Physical space is integral to making theater. Not only do you need space for the performance, you need space to brainstorm, rehearse, make posters, and take care of the administration of making art. In the last decade, Portland has seen arts organizations struggle to hold on to existing buildings, and in some cases, lose them completely.
“Artists will fill up space in semi-neglected buildings and then that all comes to an end with the next level of city development,” said Jacob Coleman, artistic director of Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble (PETE), “I’ve experienced that several times.”
Because of the insecurity theater companies faced, Philip Cuomo, the former artistic director of CoHo Productions, began laying the groundwork to acquire the building on NW Raleigh that CoHo has called home since 2000, negotiating directly with the family who owned the property. However, that work came to an end in 2021 when Cuomo passed from an aggressive medical condition.
In the wake of his death, family and friends set out to finish his work, creating the Cuomo Theatre Fund: an organization dedicated to securing a permanent home not only for CoHo, but also PETE and Third Rail Repertory Theatre, companies Cuomo also had deep ties with.
Since then, the fund has raised over $2 million towards the goal of fully acquiring the property and refurbishing the theater. “I feel very confident about our ability to get there,” said Maureen Porter, artistic director of Third Rail, wife of Cuomo, and board member for the organization. “We’re here for many reasons, certainly, Philip’s vision is at the base of it, but also the huge swell of community support from artists, makers, companies, funders, and longtime supporters. We want to reflect that generosity back to the community.”
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The expansion has already created two studio spaces, which became permanent homes for PETE and Third Rail. They’re also available to the Portland arts community on a sliding scale. “This is the first time in 21 years that Third Rail has had an actual rehearsal space for a theater that’s right next door,” said Porter. “To be itinerant, without collaborators and collective thinking, is such a drain on your human resources, your financial resources, and your creative resources.”
The new space has also allowed PETE to grow its Institute for Contemporary Performance (ICP)—a year-long training center for artists—and provide studio space to program graduates to keep making work. “Fostering that community after they’ve graduated has been a big emphasis for us lately,” said Coleman. “They have a home, a place that they are already familiar with, because they spent a year in it.”
The Cuomo Theatre Fund also created the resource center, a space where independent artists have access to a shared coworking space, business center, meeting rooms, and a recording studio. Emily Newton, a local performer who teaches for ICP, used the resource center to help produce her latest show, Big Baby—showing September 26-27 as part of CoHo’s Clownfest. “I’m not specifically tied to these companies,” said Newton. “I make my own work, and to have access to a facility like this is pretty unique. Finding venues, finding affordable rehearsal spaces, being among other people who are making work, who are interested in your work, is very hard.”
“That was Philip’s vision, knowing that there’s this cumulative effect of being near each other,” said Coleman. “We have people ask if they can drop into a class or workshop because they have a rehearsal right after. Or sometimes someone will have a show, and they’ll ask if you can watch a quick run-through when you’re done. These little moments feel like a nice coincidence, but this building fosters that kind of coincidence on a consistent basis, and the net effect of that over time is huge.”
Cuomo’s legacy included a love of physical humor and clowning which also carries on to this day. Since 2022, CoHo has hosted a clownfest every fall, a monthlong festival of physical comedy performances. PETE often incorporates clowning into productions; Cuomo taught the subject as part of the Institute for Contemporary Performance.
“My feeling was that clowning isn’t any different from other physical trainings for performers,” said Coleman. “It asks us to trust things other than text as our primary source. Opening your body up to allow for creative choices to be made before you can self-censor them, especially at the level of early generation.”
“Clowning invites the audience to be in an actual, real-time relationship with a performer,” said Newton, who also studied under Cuomo. “It’s an electric form
of performance, because it’s asking the audience to be present with us. It’s the opposite of being on your phone or watching Netflix.”
Being in that physical space with a performer is an essential element that makes the art form of theater what it is. The Cuomo Theatre Fund is working to ensure that CoHo—and the challenging work it fosters—continues to exist, so future generations of performers and audience members are able to keep coming together.
CoHo Productions Clown Festival is at CoHo Theater, 2257 NW Raleigh, through Oct 4, tickets are sliding scale, more info at cohoproductions.org/clownfest-lineup-2026, age recommendations vary by show.