Theater folk are fairly used to the idea of hard times and their livelihoods being threatened as the arts tend to be the first area of humanity that get neglected in times of crisis. 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic is no different and just gave the members of the Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland a chance to show how flexible they truly are.
The end to their 2019/2020 season was sadly dampened quite significantly with dwindling audience members and then needing to shut down due to economic and lockdown regulations. However, they have forged forward and created a fairly successful new season that is still currently running. They were also able to continue sponsoring new work and encouraging growth in the sector.
The 2020/2021 Seasons
At the close of their previous season, the organizing committee for Artists Rep sent out a survey to their regular audience members to see how they wanted to interact with the planned productions. The overwhelming response was that people wanted to come back to the theater for the live experience but would accept virtual experiences while it was not possible for live events and audiences. They also connected with the unions to talk about the rules around streaming productions and how best to implement this.
The result was a modified program that looked quite different to previous years. The team has created a number of audio dramas that are original works and adaptations of other works. They have been directed and recorded specifically for this season by a cast and crew of Artists Rep members. Tickets for these works generally come as basic and premium – the former is free and gives you access to just the audio play while the latter is a paid ticket that includes access to a number of behind-the-scenes extras.
The History Of The Artists Repertory Theatre
This committed group of theater experts and enthusiasts was founded in 1982 by eleven artists. Their aim was to produce contemporary works and they started off performing at the Wilson Center for the Performing Arts in Portland. Six years later, they appointed Allen Nause as the artistic director for the theater in order to better shape their programs. They always put on a good show, just like you can find when you visit the best casino site.
In 1995, the group kicked off a capital campaign and raised the funds to move into the Alder Street Space. This new theater was double the size of their original venue and also provided Artists Rep with a proper green room and dressing rooms, a space for building sets and props, a wardrobe for storing costumes, a rehearsal hall and offices for the administrative members.
The group grew from strength to strength, touring both nationally and internationally with their productions. They even created their Second Stage initiative, which allowed them to host more productions in one season by using a second location for staging. Then, in 2008, the Resident Acting Company was created to build a pool of performers for the productions. This was expanded to the ArtsHub in 2013 to include writers, directors and designers.
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