Portland Center Stage

We used to love coming here for several years but now we've moved on to other theaters. Every production here has a social justice theme, gay characters, minority issues, or a Liberal message. What happened to simple fun entertainment with great actors from all walks of life telling interesting and funny stories. We get beat down with constant politics day in and day out and just want to have a couple hours of enjoyment.

I love everything about the Portland Center Stage. They make live theater accessible to everyone regardless of socioeconomic status! The quality of their performances is superb with various themes and diverse talented artists! The scale rate option and the monthly BIPOC Affinity night were how we were able to get started when we relocated to PDX in 2021! Please check them out and support them however you can: season ticket holder, donate each time you purchase ticket, or go to one of their play. My only rant is the parking situation in the area. Allow yourself time to park and walk to the venue. Street parking is free after 7pm, yet hard to find. Paid parking lots are expensive, limited, and feel unsafe at times if you're alone while female.

"Portland Center Stage is an exceptional venue that hosts a range of captivating plays. Its offerings tend to lean towards the sophisticated & snoopy, which, while impressive, might not resonate with everyone. It would be fantastic to see them introduce plays that are a bit more accessible to the general public. Making the themes and narratives easier to grasp could help attract a broader audience, ensuring more people can enjoy the magic of live theater. Regardless, it remains a top spot for those who appreciate high-quality productions.

I feel fortunate to have Portland Center Stage to see such talented actors and powerful performers. I've had many wonderful experiences here. Most recently saw The Light which is one of the best I've ever seen anywhere.

On crutches with a broken Tibia, and slipped 3 times while trying to get to the seat. There were literal puddles in the aisle. Mentioned it to staff, and there couldn’t have been less care about wet floors on a sloped aisle. Not sure if staff was having a bad night, but would love to be able to walk safely and not risk re-injuring myself. I understand it’s the rainy season, but would love to be able to safely walk indoors to my seat or to the bathroom.

We enjoyed a fine production of “What the Constitution Means to Me.” The venue itself has a fun atmosphere—funky and eclectic.

Wonderful atmosphere with live music and great service. One can find an eclectic collection of people and shows at this venue. I highly recommend Portland Center Stage shows/events.

Great venue ... the main theater has great sightlines, acoustics and intimacy, black box is very good. Just saw freestyle love supreme ... very fun show ... and many others such as In the Heights, Astoria, tick tick boom! etc.

I love everything about the Portland Center Stage. They make live theater accessible to everyone regardless of socioeconomic status! The quality of their performances is superb with various themes and diverse talented artists! The scale rate option and the monthly BIPOC Affinity night were how we were able to get started when we relocated to PDX in 2021! Please check them out and support them however you can: season ticket holder, donate each time you purchase ticket, or go to one of their play. My only rant is the parking situation in the area. Allow yourself time to park and walk to the venue. Street parking is free after 7pm, yet hard to find. Paid parking lots are expensive, limited, and feel unsafe at times if you're alone while female.

Beautiful facility, lovely intimate theater, excellent performance. I expected a more amateur production and was completely wrong.

My wife has always wanted to see Sweeny Todd. And this was a life goal for her the show was amazing, so much better than we both expected. But it's important to give a huge shout out to the young lady working the ticket booth, she got us upgrades to amazing seats and my wife has not stopped talking about how wonderful the whole experience was. Tickets were really not that expensive either. great date night. I just wish we could have gotten one of those Sweeny Todd posters, I would have paid anything to give my wife that as her anniversary gift.

Love the venue. Hated the show Christ Grace was so bad. Pure marketing using Johansson to sell his ugly show. Worst comedy show on the planet. Disappointed in PCS selection. Wasted of time. Skeptical to go back to support what so called arts.

Fantastic venue! The staff is very helpful. The seats are spacious and comfortable. They have an option to preorder drinks during intermission which was my favorite part. I'm looking forward to seeing more plays here.

Saw The Light at PCS last Wednesday. Superbly acted, intense, yet balanced with humor. Small, intimate theater. Could feel the affection, anger, confusion, sadness. I highly recommend The Light!

