End of the Pavement

Can U Ubu?

/ Steve Patterson / Leave a comment

Saturday, the monster arrives…

The last show of the End of the Pavement Micro New Works Festival at Portland’s Back Door Theatre: Eight wonderful playwrights from across the country (including three Portlanders) inspired by Alfred Jarry’s monstrous, awful, disgusting, horrible, and absolutely delightful Ubu Roi, the play that some credit with starting Dada, surrealism, and, when it opened in Paris, a riot.

Probably no riot of July 5th, but we do think Ubu Lives! will do justice to Jarry’s spirit and will celebrate Independence Weekend in sly, subversive style. The eight plays will be helmed by four fine Portland directors and will feature an avalanche of actors, including a couple New York actors who’ll be in town for the weekend. The plays are:

The Bathhouse: Written by Annette Lee/Directed by Sharon Sassone
Ubu in the Air: Written by Francesca Sanders/Directed by Tamara Carroll
Queen Bee Syndrome: Written by Tom Sime/Directed by Sharon Sassone
Dumbsday: Written by Nick Zagone/Directed by Jonah Weston
A Sugar Coated Pill: Written by Jim Reyland/Directed by Tamara Carroll
Roi C Noggin: Written by Brian Sands/Directed by Adrienne Flagg
The Thing About the Neighborhood: Written by Lia Romeo/Directed by Adrienne Flagg
ubu’s last crapp: Written by james moore/Directed by Jonah Weston

The show starts at 8:00 PM, doors open at 7:40, and admission is pay-what-you-will. Please make reservations in advance, folks, because there’s only one performance, the Back Door is a small theatre, there’s a big cast, and this really will be the final Pavement Production. To make a reservation, call 503-312-6665 or e-mail splatterson@mindspring.com

The Ship is Under Sail

/ Steve Patterson / Leave a comment


Well, the End of the Pavement Micro New Works Festival (or EPMNWF for the acronym crazed) has been officially launched in high style.

This weekend was Nick Zagone’s “The Muffin,” which was well received by appreciative audiences and featured fine performances by Hunt Holman and Cassie Skauge and nuanced direction by Katherine Zagone. Post-show audiences were chatty and happy, which is always a good sign. (If you’re a producer or director out there looking for a wicked little two-hander that would work well as a late-night, let me know, and I can put you in touch with Nick.) Thanks to all my co-conspirators and our audiences who took off an absolutely perfect Portland summer night to take a chance on a new play.

Next up on Friday and Saturday is Matthew B. Zrebski’s “Rubber ‘n’ Glue”–which fits into the category of “and now for something completely different” and features a fine cast and direction also by the talented Mr. Zrebski. Reservations are already piling up, so give me a call at 503-312-6665 or e-mail at splatterson@mindspring.com because the Back Door is a relatively small theatre and fills quickly.

My play “Farmhouse” opens the following weekend and is definitely a fall down an entirely other rabbit hole. It also features a stunning cast. We wrap up the festival the Fifth of July with “Ubu Lives!”–eight short plays inspired by Ubu Roi, at which point we most definitely we will be in terra incognita (in a good way). Here there be dragons…. The Ubu plays are helmed by four excellent Portland directors and feature playwrights from across the United States.

Many thanks to our cast, crew, and splendid audience, and here’s hoping you can check out the next installment of Pavement’s Excellent Adventure.

Best,

Steve