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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 2020)
January 29, 2020 Page 7 Arts & ENTERTAINMENT Fertile Ground for Original Works Portland writer, author and playwright S. Renee Mitchell’s “Three by Ten & More” a series of readings that that tell powerful stories about love, history and bullying. The Portland African American theater group PassinArt presents the new works on Friday, Jan. 31 through Feb. 9 at Self Enhancement, Inc., 3029 N. Kerby Ave. as part of Fertile Ground A City-Wide Festival of New Works. On Love, History and Bullying PassinArt presents Mitchell readings PassinArt: A Theatre Company grounded in Portland’s African American community presents “Three by Ten & More,” three short theatrical readings that fo- cus on love, history and bullying by local writer, author, and play- wright S. Renee Mitchell. The first presentation, “Love Me Right,” is Mitchell’s poetic story of a Valentine’s Day encoun- ter that helps a single woman and a married couple recognize that the heart is never safe when it is lured out to play like it doesn’t mind the risk of falling in love. “Blood is Thicker Than Color,” the second reading, is a story of a Native American family during America’s dark days of chattel slavery learn that family’s blood is more meaningful than one’s color. “Shaping of An Avalanche,” the third selection is about the memory of a bullied high school girl whose suicide begins a series of events that turn the tables on her bullying classmates, leading to an unexpect- ed and surprising ending. “Three by Ten & More” opens Friday, Jan. 31 and plays through Feb. 9 at Self Enhancement, Inc., 3920 N. Kerby Ave., as part of the Festival Ground A City-Wide Fes- tival of New Works. Shows on Friday and Saturday are at 7 p.m. and Sunday shows are at 3 p.m. Bonus performances and audience discussion will follow the staged readings. Tickets are $10 and can be pur- chased at passinart.org The Portland-grown Fertile Ground City-Wide Festival of New Works kicks off Thursday, Jan. 30 and con- tinues through Sunday, Feb. 9, bringing 75 events and 120 acts of creation to mul- tiple local venues in theater, dance, poetry, circus, music, animation and multidisci- plinary acts. Fertile Ground is an annual celebration of the prolific playwrights, abundant actors, innovative dancers, talented designers and adventuresome producers who live and work right here in the Rose City. An incubator for new work in all forms and stages of creation, Fertile Ground offers theater and dance, workshops, staged readings and multidisciplinary events for 11 days and at all times of the day and at venues across the city. The festival is an astonishing breadth of creative work with seasoned theater and dance companies alongside new art-creators of every ilk. Since the inaugural festival in 2009 more than 70 Fertile Ground-originated works have gone on to further productions, locally, naturally and in festivals worldwide. “Each year, I’m like a kid in a candy store as I look through the project listings for the first time, awash with delight at the inventive, thoughtful, diverse array of creative impulses they comprise,” said Nicole Lane, Fertile Ground festival director. “This year is no different and maybe even more exciting than some years.” For a full list of this year’s offerings, visit fertilegroundpdx.org.