Wow! This is a Five Star theater! Seeing a musical or play in this venue is a treat, a wonderful experience beginning to end. The venue as designed for this purpose so the sound quality is fabulous; you can hear every word. Seats are stacked so you have a clear view. They are wide and have lots of leg room, so much that when people need to walk past you to get to their seat, you can remain seated. Whoever designed this venue thought of everything! The lobby has a rustic yet industrial vibe with an open ceiling, lots of wood, iron and dozens of modern pendent lights. When we walked in, I had to pause and take it all in. There is a bar on the first and second floor where you can buy wine, beer and drinks and $1 cookies. Water, coffee and tea are provided free at several stations around the perimeter. Nice touch! We attended a performance of In The Heights and from the moment the show started, we were transported. That's why I love the theatre. It takes you to a different place, consumes your focus, exposes you to new stories and experiences, allows you to find relatable moments and also to learn something new. Shout out to the entire cast - every single performer was exceptional! Located in the heart of the Pearl, options for HH or a pre-show dinner are plentiful. If you arrive early to enjoy HH, there is plenty of street parking and you only pay until 7:00. There are also garages nearby and the Streetcar drops you a block away. The Armory is one of the venues that helps make Portland a wonderful City to live in. Highly recommend seeing a performance here!!! I've already purchased tickets to another play.

A Midsummer Night's Dream. This was our first time to Portland Center Stage. Really loved the venue, being much smaller than Keller it has a much more intimate feel and everything just seemed to work really well. Concession prices were reasonable and selections good. Box office was very friendly. Unfortunately, we were not expecting a "gay pride month" performance of this play. I'm sure there are plenty of people (especially in Portland) that are after this and that's fine. I just wish the theater had been more forthcoming in their promotions because it was not something we would have attended. Gender roles were completely reversed, which in terms of the main storylines of the play puts a completely different spin on it and in my opinion it totally does not work. The costumes and music were definitely from left field, I just think it needed some sort of caveat, an asterisk to the "Shakespeare" billing ("inspired by"). There was a 30 minute delay and for a show that starts at 7:30p and is almost 3 hours long that is a significant delay., When it did finally start we got a lecture on colonialism and systemic racism, which, to be honest at that point I would think they would just start the play rather than spending even more time on divisive polemics. We do not know the play that well so I can't comment on specifics of the acting, though I will say that one of the actors (actresses?) was a second and using notes, but did a phenomenal job. We wondered if this could have been a reason for the delay but they never said what the cause was. We left at intermission as did many others, though we didn't keep count so I won't hazard a guess on how many. Disappointing.

We love this place. The box office personnel are always so helpful and friendly, as are the ushers, and the performances have been top notch. The building and restrooms are very accessible for people with chairs or walkers as wellA great venue with wonderful variety of entertainment.

STUPENDOUS Broadway-level production of "Hair." Musicianship, direction, acting all excellent. Highly recommended!

Kodachrome plays out on the smaller stage, Ellyn Bye Studio. There you catch every facial expression, the blink of an eye and see spit fly word by word. This world premier by Portland Center Stage (PCS) in the historic Armory building, "crown jewel" of the Brewery Blocks redevelopment features the largest cast ever on this smaller stage! It is a riveting, heart-warming, funny, at times a tear-jerker, story about connections in and out of love. Features picture-perfect changing props you will so enjoy. Great innovation, direction and acting! The Kodachrome play, PCS paraphrase, "Welcome to Colchester, a small town where everybody knows each other and the pace of life allows the pursuit of love to take up as much space as it needs. Narrater guide is Suzanne, the town photographer, who lets us peek into her neighbors' lives to catch glimpses of romance in all its stages of development. A play about love, nostalgia, the seasons and how we learn to say goodbye." Get the picture? Get a ticket! And see what's up or down with this photographer who is ***###???!!! Surprise! I don't want to spoil it! So see it! Get it for yourself. As a season ticket holder with my wife, we get to "get it" a lot. All seats are good on both stages. I suggest taking a tour to get in on the history and cutting edge features of this certified U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The armory is a renovation in innovation! Best theatrical productions in the PDX! After the play go to Deschutes Brewery, a hot spot in the Pearl, next-door pouring cold craft brews from their taproom and serving pub grub. Of course, the Pearl is loaded with many eateries out the Armory front door to make it a complete evening. And the street car stops on the Armory front door, so it is easy-peasy to get to without your gas guzzling steel and glass bubble.

