723:
363:
248:
308:
129:
465:
communities served by the theater." The first
Artistic Director, Ted Davis (1974-1976) initially led the company through performances in a wide variety of venues, but by 1976, Portland had become the company's permanent home. Davis was followed as Artistic Director by Michael Rafkin (1976-1977) and Frank Goodman (1977-1978), and in 1978, the company changed its name to Portland Stage Company.
640:
538:
404:
186:
63:
22:
520:
In 1998, Christopher
Akerlind left Portland Stage Company and Anita Stewart (1998–present) became the sole Artistic Director. In 2000, Portland Stage purchased the Portland Performing Arts Center where it is located. Since taking ownership of the building, Portland Stage has dramatically expanded its
504:
Hamburger was followed as
Artistic Director by Greg Leaming (1992-1996), and then in 1996 by the team of Christopher Akerlind and Anita Stewart. Akerlind, a lighting designer, and Stewart, a set designer, were at the time the only designers to head a regional theater in the United States. Under their
464:
Portland Stage
Company was founded in 1974 as the Profile Theatre, a touring company of young theater professionals, with the mission to "entertain, educate, and engage its audiences by producing a wide range of artistic works and programs that explore basic human issues and concerns relevant to the
468:
In the years that followed, under
Artistic Director Charles Towers (1978-1981), Portland Stage, became a member of LORT (the League of Resident Theatres) and TCG (Theatre Communications Group) and signed a letter of agreement with Actors' Equity Association. In 1982, under the leadership of Barbara
700:
Portland Stage has shown a commitment to new work. Since 1990, the Little
Festival of the Unexpected has performed readings of 3-5 new plays to the public every year. Plays workshopped here will sometimes be moved to Portland Stage's mainstage in coming seasons. Since 1996, in partnership with the
598:
Theater for Kids opened its doors in
January 2010 in one of Portland Stage's storefront spaces as the new arm of Portland Stage outreach. Geared at children ages 4–10, Theater for Kids' main offering is "Play Me a Story," where Affiliate Artists, a group of theater professionals connected with the
704:
Additionally, Portland Stage adjudicates the
Clauder Competition for New England Playwrights. The competition was started in 1981 and has been adjudicated by Portland Stage since 1999 Portland Stage has adjudicated the competition on a 3-year cycle. Past winners have been: (2000) Laura Harrington
602:
Portland Stage also seeks to educate the next generation of theater artists by hiring 10-11 interns every year. The interns are hired into different fields from production to administration and have intensive hands-on experience in each of their departments during a 7-show season. Interns from
622:
These interns have also experienced incredible hardship while in the program. The theater only pays interns $ 100 before taxes, and provides shared housing. Interns are frequently advised to "apply for food stamps" since outside work is prohibited due to the intense schedule and demand.
477:(1986-1992), the company launched the Little Festival of the Unexpected in 1990, a week-long annual festival that brings playwrights from around the country to develop new plays at Portland Stage. The Little Festival has helped writers such as
599:
theater, read and act out popular children's stories followed by acting workshops. Affiliate
Artists help bring "Play Me A Story" on tour to local schools in the area, as well as work as instructors for summer and school vacation camps.
472:
Since the 1980s, Portland Stage has been committed to offering student matinees of every show in its mainstage season. Today, over 4,000 students from Maine and New
Hampshire attend these performances each year. Under Artistic Director
469:
Rosoff (1981-1987), Portland Stage moved to its current home, a former Oddfellows Hall at 25A Forest Avenue in Portland, which at the time had been newly renovated as the Portland Performing Arts Center.
513:
each December. Akerlind and Stewart also continued the theater's commitment to new work, launching the From Away festival in 1996, an annual collaboration with the International Writing Program at the
382:. Founded as the Profile Theatre in 1974 as a touring theater company, the company made Portland its permanent location in 1976. In 1982, it moved to its current home of 25A
701:
International Writer's Program at the University of Iowa, Portland Stage has presented "From Away" every year to showcase work of international playwrights in translation.
521:
audience base, formed an Affiliate Artists group of local theater professionals, and launched a second season of productions, the Studio Series, which debuted in 2007.
705:"Hallowed Ground", (2003) Quiara AlegrĂa Hudes "Yemaya's Belly", (2006) William Donnelly "Magnetic North", and (2009) Gregory Hischak "The Center of Gravity".
