Alex becomes the hapless link among them, time collapses, geographies blend and destinies emerge.

About the playwright: Andrea Stolowitz is a graduate of the MFA playwriting program at UC-San Diego. Her plays have been developed and produced nationally and internationally at theaters like the Old Globe, The Long Wharf, Victory Gardens, and the Cherry Lane. Antarktikos was written in Sept. 2010 and has been developed at Artists Repertory Theater, Key City Public Theater, The New Harmony Project, and White Pine Productions. It was a finalist for Play Penn and Premiere Stages. Andrea serves as the Oregon Regional Representative to the Dramatists Guild, is a proud member of Playwrights West, and teaches at Willamette University.