Forever
- Previews are Jan. 30-Feb. 4 | Opening night Feb. 5
- By Dael Orlandersmith
- Directed by Neel Keller
JUMP TO: Dates, Run Time, Playbill, & More
“This show is a must-see” –BroadwayWorld
“It is excellent theater” –Oregon ArtsWatch
“As a performer, Orlandersmith is unmatched.”–The Oregonian
Forever begins in Paris at the famed Père Lachaise Cemetery, where strangers from around the world make pilgrimages to the graves of legendary artists such as Marcel Proust, Richard Wright and Jim Morrison. As she visits the resting places of her idols, Orlandersmith is moved to investigate the complex legacy she received from her mother and their often harrowing life together. Riveting and powerful, Forever is about family – the ones we are born into; the strange way powerful bonds are formed with people who, though unrelated by blood, come to feel like family; and the legacies that shape us all.
Run Time:
Approximately 80 minutes; no intermission.
General Performance Times:
Evenings: Tuesday - Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
Matinees: Saturday and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Thursdays at noon
View the season calendar.
Playbill:
Explore the playbill.
Note:
Forever is recommended for ages 16+. Contains mature language and graphic descriptions. Learn more about the show’s content in this rave review from The New York Times. Children under 6 are not permitted at any PCS production. There is no late seating or re-entry in the Ellyn Bye Studio.
Resource Guide:
Download resource guide (PDF)
More About This Production
Who I Am: Celebrating Me - A Celebration for Black History Month
February 20 at 2 p.m. and February 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Perspectives series for "Forever" and "Each and Every Thing"
February 16 & 23, March 1 & 8 in the Ellyn Bye Studio
Immediately following the 7:30 p.m. performance
Dael Orlandersmith Is a Poet of Life’s Complexity
American Theater Magazine’s Stuart Miller sat down with Forever playwright and performer Dael Orlandersmith.
Perspectives series for "Forever" and "Each and Every Thing"
February 16 & 23, March 1 & 8 in the Ellyn Bye Studio
Immediately following the 7:30 p.m. performance
What People Are Saying
Dael Orlandersmith first performed her solo show Forever in 2014 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles. Since then, she has performed the piece at several theater companies across the country, earning much critical acclaim, as well as an Off-Broadway Alliance Award nomination for Best Solo Performance. Here's a roundup of the great reviews the production has recieved since its world premiere.
"In language that is always spare and simple, with rhythms now jagged and discordant, now incantatory and soothing, Ms. Orlandersmith holds us in a taut, quiet spell for the 80-minute show." -The New York Times
Brave and Heartfelt
"Ms. Orlandersmith has a gift for raw immediacy ... first and foremost, Ms. Orlandersmith is a poet, and her language sings." -The New York Times
"A harrowing memoir ... searching, brutally honest monologues ... This arc is familiar from Orlandersmith’s earlier solo pieces, Beauty’s Daughter, Monster and Gimmick, all about young black women determined to rise above bleak circumstances, who find salvation in art." -Los Angeles Times
"In Forever, she also redefines "family" for herself. Perusing Pere Lachaise, she insists that the famous people on the map there — the artists there — are her true family. ... They're all alive, and so is Orlandersmith, as, dressed in black with braids swinging and directed by Neel Keller, she takes the stage and transforms it." -The Huffington Post
"Orlandersmith’s intention, she says at one point, was to finally write something with the “naked, gut-honest” candor of an author like Wright. And in the harrowing, very personal and unflinchingly courageous journey described in Forever, she achieves it." -LA Weekly
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).
Production Sponsors
2015–2016 Season Supporting Sponsors
