Behind The Curtain: Co-Pro!
Co-productions are a special collaborative process that allows different theatre companies to join forces, with staff, resources, and creative ideas all working in harmony to create an experience that audiences deserve to see. Think of it like the Marvel Avengers of theater! Some shows provide logistical puzzles that are too much for one company to solve, and choosing to undertake these problems with other theatres allows companies with different strengths to assist each other and bring important works to more audiences. Quixote Nuevo is an example of a great co-production, and showcases the best parts of how this process uplifts all aspects of a show to create a better whole.
Although working together is a positive end unto itself, each co-production has its own unique problems to solve. Quixote Nuevo has been lovingly referred to as a mini West Coast tour, beginning at South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, California, traveling to Seattle Repertory Theatre, and ending here with us at Portland Center Stage. Of course, this means the set that we shared not only needed to be loaded up and shipped up and down the coast, but also needed to match each of our stages. All three theatres have different floor shapes, and the team found the best solution; make three floors! The rocks that you see on our set were used at the other theatres, but might have swapped or moved to adjust to different sight lines. Using these tricks and ways to minimize cost, in addition to working with the combined resources of the different companies, co-productions are more cost effective and create a great path towards bringing more expansive shows to our stages in a way that is economical and sustainable. Co-productions not only allow for theaters to share resources, it exposes talented artists to different communities that they might not often get to travel to otherwise. For example, the cast and creative for Quixote Nuevo range from Chicago to San Diego and many places in between, while our second co-production of the season, Clyde’s, allows local favorites like Lauren Steele and Orion Bradshaw to travel to Syracuse before joining us again in Portland later this season.
More about Quixote Nuevo:
An Old Story Made New
What to know about Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605) to understand Quixote Nuevo (2019)
Octavio Solis’ play Quixote Nuevo is inspired by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s book Don Quixote de la Mancha written in 1605: perhaps the most famous novel ever written in the Spanish language. To understand the play, it is useful to know a little about the original story.
Frontera Glossary: Border Glosario
Quixote Nuevo is a play that welcomes both English and Spanish speakers into its audience. Here are a few words your ear might encounter as you follow Don Quixote on his journey throughout La Plancha, Texas.
A Picture of Life on the Border
Much of Quixote Nuevo takes place in aging professor Joe Quijano’s “fever dream” as he struggles with encroaching dementia. Throughout the play, we’re provided a window into Quijano’s imagination—a karaoke bar becomes a castle, a herd of sheep sounds like a dragon.
While these fantastical elements are important, the play is ...
Making it Nuevo: A Conversation with Playwright Octavio Solis
Considered one of the most prominent Latino playwrights in North America, Octavio Solis has been produced from New York to California and everywhere in between. Read what he has to say about his play Quixote Nuevo, the characteristic humor of the play, and what keeps him writing.
Reviews of "Quixote Nuevo*
"The most extraordinary show I’ve seen at PCS in several years!"
"Energetic and ambitious. A spectacle for the senses. Not a single dull moment."
"The costumes, the set, the puppets, the amazing actors. So much to enjoy. The show had me smiling, crying, and enthralled ...
Quixote Nuevo Reading List
Calling all readers! Multnomah County Library put together a reading list inspired by our production of Quixote Nuevo.
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!
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