Class Act. Portland Center Stage at The Armory reminds me of the Public Theater in NYC. Both buildings are historic landmarks built in the 18th century that originally held different purposes. One a library, the other an armory, and now they serve the theater world with multiple theaters. I love them both equally. The interior of the Armory is gorgeous! Perfect lighting and architectural touches throughout. The seating is the most comfortable in all of PDX, and any seat is a decent one for sound and visuals. I have a hard time hearing so I opt for a seat that's within the first 6 rows. Adult beverages are available to purchase on the main level, and the balcony. Restrooms are on all three levels. Street, or garage parking. Give yourself extra time to figure that out. Every performance we've seen has been incredible, besides one I won't mention. I will say, said performance included a lot of blood and loud music...

Went to see "A Misummer Night's Dream" at PCS. This was the first time in my 61 years of going to theater and other performances that I left before it was over (here, at intermission; I'd have left much earlier but didn't want to disturb other audience members). Forget the gratuitous and ill-considered gender-reversals and absurd and childish costuming: The actors simply had no skill in acting, nor did the director (or actors) have any idea what the play was about. The actors mouthed words whose meaning they clearly had no idea of ("this disassembling mirror", instead of "this dissembling mirror"). I have seen better performances by small children. PCS should be ashamed of itself for charging people high ticket prices for them to endure such a horrible "performance". I will never be back.

I came with a group, and it was so much fun! Kelsey was a fantastic tour guide, and I really enjoyed hearing about the history of the theater including all their cool sustainability-focused features. We watched Macbeth, and it was so good! It took a smidge of time to acclimate to the concept since I'm a bit rusty on my Macbeth. It was amazing though! All the actors were super expressive, and I loved all the details in the set. The smaller theater size was intimate and really helped me make contact with every piece of the performance. I look forward to coming back in the future!

I know this may not directly be the venue's fault but not many other places to tell the story. The farewell tour of Rent has been a very rough goodbye. The opening was immediately closed for two weeks due to COVID. They rescheduled us and got us similar, if not the exact same seats...all was well. Then, we went tonight and 10min in they came out to tell us it was yet again cancelled due to a health concern in the cast. They offered a refund or getting new tickets. What is the point of new tickets with one week left and the only seats available are in the back of the house when I was in the front row?? This has been a very amateur touring cast. When your job requires you to be on stage, in a house full of strangers, in a town that isn't familiar, how do you not take every precaution to keep yourself/others safe? We are forced to wear masks as patrons so we aren't the problem. This is the personal decisions of the cast to not carry the burden of their chosen profession. You'd think being off work for two years would make you hyper vigilant to the new normal of your craft. I for one am glad they didn't get my money because I feel like they didn't earn it. Having to carve out a portion of our day, drive down (gas prices anyone?), pay for parking, get our seat and then find out no go is insane. How did no one know earlier than 10min after the show was supposed to start? I will be getting my refund and heading other venues that haven't had many issues, let alone multiple in the same run. Hopefully PCS will tighten up their protocols in upcoming shows so we can come back as it is a great space to see a show, when there is a show.

Outstanding place to watch a show! Courteous staff and nice ambiance. The art work is truly something to behind! We ended up seeing the smaller stage which was totally fine--more of a smaller audience!

The four performances I've seen over the last year all have been stellar. From And so we walked: An Artist's journey though the trial of tears to The Color Purple and the current Sense and Sensibility, all have not disappointed. Love seeing the diversity in casting, creativity and beautiful sets. If you're under 35, check out the armory card.