626:
In previous seasons interns have suffered physical and mental health issues due to the working conditions, and lack of support from within the company.
661:
559:
425:
35:
73:
804:
799:
145:
92:
687:
585:
451:
287:
229:
167:
110:
49:
138:
743:
665:
563:
524:
At the end of their 2011–12 season Portland Stage Company had produced 332 plays and counting, including 45 world premieres.
429:
375:
149:
41:
650:
548:
414:
88:
604:
669:
654:
567:
552:
517:
that brings authors from around the world to Portland each fall for staged readings of their work in translation.
433:
418:
768:
200:
494:
612:
390:. Anita Stewart has served as the Artistic Director since 1996, and in 2006 was made Executive Director.
486:
616:
608:
514:
501:
land productions both on Portland Stage's Mainstage and in regional theaters around the country.
204:
510:
474:
84:
506:
387:
261:
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
722:
362:
144:
It may require cleanup to comply with Knowledge (XXG)'s content policies, particularly
793:
383:
324:
498:
482:
320:
307:
639:
537:
478:
403:
196:
490:
505:
leadership, Portland Stage began a holiday tradition of producing
379:
716:
353:
633:
531:
397:
378:(League of Resident Theaters) theater company in the state of
241:
179:
122:
56:
15:
211:
80:
137:
A major contributor to this article appears to have a
91:, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a
346:
338:
330:
314:
744:"Portland Stage Company offers innovative theater"
8:
300:
668:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
566:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
432:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
50:Learn how and when to remove these messages
721:
361:
306:
299:
688:Learn how and when to remove this message
586:Learn how and when to remove this message
452:Learn how and when to remove this message
288:Learn how and when to remove this message
230:Learn how and when to remove this message
168:Learn how and when to remove this message
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
735:
603:Portland Stage have gone on to work at
214:by removing or replacing such wording.
72:contains content that is written like
7:
666:adding citations to reliable sources
630:New Work and The Clauder Competition
564:adding citations to reliable sources
430:adding citations to reliable sources
14:
31:This article has multiple issues.
638:
536:
402:
246:
184:
148:. Please discuss further on the
127:
61:
20:
769:"This Month in Theatre History"
39:or discuss these issues on the
528:Theater for Kids and Education
1:
821:
805:Culture of Portland, Maine
800:Theatre companies in Maine
605:Berkeley Repertory Theatre
264:Last update: December 2012
351:
305:
255:This article needs to be
748:New York Amsterdam News
613:Manhattan Theater Club
372:Portland Stage Company
301:Portland Stage Company
195:contains wording that
146:neutral point of view
93:neutral point of view
662:improve this section
560:improve this section
495:Quiara AlegrĂa Hudes
487:Douglas Carter Beane
426:improve this section
199:the subject through
617:Cleveland Playhouse
609:Houston Grand Opera
302:
85:promotional content
515:University of Iowa
374:is a professional
205:unnoteworthy facts
87:and inappropriate
698:
697:
690:
596:
595:
588:
511:A Christmas Carol
475:Richard Hamburger
462:
461:
454:
369:
368:
318:25A Forest Avenue
298:
297:
290:
280:
279:
265:
240:
239:
232:
178:
177:
170:
141:with its subject.
