Mental Health, Grief, and The Cost Of Silence

Presented during Mental Health Awareness Month, our special lab production of Hamlet in Old Town embraces the play’s deep themes of grief, psychological distress, and the struggle to find meaning in difficult times.

We are very proud to collaborate once again with Central City Concern, an organization connecting those in need with housing as well as mental and physical health care. A portion of ticket sales will go to the CCC and their invaluable work.

This production will be accompanied by facilitated talk-backs and community conversations in collaboration with mental health professionals and local Old Town organizations — creating space for reflection, conversation, and connection beyond the performance itself. This is a dialogue, an exploration of mental health in trying times — a means to encourage, support, and facilitate understanding through art.

Shakespeare, Drag, and Self-discovery

As part of the Portland Metro Chamber’s Summer of Love celebrating the opening of the Darcelle XV Plaza, Rose City Stage Company will present Love All, a dynamic series exploring the intersections of Shakespeare, drag, and gender performance.

The series begins with a showcase of scenes from Shakespeare’s “breeches plays” — comedies built on disguise and layered gender performance — joyfully expanded through contemporary drag and bold, inclusive casting. Additional events throughout the summer will include interactive workshops and public conversations connecting Shakespeare’s long tradition of gender play with Portland’s vibrant drag legacy.

This project honors both Shakespearean tradition and Portland’s thriving drag community, blending classical text with radical inclusion and joy.

Community, Creativity, and Transformation

This fall, we present As You Like It in collaboration with Art in the Pearl, celebrating the festival’s 30th anniversary and the Pearl District’s rich visual-art heritage.

In a continued collaboration with No Vacancy, we will transform a vacant space in the Pearl into a free immersive art gallery featuring local visual artists. In the evenings, that same gallery — and the art itself — becomes the backdrop for Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy, creating a living intersection of visual art and performance.

This production centers collaboration at every level, with artist talkbacks and workshops, a dedicated online gallery highlighting participating artists, music and song, and a partnership with Arden Restaurant, offering themed pre-show dinners.

Blending gallery, theater, and community space, this special production of As You Like It invites audiences to gather, discover, and celebrate art in all its forms.

Love, Music, Mischief, and Holiday Spirit

We are thrilled to welcome director Don Alder and his widely loved interpretation of Twelfth Night — a lush winter celebration of romance, revelry, disguise, and delicious confusion.

This winter, we’re re-imagining Shakespeare’s magical land of Illyria as a warm, immersive holiday gathering in a transformed Portland space. Audiences can expect live music, romance, revelry, and a setting designed for celebration — where you can share a drink, take in the atmosphere, and fully embrace the play’s original Christmas-season spirit.

Originally performed during the Twelve Days of Christmas, Twelfth Night was meant to be unruly, musical, and communal. This production honors that tradition while creating a distinctly Portland winter event — intimate, festive, and full of heart.

Details are forthcoming — but expect romance, laughter, live music, and a holiday gathering unlike any other.