This is my favorite place to see a show in Portland. The whole venue is so pretty. Outside the actually theatre there is a bar and a restaurant, and plenty of room to hang out in before the show starts. I've never actually ordered a drink or eaten the food (aside from the $1 cookies, which are great for soaking up some of the pre-show happy hour booze), but I'd definitely be interested. The actual theatre itself is perfect. Everything is super modern and sheek. The stage is always put together in really unique ways. The chairs are super comfortable, and really, there's not a bad seat in the house. The acoustics are also fantastic. Best of all, the shows are typically affordable! Especially for me, given that I'm under 35 and have The Armory Card (pro tip: get one of those). Portland Center Stage, I love thee.

Doesn't everyone have a list of celebrity crushes? Well last year I saw my #1 guy perform live and I was underwhelmed. Sigh. It was one of those experiences where it was probably impossible for this poor actor to live up to all my expectations and projections of what he would be like in person. And he was just a guy. A guy outperformed by a high school English teacher. So I was a little nervous about seeing Storm Large in 'Crazy Enough,' her one-woman show at Portland Center Stage. I've had a big 'ole girl crush on Storm ever since watching her on Rockstar: Supernova three years ago. And, my bad, I didn't get tickets to see her perform in the PCS production of Cabaret last year. I don't know what I was worried about. It is a tour de force performance filled with humor, music, rock star strutting and naked (emotionally, not physically, dang it) confessions. She was better than I imagined and when does that happen? The show's run has been extended several times and I highly recommend you get tickets, whether you are already a fan or you just want to see one of Portland's divas in all her glory. This is a great venue since it is in the smaller performance space at the Gerding Theatre. It is a small venue that feels like a jazz club, which lends itself to the confessional nature of the show and every seat is a good seat. But don't bring your parents. There were some older audience members at the show (season ticket holders?) and it was a bit *awkward* given the subject matter and annoying when their hearing aids were going off during the musical performance. This show is filled with f-bombs and 'mature content,' so don't say you weren't warned. I'm not a big fan of profanity, but from her lips it sounds like poetry. **Special tip - Both the Entertainment and Chinook Books have buy one, get one free coupons for PCS performances.

We love the shows PCS produces. We're never disappointed and often unexpectedly blown away by our experience. We just signed up for our third full season

I love coming to see shows by Portland Center Stage. My partner and I have been coming to shows every once in a while for the last two years and each production has been fantastic. The Armory Building itself is also great, with the main theater on the ground floor and a smaller theater downstairs. The second floor balcony is also great for people watching and they let you bring in drinks from the bar. The icing on the cake for us is the Armory Card, which lets people under 30 purchase a package of 5 plays for $100. You just call up the box office whenever you want to use your Armory Card to get tickets. If you're not under 30, they still have tickets starting at $25. These seats are on the sides of the theater but I've sat in some of them and I still had a great view of the actors. There really isn't a bad seat in the house!

**WC** I have been seeing plays put on by Portland Center Stage at the Armory for a few years now and have not been disappointed once! I do confess that I hold out many times for favorites such as Little Shop of Horrors and Sweeney Todd - which were both FREAKING AMAZING btw... As time has gone by though I find myself at this theater a lot more. I was honored to get a private tour recently of the backstage and building. I honestly had no idea they have a wonderful smaller convertible theater in the same building which also puts on its own performances (again, I usually am a sucker for the bigger named pieces mostly due to time constraints). I am anxious now to check out that smaller theater though. The staff are very nice here from the managers and ticket booth. I do think it is wonderful at what a variety of productions they dip their hands into as far as themes and styles go. I really never know what I will see come up on their listings which is pretty exciting. From a wheelchair perspective it is pretty easy to get in and out of the theater and easy to get ADA seats in the theater for either one and you have lots of choices. Now, the downside is the trips to get upstairs for the other bar or downstairs to use the restroom. They have two elevators which are slow and I do remember coming her when I was mobile and needed to desperately use the facilities during the intermission...you know, like every other female in the theater right. It was a nightmare because they do not have a lot of restrooms and then using the elevator like everyone else wanted to...eek... I cannot imagine doing that at all - especially if you need to wait for the ADA bathroom. So...GO before you GO!

