"The Color Purple" Perspective Series
Please join us for a series of 30-minute post-show discussions following select Sunday matinee performances of The Color Purple. Hear and share personal reactions and thoughts inspired by the play, filtered through the perspectives of local musicians, leaders, health workers, historians and community leaders. Join us and discover how The Color Purple connects directly to our community. All speakers identified and discussions moderated by Lenanne Sylvester.
Immediately following select Sunday matinee performances
September 23 – Norman Sylvester & Mel Brown
September 30 – Cyreena Boston-Ashby & Antoinette Edwards
October 7 – Margaret Carter & Carmen Sylvester
About the Speakers
Margaret was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1935, the eighth of nine children and the youngest girl in her family. After receiving a degree from Oregon State University, Carter became a counselor at Portland Community College, where she worked for the next 27 years. In 1984, she became the first African American woman elected to the Oregon Legislature. She took office the following January and spent almost twenty-eight years serving in either the Oregon House or Senate. A member of the Legislature's joint budget committee, Carter was chosen as chair of the Oregon Democratic Party in 1996. In 2010, Carter was honored by OSU with the Alumni Fellow Award. The following year, Portland Community College named its new technology building after her. In retirement, she has continued to volunteer at Portland Community College and in Portland-area skills centers.
Ms. Sylvester was the first African-American woman police officer in the state of Oregon and for the Portland Police Bureau. She was hired on November 27, 1973 and became one of five women to work in patrol. During her career as one of Portland’s finest, she was very passionate about working in schools and regularly visited as Officer Friendly. She also championed the Stranger Danger Program. She retired in 1999 after 26 years of service to the City of Portland.
Current & Upcoming
Improvisation Classes for Beginners
Whether you're looking to get more confident in social situations, think quicker on your feet, or get in touch with your imaginative side, these "one-off" improv classes will set you on the path to success!
Adult Class : TWELFTH NIGHT, Before & After
Join veteran actor Joe Costa for a unique opportunity to take a “deep dive” into both Shakespeare’s text of Twelfth Night, and the PCS Production. Participants will read the play out loud as a group, with “intermissions” provided for lively discussion of themes and content. Interested participants will have a chance to act in selected scenes, guided by the instructor.
Improv Comedy: Love, Shakespeare
Witness the Magic of unscripted Elizabethan comedy! Step into the offbeat world of Love, Shakespeare, where seasoned Portland comedians attempt something audacious: performing a fully improvised Elizabethan play based on your suggestions!
Albina Music Trust presents A Brown Branch Christmas
Celebrate this holiday season with A Brown Branch Christmas at Portland Center Stage. Now in its fourth season, this two-night big band celebration features directors Domo Branch and Charlie Brown III guiding a heavy 15-piece lineup of regional and national musicians.
BIPOC Affinity Night DJ Party with ALoSo
Join us for a double feature BIPOC Affinity Night, featuring a live DJ set by ALoSo, plus holiday craft market vendor tables, art exhibits by Albina Music Trust Wall to Wall Sound and Jason Hill's Favorite Things, with complimentary select drinks provided by Multnomah Whiskey Library and Deschutes Brewery while supplies last.
Winter Teen Academy: Scene Work
Calling all teens! Are you looking to expand your acting skills and be the best scene partner you can be for your fellow actors? In this class, we will dig deep into scene study, character motivation, and active listening, while learning the necessary questions to ask in every rehearsal situation. You'll develop fuller characters and deeper relationships on stage by partnering in scene work — and have lots of fun too!
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
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