Small theater that never ceases to entertain. My wife volunteers on occasion as stage manager…read moreand/or lights. If you enjoy live theater, I can tecommend any BCT production.

We've been season ticket holders for several years now and have enjoyed their productions. From…read moremusicals to comedy and drama, the players and crew are enthusiastic, involved, and energetic. Last night we attended their first performance in their new adjunct, The Playhouse, located in the Cedar Hills Crossing Mall, of a short play called "Anybody for Tea?" by C.B Gilford. Done in improve style, the cast was, according the introduction, given scripts and some time with the director before the presentation, but they'd not met each other and had no idea who was in other roles or how it was going to play out. We recognized several of the actors from previous productions, including the play's 'coach,' the always talented, Les Ico. The only down-side was a bench that broke during seating, but the folks looked to be fine and the bench was quickly replaced by chairs. I hope they do more of these smaller productions along with their main stage plays. We'd definitely attend. It was great fun and the Peachwave just down the mall has a non-dairy frozen dessert offering that's pineapple and not vanilla.

A great place to go and get food, drinks, and of course, comedy! Their flagship show, Showdown, is…read moreusually about PG-13 and always hilarious! Getting suggestions from the audience, they play short-form, Whose Line Is It Anyway type games for the first half, then transition to Director's Cut, making up full length movies on the spot!

I came here on a date twice to see an improv show. It was a super chill vibe with tons of laughs…read more I had two cocktails while here but nothing stood out. They also offer a free improv class to trial before signing up. If you always wanted to try it out, I recommend signing up. It was not for me but it allowed me to get out of my comfort zone.

Our son goes to Dance with Joy's summer camp (they have camps for most school breaks) and I can't…read morerave enough about how much he and we love it! Everyone is so sweet and thoughtful. My son has been to several other camps and he is adamant that he only wants to go to Dance with Joy! He's as sensitive soul and feels right at home there. Best kids camp ever!

Haven't been able to find out their pricing but will keep trying. Would be nice if they listed some…read morepricing on their website. Another thing that could be an issue is that you have to sign up separately for classes, or at least that's what's implies. If not enough people sign up class is cancelled. Haven't been able to find out if you can get any package deals. Too much unknown to rate!

Fun group to watch. There are different types of plays to appeal to different people. We always…read moreenjoy it when we go. Great spot for local actors to try out, too.

Not a huge fan. Ancient plays, presented by old folks mainly appealing to the over 70 set…read more Unwilling to try anything else. Lately adopted policies that wouldn't allow me to participate anyway. Time to bring in some new blood and ideas.

Performance quality, authenticity, passion, live orchestral music, dedication to the craft!read more

I simply have to catch Shakespeare in the Park at least once during the summer. This year we saw a…read morelovely version of Romeo & Juliet in the Lone Fir Cemetery - what is more Gothic then seeing Shakespeare in the Park? No really - that's a genuine question or quest for that matter. There is always plenty of space and rarely do you suffer through "those people". There are a few folks who do not understand what the lines mean and still park their oversized epic camp chair right in front making it a challenge to see over them but only once did I get stuck next to a couple who sucked down a bottle or two of wine in a half hour and LOUDLY WHISPERED sweet nothings to each other the rest of the night. We did move that time.....as did the whole back area. The Actors Ensemble has neat snack packs for people to buy so if you are running behind they almost always have one or two left right at time of the show start! BUT, I personally have my theater in the park pack which is my little wheelie pull cart which I load up with my stadium chairs (invest - you can get them for stupid cheap at costco - worth every comfy penny), my woven throw for ground cover and some takeout since usually I am running pretty tight on time. This last one I just ran to Panera which packed up beautifully and is pretty quiet to eat during the play too...unless you get there Kettle Chips - you are on your own for that. I did have to attend a show in a wheelchair last year which was very much doable and these plays are always in accessible parks. I always love seeing the diversity in attendance - from the old to the young, in performers as well. They usually also offer matinees to offer to all audiences though I warn you that the night shows get out after dark and places like the Lone Fir are pretty much pitch black after dark so you may want to bring a small flashlight to get back to your car or bus stop.

I haven't been into a dance class in about 10 years but I used to go to Vega and was a collegiate…read moredancer before that and let me tell you the experience I had at Vega was so great! Everyone is so supportive and lovely and the studio looks incredible. I highly recommend they have so many different types of classes for everyone. I love that it's an adult setting. And they have air-conditioning! Yay!