Great venue to see a play. A must visit when in Portland. Not a bad seat in the house, they also sell Coffee & Wine before the show. This is an ideal "date night" with your significant other. Can't wait to return for another play Restrooms are very clean and the ushers are very helpful.

This is probably my favorite theater in Portland to see plays in, and PCS does a great job choosing shows that cover a wide variety of genres. I've seen Santaland Diaries in the downstairs Ellen Bye Theater, and 2 shows on the Main Stage (Twist Your Dickens and Constellations). There's really not a bad seat in the house in either theater. Did you know that there are difference width seats in the Main Stage theater, from 21"-24", so if you want a wider seat, just call the box office and they can help you out. All the seats are very comfortable too, with lots of leg room. The building is gorgeous. I was lucky enough to get a tour of the entire place, backstage and all. The Gerding Theater at the Armory is the first building on the National Register of Historic Places to receive LEED Platinum, which is no easy feat. The lobby area is beautiful and is frequently used for community events as well. There's a cafe inside too, for pre-show dinners. Definitely one of the nicer places to go see quality, professional theater!

My husband shares my account and was upset that he inadvertently missed the prologue. But two stars is far too harsh. PCS does a great job putting on productions. Next time, give us some advance notice of the "prologue". We showed up to see "In The Heights" tonight, at about 7PM for a 7:30 PM show time. When we arrived, we found out there was a prologue that started at 6:55. We walked to the door, and we're going to be allowed in "late" (even though we were half an hour early). The usher scanned our tickets, but a second usher appeared and barred us from entry claiming the theater was now full for the prologue. If you as a theater know you have a production featuring a part of the show that starts 35 minutes before the published show time, do us, your paying clientele and patrons the common decency and courtesy to notify us ahead of time so we can plan accordingly.

Confession - I was lukewarm on attending the Sense and Sensibility production at PCS. An English romance about poor sisters looking for love, AND money - ho hum. The news is so depressing, do I want to see sad girls? GO SEE THIS SHOW! It will knock your socks off and have you laughing all night long. This new interpretation is so very funny and well-acted and well-staged that the story races along. The set pieces are on wheels and the characters move them around before and DURING scenes. Chairs move, tables slide across the stage, trellises float around. That alone took some amazing choreography. The opening dance scene with on-stage costume changes is Fabulous! Comedy is needed this winter and the new artistic director of PCS is offering up some fine stuff. Rush tickets are only $20. Support the arts. Live. Laugh. You won't regret it.

Portland Center Stage, as the name suggests, is the center of live theatre performances in Portland, Oregon. In the 18 months since moving to the PDX metro area, I've seen a half-dozen plays at Portland Center Stage. Most shows are small productions with a limited, but stellar cast. The staging and lighting is almost always simple (and effective) which allows the actors and story to shine. Portland Center Stage is officially at the Gerding Theater at the Armory and has two performance venues. I've seen performances at both the the U.S. Bank Main Stage for 590 people and at the smaller Ellyn Bye Studio downstairs for up to 190 people. Neither space is large which means every ticket leads to a good seat. I haven't tried the balcony of the main stage, yet, but it seems close enough for the 75 people sitting up there, too. The Armory building was actually the 1st building in Portland and all of the Cascadia region making it as historic as it comes for architecture in the PNW. It was renovated recently and is now environmentally friendly and Platinum Leed certified. Check out the history of the Armory with one of the free tours offered noon to 1:00 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays during the performance season. The theater group also puts in effort to improve accessibility to the theater experience in Portland. All shows have accommodations for those with mobility impairments, In addition, select performances offer audio-described, sign-interpreted, and open-captioned performances. The 2nd Sunday matinee performance of every production is audio described while the 3rd Thursday evening performance of every production is sign interpreted. Large print programs are also available at the concierge booth in the main lobby and online. The Armory Cafe (on the Mezzanine) and the lobby offer free WiFi and over-priced drinks. Table service is available in the Cafe for brunch before matinees and after 6:00 p.m. on performance nights. I've only tried a few of the lobby bar drinks. Instead, I always plan to hit a local restaurant beforehand and a bar afterwards making the Portland Center Stage a wonderful center-piece of a night downtown near the Pearl district.