121:
120:
113:
54:
812:
784:
783:
781:
780:
773:AMERICAN THEATRE
765:
759:
758:
756:
755:
740:
725:
720:
719:
717:Official website
693:
686:
682:
679:
673:
642:
634:
591:
584:
580:
577:
571:
540:
532:
457:
450:
446:
443:
437:
406:
398:
365:
360:
357:
355:
310:
303:
293:
286:
275:
272:
266:
263:
250:
249:
242:
235:
228:
224:
221:
215:
188:
187:
180:
173:
166:
162:
159:
153:
139:close connection
131:
130:
123:
116:
109:
105:
102:
96:
74:an advertisement
65:
64:
57:
46:
24:
23:
16:
820:
819:
815:
814:
813:
811:
810:
809:
790:
789:
788:
787:
778:
776:
767:
766:
762:
753:
751:
742:
741:
737:
732:
715:
714:
711:
694:
683:
677:
674:
659:
643:
632:
592:
581:
575:
572:
557:
541:
530:
507:Charles Dickens
458:
447:
441:
438:
423:
407:
396:
388:Portland, Maine
352:
323:
319:
294:
283:
282:
281:
276:
270:
267:
262:
260:
251:
247:
236:
225:
219:
216:
212:help improve it
209:
189:
185:
174:
163:
157:
154:
143:
132:
128:
117:
106:
100:
97:
78:
66:
62:
25:
21:
12:
11:
5:
818:
816:
808:
807:
802:
792:
791:
786:
785:
760:
734:
733:
731:
728:
727:
726:
710:
709:External links
707:
696:
695:
646:
644:
637:
631:
628:
594:
593:
544:
542:
535:
529:
526:
460:
459:
410:
408:
401:
395:
392:
367:
366:
356:.portlandstage
349:
348:
344:
343:
340:
336:
335:
332:
328:
327:
316:
312:
311:
296:
295:
278:
277:
254:
252:
245:
238:
237:
192:
190:
183:
176:
175:
135:
133:
126:
119:
118:
89:external links
69:
67:
60:
55:
29:
28:
26:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
817:
806:
803:
801:
798:
797:
795:
774:
770:
764:
761:
749:
745:
739:
736:
729:
724:
718:
713:
712:
708:
706:
702:
692:
689:
681:
671:
667:
663:
657:
656:
652:
647:This section
645:
641:
636:
635:
629:
627:
624:
620:
618:
614:
610:
606:
600:
590:
587:
579:
569:
565:
561:
555:
554:
550:
545:This section
543:
539:
534:
533:
527:
525:
522:
518:
516:
512:
508:
502:
500:
496:
492:
488:
484:
480:
476:
470:
466:
456:
453:
445:
435:
431:
427:
421:
420:
416:
411:This section
409:
405:
400:
399:
393:
391:
389:
385:
384:Forest Avenue
381:
377:
373:
364:
359:
350:
345:
341:
337:
333:
329:
326:
325:United States
322:
317:
313:
309:
304:
292:
289:
274:
258:
253:
244:
243:
234:
231:
223:
213:
207:
206:
202:
198:
193:This article
191:
182:
181:
172:
169:
161:
151:
147:
142:
140:
134:
125:
124:
115:
112:
104:
101:November 2012
94:
90:
86:
82:
76:
75:
70:This article
68:
59:
58:
53:
51:
44:
43:
38:
37:
32:
27:
18:
17:
777:. Retrieved
775:. 2022-05-10
772:
763:
752:. Retrieved
750:. 2011-11-10
747:
738:
703:
699:
684:
675:
660:Please help
648:
625:
621:
601:
597:
582:
573:
558:Please help
546:
523:
519:
503:
499:John Cariani
483:Nicky Silver
471:
467:
463:
448:
439:
424:Please help
412:
371:
370:
321:Portland, ME
284:
268:
256:
226:
217:
201:exaggeration
194:
164:
155:
136:
107:
98:
83:by removing
79:Please help
71:
47:
40:
34:
33:Please help
30:
479:Mac Wellman
794:Categories
779:2022-09-23
754:2022-09-23
730:References
678:March 2023
619:and more.
576:March 2023
442:March 2023
271:March 2023
220:March 2023
158:March 2023
81:improve it
36:improve it
649:does not
547:does not
491:Nilo Cruz
413:does not
150:talk page
42:talk page
197:promotes
670:removed
655:sources
568:removed
553:sources
434:removed
419:sources
394:History
347:Website
315:Address
257:updated
210:Please
497:, and
339:Opened
380:Maine
653:any
651:cite
551:any
549:cite
417:any
415:cite
376:LORT
358:.org
342:1974
334:LORT
331:Type
664:by
562:by
428:by
386:in
354:www
203:of
796::
771:.
746:.
615:,
611:,
607:,
509:'
493:,
489:,
485:,
481:,
45:.
782:.
757:.
691:)
685:(
680:)
676:(
672:.
658:.
589:)
583:(
578:)
574:(
570:.
556:.
455:)
449:(
444:)
440:(
436:.
422:.
291:)
285:(
273:)
269:(
259:.
233:)
227:(
222:)
218:(
208:.
171:)
165:(
160:)
156:(
152:.
114:)
108:(
103:)
99:(
95:.
77:.
52:)
48:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
