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128 NW Eleventh Ave, Portland, OR 97209 · 503-445-3700 · www.pcs.org
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Mrs. Harrison

January 19 – February 16, 2025
On the U.S. Bank Main Stage

If you like:

  • Clyde’s
  • "Who is the Bad Art Friend?"
  • Pretty Little Liars
  • "Asking Eric" advice column in The Oregonian
  • Here for It, or, How to Save Your Soul in America by R. Eric Thomas

Mrs. Harrison

  • By R. Eric Thomas
  • Directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene

JUMP TO: Dates, Run Time, Playbill, & More

At their 10-year college reunion, Aisha and Holly meet by chance. Aisha is a Black, successful playwright; Holly is a white, struggling stand-up comedian. Aisha’s most successful play bears a striking resemblance to a tragic event in Holly’s life. Is it a coincidence or is it theft? They both have a story they’ve been telling themselves about what happened years ago and they’re both willing to fight for their truth in the present.

“Every once in a (great) while, a new work in Philadelphia premieres with such power and promise that it demands to be seen by a much wider audience. That play is Mrs. Harrison... That playwright is R. Eric Thomas.” – Philadelphia Inquirer “a tense and thrilling matchup of wit and words between two old college ‘friends.’” - City Pulse

MRS. HARRISON is presented through special arrangement with TRW PLAYS, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036.

More About This Production

A bald, bearded, smiling man with brown skin wearing a teal blazer and floral-print shirt, leaning against a building with his arms crossed.

A Conversation with Mrs. Harrison Playwright R. Eric Thomas

PCS Literary Manager and Mrs. Harrison Dramaturg Kamilah Bush talked to the show's writer, R. Eric Thomas, about the "universe of possibility" inherent in storytelling, and turning generational trauma into generational hope.

Meet the Cast & Creative Team

The Cast

(She/Her)

Claire is thrilled to return to Portland Center Stage after associate directing Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and performing in Rent and The Bells That Still Can Ring. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Claire has called Portland her home for the past decade. Recent credits include Fred and The Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol, and Mrs. Phelps in  Matilda: The Musical, both at Portland Playhouse, and Detective Hayden Quinn in Artist Rep’s True Story. Previous credits include The Alliance Theatre, Profile Theatre, Oregon Children’s Theatre, Broadway Rose Theatre Company, and B Street Theatre. Claire is a graduate of Emory University, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, and the Institute for Contemporary Performance. Offstage, you can find Claire making experimental theater in fountains, plexiglass boxes, and public parks, or sitting with her kitty knitting, crocheting, or tufting. Thank you to all of my loved ones for the endless support and love. I truly could not do it without you.

(She/Her)

Cycerli (@Cycerli) is honored to be back. She was last seen as Dr. Van Helsing in Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really. Cycerli is a Professor at Portland State University and George Fox University. She has her MFA in Acting from the University of Tennessee and her BA in Theatre from Rutgers University where she was also a Division 1 athlete in Track and Field. She is a proud member of Actors Equity and Screen Actors Guild. Cycerli has graced many stages. Some of her theatre credits include Evie at Penumbra Theatre, Cynthia in Sweat at The Denver Center and Profile theater, Delia in Spunk at Kenny Leon True Colors, Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at Portland Playhouse, Vera in Seven Guitars at Passin Arts. She has worked for The Red Door Project, The Alliance Theater, Dominion, and Clarence Brown Theater. She is the CEO and founder of the faith-based theater company DAE productions located in Atlanta GA. She has worked for Warner Brothers, Lionsgate and her most recent movie released on Amazon Prime called Cellar Door starring Laurence Fishburne. She's seen on Hulu (Pretty Little Liars), TVone (Skinned), BET (Tales), Amazon Prime (The City). She gives all glory to God and is very blessed to do what she loves for a living :-)

The Creative Team

R. Eric Thomas, Playwright
(He/Him)

R. Eric Thomas is the winner of the Barrymore Award for Best New Play, the Dramatists Guild Lanford Wilson Award, and the Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Drama. He is also the “Eric” of "Asking Eric," the popular nationally syndicated daily advice column found in over 100 newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and The Oregonian. A proud member of the WGA, he was on the writing staff for the Peabody Award-winning series Dickinson (AppleTV+) and Better Things (FX) and is currently developing multiple projects for film, television, and stage. His books include the national bestseller Here for It, Kings of B'more, a 2023 American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book, and Congratulations, the Best is Over!, an instant USA Today Bestseller. He is the co-lead artistic mentor of PlayPenn’s playwriting cohort The Foundry. rericthomas.com

(She/Her)

Tiffany is thrilled to be in community and collaboration with Portland Center Stage. Her most recent credits include Bad Kreyòl, a world premiere by Dominique Morisseau at Signature Theatre; Kristen Adele Calhoun’s Black Cypress Bayou at the Geffen Playhouse; world premiere of York Walker’s Covenant at Roundabout Theatre Company (New York Times Critic’s Pick); Jonathan Larson’s Rent at Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Hamilton: An American Musical (National Tour Resident Director); world premiere of Steph Del Rosso’s 53% Of at Second Stage Theater; Christina Ham’s Nina Simone: Four Women at Arizona Theatre Company; world premiere of Vichet Chum’s High School Play: A Nostalgia Fest at the Alley Theatre; Invincible, a new musical, at The Wallis Annenberg, working alongside Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo; Adrienne Kennedy’s Ohio State Murders at the Goodman Theatre; and Lydia R. Diamond’s Whiterly Negotiations and Lynn Nottage’s What Are The Things I Need To Remember with Octopus Theatricals (New York Times Critic’s Pick). Next up for Tiffany is the world premiere of The Scenarios by Matthew Capodicasa at Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C. Tiffany is a Lincoln Center Directors Lab alum, a Soho Rep Directors Lab alum, and a member of SDC. She holds an MFA from Brown University/Trinity Rep. tiffanynicholegreene.com

Derek Easton, Scenic Designer
(He/Him)

Derek is excited to be designing their second show at PCS and dusting off their design skills after taking a break for a few years.