We had our wedding reception at the Armory. The staff, especially Elizabeth and Katie, were phenomenal. They met with us multiple times and were extremely knowledgeable of how best to use the space, while honoring specific requests that were important to us. We had a traditional Polish wedding and they allowed us to bring in additional vendors to make the evening perfect! They also worked with all our vendors to coordinate access, set up, etc. We had a live band which required an additional visit/walkthrough, but the Armory helped us make sure we had the right set up and the acoustics were awesome! Lastly, Katie and Elizabeth were very professional in the communications with us. They were super prompt to answer Qs, make recommendations, etc. 5 stars all around!!!

The armory building renovation and space is as good as it gets. The productions, both large and small, are always great. We just got back from watching 'Mojada', a retelling of the Greek classic tragedy by Euripides set in today's L.A.. Granted, it's a Tragedy :-( but so well done. I thank my lucky stars this place exists and is so accessible. They do season tickets, rush (night of performance) tickets, there's a happy hour ($3 beers) until 6:30PM. Live Theater is THE BEST!!

I recently attended Portland Center Stage's production of Bust. This is a one woman show performed by actress and comedian Lauren Weedman. During this 90 minute show, she portrays a series of characters that portray here experiences as a volunteer in the Los Angeles County prison system and the various unintended consequences of her good works. The play was just OK and I found myself dozing through some parts of it. Lauren Weedman is certainly talented, but I just didn't connect with the flow of the show, the characters portrayed, and the play's somewhat abrupt ending. And with "Swimming to Cambodia" as my "Gold Standard", I left wanting more. The Theater space itself was handsome and cozy inside this architecturally stunning Armory. However, I found pre-show seating to be unorganized and post-show staff performance to have some parallels with a few prison characters in the play. In other words, I saw first hand what PCS's "4th Wall" looks like. It's not a pretty Initman sight.

PCS is my favorite place to see a play in Portland. At this point I've been to numerous productions here and we now attend almost every play each season. There have only been a handful that I didn't find exceptional. It's very obvious that PCS wants to bring theater to everyone. Their Ticket Specials page claims: "We have deals to meet every schedule and budget" and I really feel this is true. I've never seen a theater organization who is more flexible and aware of the community's wants and needs. I highly recommend you check out this page before buying tickets. I'm currently loving the Armory Card, which gives us under 35ers five tickets for $100. $20 a show! My all time favorite production here was last season's Little Shop of Horrors. I'm not sure if they'll be able to top that, but I'd like to find out. I also love that I learn so much when I attend productions here. For instance, I truly didn't know anything about Irving Berlin before I came to Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin and I didn't know anything about the Kindertransport before I attended The Pianist of Willesden Lane. Thank you, Portland Center Stage, for bringing us such wonderful theater. You really are the best.

My neighbor mentioned to me that Anna Karenina was playing and did I want to go. I thought what an excellent opportunity. So, he picked up the tickets for the four of us. Based on some of the reviews, that might be a good thing so I don't get the marketing calls. What a delight! My neighbor got us front row seats and we were all excited to go at $37 a seat I thought that was quite a deal. The bad news was on the night of the performance it was canceled due to cast illness. They sent my friend an email and then allowed us to selected some different dates. The nice thing was they extended the time they were performing (by a week or so) so that they could cover all of us that got canceled out. Having just missed the streetcar we made the quick walk down to the theater. Great access to the streetcar, however, if you are more timely than we were. The front row seats were great. Most of our group is in the six foot and over range so it's nice not to have your knees bump up against the back of a seat. This production even featured Portland Native Gretchen Corbett. Gretchen probably best know for her stint on TV's the Rockford Files, plays Mother Shcherbatskaya as well as some ensemble parts. Kelley Curran as Anna Karenina, was fabulous as well. All of the cast, were spot on. They even were able to bring some humor to this particular story which can be somewhat somber at best. I would highly recommend this play to others. I will definitely be back to see another production at this location.

An honest to goodness old school armory, brick castle fortress style in 1891, converted into a Broadway show-worthy theater. Really nice place to see a show.

