Stage&Studio

Oregon Children's Theatre is set to open two shows at Portland 5 after delays from recent snow and ice storms that have shut down most productions. Dmae Lo Roberts got a chance to speak with Jenn Hartman Luck, OCT's artistic director about (h)opening "Goodnight Moon" (based on the classic book by Margaret Wise Brown) in the Winningstad and "The Lightning Thief" (of the Percy Jackson series by Rick...

Black Nativity is back at PassinArt, A Theatre Company, the oldest Black theatre company in Portland. The show is a retelling of the Nativity as a celebration of gospel music, first created by famed poet Langston Hughes in 1961. It’s … Read the rest

Since 2020, Renegade Opera has been striving to produce operas in equitable ways that support and feature emerging artists while creating an immersive experience for their growing audience. Renegade Opera’s artistic director and founding member, Danielle Jagelski, talks with Jenna … Read the rest

Dmae Lo Roberts  first saw actress Regina Taylor on the television show “I’ll Fly Away” in 1991.  She admired her presence and the way she could command a scene with just a look and a feeling. That show went on … Read the rest

Hanako Wakatsuki-Chong was recently appointed the new executive director of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (JAMO). She speaks with Jenna Yokoyama on Stage and Studio about her personal and professional background in preserving Japanese American history as well as … Read the rest

The 8th Annual Festival Vanport Mosaic Festival is underway in Portland through May 29, 2023. Curated and produced by Laura Lo Forti, who calls  herself a Story Midwife, two artists who’ve worked with the festival through the years are taking … Read the rest

Grace Lin , a Taiwanese-American author and illustrator of more than 30 children’s books. She is a Newberry, Geisel and Caldecott honoree living in Northhampton, Massachusetts. Dmae Lo Roberts talked with Lin for the Stage and Studio podcast about her … Read the rest

Priti Gandhi came to take the helm as artistic director of Portland Opera during the fall of 2021. She inherited a dynamic season that began with one of her favorite operas Carmen and followed by newer operas Thumbprint and ABSENCE: … Read the rest

On February 19TH 1942, FDR signed Executive Order 9066 sending more than 100,000 Japanese Americans to concentration camps during World War II. To commemorate the Day of Remembrance on that day, Portland’s Japanese American Citizen’s League (JACL) will host a … Read the rest

  You always think you have more time. That’s what I thought when I hit a snag in scheduling an interview with David Ornette Cherry. I was shocked to learn he died on November 20 th 2022 in London from … Read the rest

Actor, writer, activist, and a Pulitzer Prize nominated tour de force artist, Kristina Wong   created a solo show born out of the pandemic. When her tour was cancelled, Wong found herself at home with her sewing machine and decided … Read the rest

Dmae Lo Roberts has a timely pro-choice conversation with writer Judith Arcana. On June 24, 2022, the majority conservative U.S. Supreme Court, overturned Roe v. Wade. After 50 years as precedent, it was dismantled as a constitutional right for a … Read the rest

Since he moved to Portland in 2016, Joe Kye has made a name for himself in the music scene as a respected musician and composer but also has created strong bonds with the AAPI artist and creatives community. A classically … Read the rest

As a veteran scenic designer, Carey Wong made magic happen in 300 productions throughout the Northwest and beyond for more than 45 years. He got his start professionally in the 1980s as the resident set designer at Portland Opera for … Read the rest

For this edition of Stage & Studio, we highlight Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage month and we feature innovative taiko artists Michelle Fujii and Toru Watanabe, the founders and directors of Unit Souzou and Constant State of … Read the rest

  To say that Lauren Steele is a gifted actress is an understatement. In 2019 she delighted audiences with a tour de force performance playing 19 characters in Queens Girl in the World,   by Caleen Sinnette Jennings. Steele showed the … Read the rest

  Dmae Lo Roberts talks with   Marc David Pinate, a playwright and artistic director of Borderlands Theater  remotely from Tucson, Arizona. In 2017, Pinate had difficulty paying the salary of  an ensemble member who was also on staff at Borderlands. … Read the rest

Intisar Abioto calls herself “an explorer-artist working across photography, dance and writing.” Since she moved to Portland as a young adult with her family, she’s been creatively highlighting and documenting the contributions and talents of Black Oregonians. A prolific cross-disciplinary … Read the rest

Dmae Lo Roberts presents an audio podcast produced by The Immigrant Story that features a frank and personal exploration of mixed race Asian American identity. Roberts and writer and educator Patti Duncan as friends and colleagues have explore what this … Read the rest

It’s safe to say 2021 was a better year than 2020. With the vaccine, life this year became a little less fearful. People started to gather, first in small groups, and then with larger audiences for theaters and public events. … Read the rest

“Madness, pain, ear-cutting despair, desolate poverty, Van Gogh’s myth tells the tale of a melancholic martyr who took his own life in an ultimate act of revulsion. By contrast, to follow the evolution of Van Gogh’s works is to go … Read the rest

Dmae Lo Roberts talks with perhaps the most influential benefactor of Oregon arts. Most artists and arts organizations in Oregon know the name of Ronni S. Lacroute. Anyone who attends performing arts events, art exhibits, films and music festivals knows … Read the rest

Join Dmae Lo Roberts for a conversation with Sankar Raman, founder of The Immigrant Story , a website, traveling art exhibit and podcast documenting the journeys and stories of immigrants in the Portland and across the country. A volunteer-run nonprofit, … Read the rest

Dmae looks at the Black contributions to fashion design throughout American history with writer, publisher and fashion expert Rhonda P. Hill . She recently published a series of eight articles called A Study of Eight, The Untold American Story , … Read the rest

Dmae Lo Roberts features the first annual Pasifika Unity Festival a free outdoor event that celebrates Pacific Islander culture and health. With live music, crafts vendors and local food trucks, the celebration is also a health fair and COVID-19 vaccination … Read the rest