Welp, welcome to another week, whether you like it or not—and there are, in fact, a few reasons to like it. Consider these: Lan Su Chinese Garden's chrysanthemum celebration creates a "living gallery," the Rothko Pavilion at the Portland Art Museum finally opens, and a stage adaptation of Little Women asks an important question—are you a Jo, a Meg, a Beth, or an Amy? Plus, repertory film goes multi-sensory this week with a scented screening of The Color of Pomegranates and a live-scored L'Inferno. More where that came from below!
Monday, November 17
An Evening with David Sedaris
I’m sorry to report that the “raconteur” (one who tells anecdotes in a skillful, amusing way) is a dying breed—which is why we should continue to pay heed to the modern day master of the anecdote, David Sedaris. Best known for his comedic works such as Barrel Fever, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and of course his most famous essay/play Santaland Diaries, Sedaris makes a near-yearly pilgrimage to Portland to read from his vast body of work (as well as new, previously unheard pieces), answer questions from the audience, sign books, and—as previously mentioned—rattle off a smorgasbord of prickly, smart, and often hilarious anecdotes. Future raconteurs of the world: listen and learn. (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 7:30 pm, $50.40-$101.45, more info, all ages) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Julie Doiron / Bad Posture Club
Though Canadian indie-folk singer-songwriter Julie Doiron hails from the small east coast province of New Brunswick, her music has always felt deeply in community with music in the Pacific Northwest. Softly in touch with herself and the world around her, Doiron’s music is the correct soundtrack for any number of autumnal walks: heading to the bar to meet friends, heading home from a good date, heading home from a bad date—any situation in which you find yourself thinking about past lives and loves, that’s the Julie Doiron headspace. Anacortes, Washington queer-folk duo Bad Posture Club sit up straight in the opening slot. (Showdown Saloon, 1195 SE Powell, 8 pm, $22, more info, 21+) NOLAN PARKER
Tuesday, November 18
Chrysanthemum Festival
Florals for fall? Groundbreaking. Lan Su’s annual Chrysanthemum Festival helps brighten dark and dreary November, spotlighting hundreds of floral artists and colorful blooms. The garden reaches peak fall scenery for the event, with potted mums lining the pathways and floral structures creating a "living gallery." During Nights of the Floral Garden (November 7–9; separate tickets required), you can stroll among the artists’ designs illuminated with glowing lanterns and vote for your favorites. The festival’s Floral Design showcase (November 7–13; included in garden admission) features over a dozen local floral designers, and more special events take place throughout the month, including plant tours, demos, and a wreath workshop. (Lan Su Chinese Garden, 239 NW Everett, daily through Nov 23, $16-$28.95, more info, all ages) BRI BREY
Also worth it:
Sun Ra: Do the Impossible, Hollywood Theatre, more info)
Director Christine Turner's new documentary crafts an interesting portrait of the Afrofuturist world-weaver Sun Ra.
Wednesday, November 19
Train Dreams
Train Dreams introduces us to the story of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) by considering his life's footprint on a map. Orphaned early on, he grows up by the Moyie River in Idaho, before finding work in the 1920s as a logger, traveling west to the old growth forests of Washington. He never sees the ocean but comes within 90 miles or so of the coast. He doesn't make it very far eastward, either. His life was small. Adapted by Clint Bentley and co-writer Greg Kwedar (who together wrote last year’s Sing Sing) from a novella of the same name by Denis Johnson, Train Dreams takes Robert's story and gives it shape and weight. Read the Mercury's full review here. (Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, through Nov 20, 7 pm, $10-$12, more info, PG-13) DOM SINACOLA
Also worth it:
Church of Film: The Feather Fairy, Clinton Street Theater, more info
Juraj Jakubisko, the director of this '85 adaptation of a Grimm fairy tale, leaned into his role as “the Slovakian Fellini," even casting Fellini's wife Giulietta Masina in the film.
Thursday, November 20
Rothko Pavilion Grand Opening
The biggest development at the city’s biggest art institution, Portland Art Museum’s grand opening of its Rothko Pavilion marks a huge milestone for the city and a watershed moment for through traffic on SW Madison. PAM will celebrate the unveiling with four days of free admission, performances, curator talks, and artmaking activities, kicking off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon on November 20 and a Museum Open Late party from 5-9 pm. DJs Ambush and Anjali are on the slate, along with a mystery DJ guest who I’m just going to go ahead and guess is Kyle MacLachlan (just a guess!). (Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park, Nov 20-23, FREE, more info, all ages) SUZETTE SMITH
The Unipiper Whiskey Release Party and Bottle Signing
The Unipiper is an indisputable Portland icon. Precariously wheeling around on a unicycle while playing a flaming bagpipe in a kilt and Darth Vader mask? Oh yeah, that's a local original. At this release party, which feels just as classically Portland, Bull Run Distilling Co. unveils its new Unipiper Whiskey, a seven-year rum-finished rye (the mash bill is 95% rye and 5% malt for you whiskeyheads out there). This Thirsty Thursday, you can sample the whiskey, grab a bottle and get it signed, and enjoy music from the Unipiper. A portion of proceeds from the whiskey sales will go to Weird Portland United, a nonprofit cofounded by the Unipiper himself that helps keep the city's quirky spirit alive. (Koerner Camera Systems, 2828 SE 14th, 5:30-7:30 pm, FREE, more info) JANEY WONG
Risk/Reward Festival and Plus Plus Fest: Memoria with ñ (enye) performance by Ilvs Strauss
Thai director and Palme d’Or winner Apichatpong Weerasethakul might be our best current supplier of slow cinema, rewarding the extremely patient with lush, liminal spaces and open-ended questions. In Memoria, Tilda Swinton’s Jessica is a Scottish expat whose unexplained symptoms kick in after experiencing weird sonic phenomena in the Colombian jungle. The screening will open with a 20-minute audiovisual performance by Seattle artist Ilvs Strauss. Read more in Second Run. (PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division, 7 pm, $25, more info, PG) LC
Beyond Gravity PDX
Planned in celebration of choreographer Jess Curtis—who ran a festival in San Francisco called Beyond Gravity and who also died unexpectedly in early 2024—this three-day fest at Performance Works Northwest showcases new works by artists Curtis mentored. Aiano Nakagawa with ainsley tharp perform "a spell on femme rage" called Rage Room. Gabriele Christian collaborates on a duet with Styles Alexander called DDF, about which the creators say: "No matter how you look at us, we’re cooked." Allie Hankins and Rachael Dichter play with "form, rigor, and slippage" in a work called Chariot. (Performance Works Northwest, 4625 SE 67th, Nov 20-Nov 22, 7:30 pm, $15-25 sliding scale, tickets and info at pwnw-pdx.org, all ages that can appreciate experimental dance) SS
Also worth it:
Goodbye Dragon Inn, Cinemagic, more info
Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang's slow cinema classic follows the closing of a historic, and possibly haunted, movie house.