We have seen several shows here and now in both the downstairs venue and the main venue. All shows have been top notch but also the seats are comfortable and at least on the main venue really all seats are good. We were even the second row from the back and it was still decent. Downstairs there are some seats that are far to the side but you are super close to the stage. I love the history of the building too and all the recycled materials in the remodel.

Macbeth was amazing and I don't even enjoy Shakespeare!! The brilliance of the concept and the direction were only bested by the incredible acting. The three actors were insanely talented. If you can get a chance to go, don't miss it. Do what I did and read the plot summary on the website, helps you relax and sit in awe as the story brilliantly unfolds. I grew up on Broadway and Off Broadway shows and this is right up there in quality and creativity. Bravo!

Yeaaaa!!! Meat pies (burgers) at the Little Big Burger and walk around the block to Portland Center Stage to see "Sweeney Todd". The old Gerding Armory is the building and it's worth the price of admission just to lounge in the lobby & schmooz with whomever. And, the greatest bargain of all, The Pearl ;-) Gerding Theater at the Armory. 128 NW Eleventh Avenue Portland, Oregon 97209

Saw a recent collaboration with Artists Repertory Theatre here, School Girls. It was excellent and I cannot imagine there is a bad seat in the house. Very pleased.

Be aware that once you give them money for tickets customer service is non-existent. I purchased tickets for our family and some how the confirmation email got deleted. I logged into my account to reprint resend them and this is not an option. I can see that I purchased them but cannot access or print them. I searched their webpage and they do not have a help page and no FAQ. They also have no blurb telling me if I can be admitted at the box office with ID or if I am just out of luck with lost tickets. They have phone numbers posted but none of them are manned and all go to a recording saying the box office opens at noon. Our show starts at 2 and we have to be on the bus by 11:30 to get there on a Saturday. This means we will be travelling to the show before we can even get someone on the phone to tell us if we can see it. It seems they are happy to take your money but do not provide even the most basic level of support once they have it.

We saw A Life last night. It had to be the worst production we have ever seen. It was poorly written directed and acted. What a depressing mess

We saw Santaland Diaries last week after having it recommended by a friend and enjoyed it. The building itself is very cool with a nice vibe and well laid out. We went downstairs to the particular theater where it would play and got in line since they only offer general admission for this show. Upon entering the actual theater, the scene was set with a nice stage and holiday decor. The patron seating was extremely comfortable, in fact the most comfy theater seating I've ever encountered, and the room filled up extremely fast. In regards to the show - it was good but not great. I felt that it lacked something. We laughed quite a bit, but nothing seemed so funny that I was just cracking up. It was only 70 minutes, which went by quick, but I left feeling less satisfied than expected. Perhaps it was the price of tickets given the length of the show and output of comedy? We chose Christmas Eve because it was a cheaper show - $40 rather than $55 - but even $40 seemed quite pricey for this show after having seen it. I can't quite put my finger on what was missing but I would say I probably wouldn't have seen it for the price knowing I would leave feeling like it was just "OK". If they lowered the price to $25 or $30 per person then I would absolutely recommend it, but $40+ just seems incredibly steep if you're not laughing for majority of the show. Sorry :/

The whole Romeo/Juliet thing didn't work out so well for everybody involved. Lord and Lady Macbeth should probably never have been introduced. A lot of great theater is made out of unwise couplings. In distinct contrast, however, Portland Center Stage marries perfectly with the Gerding Theater at the Armory, where it is now housed. This company was once a Northern outpost of Oregon Shakespeare Festival and performed in the Winningstad theater. They won me over back then with a brilliant same-season scheduling of 'Hamlet' and 'Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' using all the same cast in the key roles. Then they hit a gold vein with David Sedaris' 'Santaland Diaries', which they wisely milk for both laughs and revenue year after year. Since the move to the Gerding Theater, Portland Center Stage has kept stepping up their game. I remember being blown away by the adaptation they did of 'Sometimes A Great Notion', which I think of as the quintessential Northwest novel. And then they did it again with another regional classic, 'Snow Falling on Cedars'. When they returned to the Shakespeare well last season it was with the imaginative staging of 'Amazing Cymbelline', which was -as advertised - amazing. This season we managed to see 'Clybourne Park' before it closed and we agreed that it continued a long string of solid performances. We don't have the budget to see everything this company produces but so far, only 'The North Plan' seemed a little thin, and really that didn't even dawn on me until I had stopped laughing well after the curtain came down. The lobby is inviting and the café is actually a decent place to grab a bite if you're running behind before show time. The performances spaces themselves are open and inviting, without a bad seat as far as I can tell. The fact that the space is all LEED certified means you can breathe easy and know that the environment isn't toxic, even if the onstage relationships are.

