September 12, 2018
Page 9
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
photo by
d avid k inder
Shelley B. Shelley and Tamera Lyn are coworkers at a dying Detroit auto plant who struggle to survive in a constantly changing society in Portland Artists
Repertory Theater’s production of “Skeleton Crew,” now playing through Sept. 30.
A Struggle to Stay Relevant
Factory workers fight for survival in ‘Skeleton Crew’
An award winning play that
touches on the struggles of facto-
ry workers living pay check to pay
check amid a dying Detroit auto
plant and featuring an all-black cast
kicks off a new season for Port-
land’s Artists Repertory Theater.
“Skeleton Crew” by Dominique
Morisseau, and directed by William
(Bill) Earl Ray, reveals the struggles
of everyday Americans trying to
stay relevant in a society that con-
stantly changes. Together, the work-
ers somehow shape themselves into
a makeshift family, trying to figure
out what’s next. What will happen?
How will they survive?
Morisseau’s work includes a
string of finely crafted plays that
are being seen by audiences across
the country. Ray, a director and
actor with 40 years of experience,
last directed at Artists Rep for the
production of “Ain’t Misbehavin’
and he also acted in Artists Rep’s
“A Raisin in the Sun.”
“Skeleton Crew” opened last
week and runs through Sept. 30
on Artists’ Rep’s Morrison Stage,
1515 S.W. Morrison St. Shows are
Wednesdays -Sundays at 7:30 p.m.,
Saturdays at 2 p.m., and Sundays at
2 p.m.
For tickets and more information,
call the box office at 503.241.1278
or visit artistsrep.org.