M artin L uther K ing J r .
January 13, 2016
Page 35
2016 special edition
Arts &
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Cast members (from left) Damaris Webb, Skeeter Greene and Jacque Dixon prepare to bring S. Renee
Mitchell’s new play “Ophelia in Oblivion” to life in dramatic reading performances this month at Celebra-
tion Tabernacle in north Portland.
Ophelia in Oblivion
Poet writes play on family trauma, secrets and regrets
One of Portland’s celebrated
black writers and artists is getting
ready to debut a dramatic new
full-length play as a staged read-
ing that explores death, karma,
guilt and family dysfunction.
S. Renee Mitchell’s “Ophelia
in Oblivion” will be presented this
month as part of the annual Fertile
Ground Festival of New Works,
an 11-day celebration of new artist
works featured at various venues
across the city.
Mitchell’s production, dealing
with a family’s trauma, secrets and
regrets, began as a dare to write a
10 minute play during a Portland
Center Stage writing class. Over
a two-month span, the playwright
and poet, a former award-winning
columnist for The Oregonian, re-
vised her class homework under
the mentorship of celebrated play-
wright Rich Rubin.
She changed the title, added
characters and expanded it to a
full 90-minute theatrical explora-
tion designed to make audience
members think, laugh, wonder and
S. Renee Mitchell
question, with a bombshell ending
that will take them by surprise.
“I want audience members to
be sucked in by the laughter, the
unveiling of the poignant relation-
ship dynamics and the signs of
dysfunction that likely resonate
with their own families,” says
Mitchell.
The founder of the Twysted
Healing Systahs, an empower-
ment and performance women’s
collective, explains that she too is
a recovering middle child from a
family with its own struggles.
“At the end of the play peo-
ple will likely not be able to stop
thinking about, discussing and
questioning the deeper mean-
ing behind what they just saw on
stage,” she said.
After each performance, there
will be time for a facilitated di-
alogue so the audience can ask
questions.
The staged full-length readings
of “Ophelia in Oblivion” will take
place at Celebration Tabernacle,
8131 N. Denver Ave. on Friday
and Saturday, Jan. 22 and 23 at
7:30 p.m., and again on Sunday,
Jan. 24 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 and can be pur-
chased at boxofficetickets.com/
go/event?id=308023.
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