March 20, 2019
Page 7
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
Photo by r ussell J y oung
Portland’s Andrea Vernae stars as Fay, a young woman grieving the death of her mother in ‘Jump,’ a world premiere play that addresses the taboos surrounding mental
health, particularly in black and other communities of color. The production is co-produced by the local black theatre group Confrontation Theater and Milagro, Portland’s
Latino theater group.
Healing Hearts and Minds
World premiere play opens
eyes to mental health
Knocking down taboos surrounding mental health,
particularly in black and other communities of color,
is the driver behind a new theatrical production by an
African American playwright that gets its first showing
in a world premiere at Milagro Theatre.
‘Jump,’ by Charly Evon Simpson and directed
by Portland’s La’Tevin Alexander is presented as a
co-production between Milagro and Confrontation The-
atre, a theatre group Alexander formed three years ago
to present plays about the African diaspora and provide
black youth access and opportunities to creatively ex-
press themselves.
Alexander has starred in the TV series Portlandia
and Grimm and played Muhammad Ali in the 2018 Or-
egon Children’s Theatre production of “In This Corner:
Cassius Clay.” He moved to Portland after finishing up
his Theatre Management course work at Florida A&M
University. Simpson is a playwright, performer, and ed-
ucator from New York City.
Her play ‘Jump’ addresses the all too familiar story
of family, fantasy and mental health. Set on a bridge
that spans a deep gorge, 20-something Fay is reeling
from the death of her mother and looking for solace, but
what she finds is a journey of self-discovery. Portland
actress Andrea Vernae of Confrontation Theatre plays
the lead role.
Jump opens Friday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. and con-
tinues with shows through April 13. Visit milagro.org
or the Milagro box office at 525 S.E. Stark St.