I hadn't been here before and it was a really great venue in which to see a play in. Comfortable seating and a "happy hour" bar right outside the doors. In a really beautiful building as well Everyone we encountered was nice and friendly too.

I try to go to a show or two or more every season. The very first few was before they moved to the current Gerding theater. The production has definitely stepped up a notch after the move. No matter what the play is, I've always been impressed with the sets. The building itself is awesome too. One of the earlier LEED certified buildings, all the toilet's water comes from collected rain water, there's no heating because the stage lights warms the place up, etc etc. I learn all these by going on their backstage tour. They offered this occasionally throughout the year. The tickets can be expensive, but for people on a budget, you can line up for rush tickets. For any unsold ticket 10 minutes prior to the show, they'll sell it for $20 cold hard cash. This is how I've seen most of the shows. They really don't have bad seat in the house, so it's worked out for me every time. All their evening shows starts at 7:30, which is perfect because free parking in the Pearl starts at 7. When you get a chance, you should definitely try seeing a show @ the PCS, it's arguably the best theater in town.

Amazing, just plain amazing. This is one of the best playhouses I've been on this side of the world, and I've been to quite a few up and down the West Coast. Clean and welcoming lobby. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The bar served promising food and beverages (they had alcohol. To clarify, I didn't partake. I didn't have time). The acoustics in the theater was very good. There are adjacent theaters but you wouldn't hear the other production playing next door. The inside was clean and the chairs were comfy. The crowd that came was also rather pleasant. Came here to see Vanya & Sonya & Masha & Spike. That was an intensely funny play. Parking is available on the street or in adjacent parking structures across the street and around the corner. If I'm ever back in town and something is playing that tickles my fancy, I'm coming back here with a skip to my step. See you soon!

PCS has a beautiful, environmentally conscious theater in the heart of the Pearl. I have been a season ticket holder for 3 years and have enjoyed every production, (my favorite being Pillow man) and I always recommend PCS for those that haven't been to the theater in a long time. If you follow them on line, they often offer free tickets for the first 20 people to respond! Also, if you are under 30, there is a special package rate for you! Otherwise, I might not be able to afford it. Only downside is that they hound you for donations...It cost enough just go get your foot in the door, you know? Play on!

The Gerding Theater is so great. It is so nice (although I'm sure it was extremely expensive) to have the old armory renovated into a theater. Even if you aren't going to a play, stop in for a bite to eat (they have a small eatery) and to check out the artwork and architecture. The studio is so intimate and wonderful. I saw a great performance there (The Underpants) just a few days ago. Bonus: Stop by a few minutes before a show and get half price tickets!

I went to my first show here last night and the space was beautiful. It's inside of an old armory, and everything about it is pretty wonderful. The show was a really good production that me an the lady I was with enjoyed a lot. They also had a really good question and answer session afterwards that had a lot of participation and provoked a lot of good talking afterwards. If you don't go to plays, you should because they're dope. If you do and haven't been here, you should. It's my favorite venue I've been to in the greater Portland area so far for plays. We sat in the balcony and it actually ended up being a pretty good seat. Have a little culture PDX peeps, and do it here.

Stunning sets, beautifully executed Streetcar Named Desire! Bravo Chris Coleman and cast. refreshing portrayals of Stanley & Stellaaaaaaa

So I'm taking down some stars....they keep calling me. What about buying a ticket means that I want phone calls and mailings.