March 6, 2019
Page 9
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
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C hris b ennion /C ourtesy t he a rmory
Dael Orlandersmith explores the social unrest in Ferguson, Mo. following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, in ‘Until
the Flood,’ her Pulitzer Prize finalist play.
Until
the
Flood
A playwright’s celebrated performance about Ferguson
Pulitzer Prize finalist and celebrated
performer Dael Orlandersmith comes
to Portland Center Stage at The Armory
to perform her compassionate, timely
play Until the Flood, exploring the so-
cial unrest in Ferguson, Mo., following
the fatal police shooting of Michael
Brown, an unarmed black teenager.
Originally commissioned by Rep-
ertory Theatre of St. Louis, Until the
Flood is drawn from Orlandersmith’s
extensive interviews with residents
across the greater St. Louis area to cre-
ate composite characters that reflect a
wide range of perspectives and experi-
ences of race in Missouri.
Orlandersmith crafts a stunning the-
atrical experience that must be seen.
Variety called Until the Flood “both
eye-opening and quietly moving,”
while the Chicago Tribune called it
“palpably compassionate,” writing
that it “achieves a great beauty by
bringing us together rather than driv-
ing us apart.
The Armory will host several free
community events surrounding the
play, including a screening of Whose
Streets?, a documentary about the Fer-
guson uprising, and a series of moder-
ated post-show discussions with com-
munity leaders that will explore the
themes of the play through local per-
spectives.
Preview performances of “Until the
Flood’ begin Saturday, March 16 and
continue through Thursday, March 22;
opening night is Friday, March 22; and
shows will run through April 21 in the
Ellyn Bye Studio at The Armory.
Regular tickets range from $25 to
$57. Visit.pcs.org, call 503-445-3700
or stop by the box office at 128 N.W.
11th Ave.