Lucy Wells, Costume Designer
(She/Her)

Lucy is a Portland-based costume designer. Lucy was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi and holds a B.F.A. from the University of Southern Mississippi. Lucy has spent her 10 year career working as a costume designer/artisan at such theaters as Oregon Children's Theatre, Third Rail Rep Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Orpheus PDX Opera, Berkshire Theatre Group, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, The Rev Theatre, and Shakespeare & Company. Some titles include Sweeney Todd, HAIR, tick, tick...BOOM!, I'm Black When I'm Singing, I'm Blue When I Ain't, Dark Sisters, She Persisted: The Musical, and Middletown Mall. Lucy is currently the costume shop supervisor/costume designer at Portland Center Stage.  Lucy is a member of IATSE Local 154. lucywellscostumes.com

Alexz Trent Eccles, Lighting Designer

Alexz Trent Eccles is excited to be designing with Portland Center Stage. Alongside being the Mainstage Master Electrician at Portland Center Stage, Trent loves to get the opportunity to design on occasion. You may have enjoyed their design work on PCS's production of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play last season. Elsewhere Trent recently designed lights for Lakewood’s production of Jersey Boys and Third Rail Repertory's production of Middletown Mall.

Phil Johnson, Sound Designer
(He/Him)

Phil is a theatrical producer and artist based in the Pacific Northwest. He currently serves as the Program Director for Coho Theatre in Portland, OR. Some of his favorite recent productions include Fat Ham (Seattle Rep) Clyde’s (PCS/ Syracuse Stage); Gem of the Ocean and Redwood (Portland Center Stage); Pipeline (Confrontation Theater); Hands Up (Red Door Project); American Fast, An Octoroon, and The Humans (Artists Repertory Theatre). Phil has a B.F.A. and M.A. from Ohio University. philjohnsondesignstheworld.com, @philjohnsonlive

Kamilah Bush, Dramaturg
(She/Her)

Kamilah is a playwright, dramaturg, and educator originally from North Carolina. She holds a B.F.A. in theater education from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and was a NC Teaching Fellow. She currently holds the position of Literary Manager at PCS. Kamilah has spent several seasons at celebrated regional theaters across the country, including Triad Stage in Greensboro, NC, Asolo Repertory Theater in Sarasota, FL, and Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ. She was a Playwright in Residence at Williamstown Theater Festival in 2024 and was featured as part of their Fridays @ 3 Reading Series in 2023.

David S. Cohen, Stage Manager
(He/Him)

David has worked on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, and is a show caller and deck manager for large-scale corporate events. Most recently, at PCS on Sweeney Todd, and on Broadway with The Wiz. Proud Actors’ Equity member and national councilor. Much love to my husband Jimmy for all his support over the last 11+ years.

Danny Rosales, Assistant Stage Manager
(He/Him)

Danny is excited to return back to Portland Center Stage for this production of Mrs. Harrison. Other PCS credits include Quixote Nuevo, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord, August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Frida … A Self Portrait, The Magic Play, and Every Brilliant Thing. When he’s not busy working on shows, you can usually find him crocheting, playing in trash, or baking too many pies. But silliness set aside; Danny would like to thank todos los chuchos y gatos chucos en su vida.

For This Production

Electricians
Zach Horn, Tony Spinnato, Eli Lux Shoecraft, Dug Martell, Isaac Pierce, Gabi Polsinelli, Sophina Flores, Steph Landtise, Graden Downing, Abby Jacquin

Weight Loader
Charlie Capps

Carpenter
Charlie Capps

Overhire Wig Lead
Jessica Carr-Miller

What People Are Saying

Reviews & Media

"MRS. HARRISON is one of those rare productions that succeeds in entertaining while also forcing us to examine our assumptions, in this case about the stories we tell ourselves and others. I highly recommend it." - Krista Garver, Broadway World

"...every word, gesture, glance and sound is woven together with the others to create a complex and controversial whole... Mrs. Harrison offers no promises, but we’re invited to wonder what would happen if both women – and for that matter, all of us — quit acting like we’re the only people in the world and acknowledged the validity of each other’s existence." - Linda Ferguson, Oregon ArtsWatch

"...after 70 minutes of speedy, witty dialogue accentuated by mounting thunder and flickering lights, Mrs. Harrison still has plenty of surprises in store for even the most astute playgoers." - Eric Ash, Willamette Week

###

Watch an interview with The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and "Asking Eric" columnist and author of Mrs. Harrison, R. Eric Thomas. 

Check out director Tiffany Nichole Greene's interview with Emily and Travis at KOIN on AM Extra last week!

Audience Raves

"Such a beautifully written, compact play with a fantastic ending — I’m still thinking about it."

"It was a fun ride!"

"Great acting, believable relationship between the two, fascinating twists and turns."

"Loved it — clever, funny, poignant."

"Actors were amazing, very thought provoking, very well written…. A winner!"

National Reviews

“'Mrs. Harrison' strikes at the heart, earns gasps and laughs” - City Pulse

“should appeal both to folks who enjoy comedies and those who prefer dramas” - TimeOut

“...bursting with issues and intrigue.” - Broad Street Review

“a thought-provoking hour and a half-ish, no-intermission peek into the real and/or imagined stories of two women — intriguing, entertaining” - Greater Lansing Ubiquitous Theatre

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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