I have tried many classes so far and the teachers I liked the best are Nikki, Jeanine, Evie and…read moreTara. I am basically an absolute beginner and I found their classes easier to keep up with. If you are a beginner I would suggest a class that is labeled more workout than choreo because they do choreography in all I have been to. The owners are very nice people and the people who go there are also nice and approachable.

Before the Foster corridor between 50th and 70th was cool, some artists bought an old building as a…read morelive work space. Their work is making dance and making performance. I know them and have been to many events in the space. One of the owners is Portland's top lighting designer for performances in our high end performing arts theaters. The partner is a modern dancer who worked in New York with the best. The space has a great dance floor, and there is a small garden which is sometimes open for events. The rental rates are very reasonable, for rehersal or for a show. The space is wheelchair accessible. They publish a monthly email newsletter of modern dance events covering the whole city, including competing spaces. Subscribe!! Yes, how the space is laid out for performances with respect to bathrooms is not what you would find at the Schnitz. It's an old low budget church. That's why 4 stars vs 5. This is a DIY space, but hey, they have a great floor! That DIY attitude, graciousness to performers, and their outreach to all comer performers outweighs not being fancy, by far. Their Cabaret Boris & Natasha series and Alembic are examples of making a show accessible to all performers. So if you are a performer, keep them in mind, including for rehearsal space. And if you have movement artists visiting Portland who want a large rehearsal space, they have lovely short term lodging by their garden. Performance Art NW is a good space for Portlanders interested in modern dance to track by their email newsletter and website. The creators are lovely and the audience is too. They have many special events a month!

A friend and I took a few yoga classes here, and I just recently attended a dance performance with…read moreanother friend. Since I'm reviewing the space and not the class or the performance, I'm gonna stick with (some might say dwell on) some fairly pedantic details. The place is supposedly an old church, but seems a bit more like an old high school gymnasium. One big main room, with a bathroom/kitchen/utility space tucked into the side. You enter via a ramp, and it's not entirely clear that you're really supposed to be there. But it's fine, really, it's fine, just go in already. As a yoga studio, it works pretty well. Lots of floor, smallish enough to be intimate without seeming crowded. I'd always wondered how it would work as a performance space. The answer is: hmmm... maybe not great. There are a few ways a person imagines configuring this space, but the way they had it was a bunch of metal folding chairs (the lucky people got cushions) spread across a few seemingly randomly-placed stadium-style risers. The entrance and performance area were on the same side, which made for a bit of awkwardness when it came time to leave. The restroom was also on the performance side, so it was good that the performance was short. The lighting was nice. The sound quality was great. The place has potential. But it seemed like a more appropriate practice space than actual venue. If you need a space on the SE side for a private event or show... I'm not sure if they rent it out, to be honest. But I can easily imagine high school dance wallflowers dutifully drinking their punch and covertly teasing broccoli from their braces along the edges in here. Maybe it was their ghosts that made me a little bit uneasy.

Came here and had so much fun! The night we came they had line dancing in one room. It was a blast!…read moreThe lady leading it was great! I was keeping up but some steps I wasn't and the people around kind of helped. Very kind of them! Then we went to a different room for some Salsa! That room was packed and at one point was hard to walk through. I would definitely come back for another night of dancing! Oh, the parking was limited. We were lucky and found on in the parking lot but get there early!

I've been coming to SGD on and off since they opened a few years ago. It's a little far for me, so…read moreI might make it once every few months. I've been impressed by their programming, social and events. I always know that when I go to SGD I'm going to feel safe and have a great time! This past weekend I had a friend visiting from London. She's an avid dancer and can dance w/ the best of them, so of course we chose to spend our one evening together at SGD. Late in the night, she lost her phone and we approached Miguel the owner of SGD to help us. He was super helpful, we exchanged phone #'s and he helped us gain wi-fi access to geo-locate the phone. He said the regulars are all super honest and ethical and that the phone should be here somewhere. Turns out, the phone dropped out onto the floor in our car. So crisis adverted! I guess in summary, what impressed me most was Miguel. The confidence and integrity in the business and community of regular dance patrons he's built. It was an absolute pleasure to experience that. I think some venues I've been to woulda said "Good luck to you!" But Miguel was concerned, helpful and supportive! If you are looking for a dance studio / community, I can't recommend SGD enough. I live a bit far and now will make more of an effort to dance here more regularly.