Work in Progress

Unlike myself, local theater does not have a
reputation for being a cheap date. The reality, of course, is that many
shows are in the $8-15 range, and lots of theaters offer
“pay-what-you-will” nights. But any reputation, no matter how unearned,
can be hard to shake, and the perceived cost barrier is the default
explanation for why many people avoid the theater.

The budget cognoscenti know, however, that some of the summer’s
finest entertainment comes from Portland Center Stage’s annual JAW
festival, a free two-week festival dedicated to the development of new
scripts. Scripts are selected from a pool of applicants, subjected to
an intense ten-day revision process, and then premiered, in workshop
form, in the festival’s final weekend. These scripts will go on to make
their formal debuts at PCS or elsewhere—it’s a great chance to
catch an early glimpse of interesting, challenging contemporary work.
To take a local example, Storm Large’s solo show Crazy Enough debuted at JAW last summer in rough workshop form that was in many ways
a better show than the one now playing in apparent perpetuity at
PCS.

The first four days of the festival, dubbed “Made in Oregon,” are
exclusively dedicated readings of works-in-progress by playwrights,
while the final weekend showcases the work of the festival’s featured
playwrights.

The Pulitzer-nominated Will Eno introduces his newest work,
Middletown. Playwright Kim Rosenstock’s script has captured my
attention on the basis of its title alone: 99 Ways to Fuck a
Swan. And local author Marc Acito debuts a new work—his first
play, Holidazed, was a heart-warmer of a holiday show that did
not in any way anticipate the apparent subject of his new script: “Two
gay penguins trying to hatch a rock in the Central Park Zoo.” JAW
always promises surprising site-specific works—past years have
included a choreographed scene in the Armory’s bathrooms, and a dance
performance meant to be viewed from above. Admission is free and there
are no reservations—seating is on a first-come, first-served
basis, and although it’s unlikely that any of this year’s featured
playwrights will attract quite the rabid fan base that swarmed the
Storm Large workshops last year, it’s still a good idea to show up at
least 15 minutes early.