Friday, November 21
Louisa May Alcott's Little Women
Are you a Jo, a Meg, a Beth, or an Amy? Louisa May Alcott’s character types can tell you as much about a person as their astrological sign. This adaptation of the 1868 novel by playwright Lauren Gunderson modernizes the saga of the March sisters, placing the legendary author at the center of her own story to grapple with the characters she created as she participates in their coming-of-age narrative. The emotional core of the original novel remains, however. The tale of family, sacrifice, and growing up will be acted out by local and national artists in this co-production with Cincinnati Playhouse. (Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th, 7:30 pm, $25-$58, more info, all ages) BRI BREY
Rebound Kiki Ball Three-Year Anniversary
At its heart, ball culture is about family, so it seems like a wonderful synergy that Rebound PDX should be honoring the roots of ballroom at its three-year anniversary Rebound Kiki Ball. With a theme of “remember the time,” all categories of competition are tasked with harkening back to moments from previous balls—”whether it’s an homage to a legend, an iconic moment, or a Black/queer cultural reference reimagined in your own unique way,” writes local ball culture figure Daniel Giron. It sounds like a beautiful way to remember founders of the form, local inspirations, and chosen community. (Stage 772, 722 SE 10th, 9 pm, $23.18, tickets and info at reboundpdx.com, 21+) SS
Also worth it:
The Passion of Joan of Arc, Academy Theater, more info
Carl Theodor Dreyer’s tormented, expressionist 1928 film The Passion boasts some interesting lore—the only remaining print of this original cut was found in a Norwegian psychiatric hospital in the ’80s.
Portland Tennis Quarterly: Wet Issue Release Party, Mother Foucault's, more info
Expect racquet stringing, libations, and lots of "tennis energy" at this release party for Portland Tennis Quarterly's latest issue.
Saturday, November 22
4th Floor to Mildness: Pippilotti Rist
Alonge's meditations on "the moment of connection" come in the form of neon paracord and psychedelic fabrics.
Sunday, November 23
Go Brunch Mode at Lunita
Ever had an amazing meal at Chelo and thought about the magic chef Luna Contreras could make with brunch? Well, you no longer have to dream, because Contreras debuted Lunita (technically a bakery and snack concept, served during the prime brunch hours of 11 am–2 pm) in early November, now running on a two-Sundays-a-month schedule. Expect the menu to shift according to whatever produce is poppin’ off at the moment, but Lunita’s menu is chock-full of delicious things like wonderfully savory tartines, a ham-and-egg tortita punched up with quince jam, and fun conchas. My advice? Grab your brunch crew and tackle the menu family style. (Chelo, 2930 NE Killingsworth, more info) JW
Plus Plus Fest: The Color of Pomegranates With Smell-O-Vision
The Color of Pomegranates (1969) might be the closest thing to cinema-as-poetry that exists, but it also raises an important question for its potential viewer. Can you handle watching a film absent of dialogue, linear plot, or even much camera movement? If so, congratulations, and consider seeing Soviet director Sergei Parajanov’s abstract, color-soaked foray into the textures and sounds of 18th-century Armenian poet-bard Sayat-Nova’s life. At this “smell-o-vision” screening, boutique fragrance purveyors Fumerie Parfumerie will spritz special scents designed to correspond to selected scenes. Read more in Second Run. (PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division, 4 pm, $15, more info, not rated) LC
L'Inferno live scored by Lori Goldston and Corey J. Brewer
Cellist Lori Goldston—lauded for her work with PNW bands Earth, Mirah, and Nirvana, along with her session collaborations with David Byrne, Parenthetical Girls, and Ô Paon—just made a handful of gripping appearances at Improvisational Summit of Portland in October. This performance will see Goldston’s atmospheric river of drones merge and swirl with the cinematic subtleties of fellow Seattlite Corey J. Brewer. The duo will live-score the 1911 Italian silent film L’Inferno, in which the audience is taken on a harrowing journey through the nine circles of Hell. Heavy hangs the heads of those who miss this sonic delight. (Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division, 7 pm, $25, more info, not rated) NP
Also worth it:
Les Blank celebration, Hollywood Theatre, more info
Hollywood Theatre celebrates late documentarian Les Blank's would-be 90th birthday with his cinéma vérité documentaries Chulas Fronteras (1976) and The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists (1994), requisite viewing for obsessive artists everywhere.
Looking for even more events happening this week? Head on over to EverOut!
