“That’s No Lady” Dramatizes the Life of Legendary Portland Drag Queen Darcelle

Love, Loss, and What I Wore is a Fascinating, Fashion-Obsessed Delight

Get Ready for Clowns, a Teenage Richard III and Barbara Streisand in Local Theater

The following is a schedule of the most promising plays that will run in Portland through March. For all we know, these 10 works will deflate in the face of the hype and be eclipsed by something no one is on the lookout for. But all of the theater companies behind these productions are renowned for their creativity, ingenuity and guts. If you’re wondering what to see in 2019, this lineup is a place to start.

A Foul-Mouthed Sock Puppet Rises In “Hand to God”

Midway through Hand to God, a pink sock puppet attempts to bite off a classroom bully’s ear. By this point in Triangle Productions’ recent Tony Award-winning play, the act of savagery isn’t especially shocking, since the puppet, Tyrone, has already insulted a man’s penis and indulged in some unsettling sexual harassment.

"Avenue Q" Is Like A Dirty, Existential "Sesame Street"

The joy of Avenue Q is generated partly from the spectacle of chubby-cheeked puppets swearing and singing songs like “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist.” But there’s also a tender beauty to the play as the puppets love, yearn and bumble their way through messy, all-too-human lives.

"Building The Wall" Imagines 2019 When Mass Deportations Have Gone Really, Really Wrong

In a white-walled room, an unnamed liberal history professor (Andrea Vernae) interviews Rick (Gavin Hoffman), a now-detained former warden of an illegal immigrant camp. Throughout the interview, the progressively disturbing details of what happened at the prison camp are slowly revealed.

Triangle Productions' "Full Gallop" Tells the Story of the Late, Great Fashion Editor Diana Vreeland

Boulé’s one-woman performance is a loving portrayal of the late great fashion editor and her excessive love of life and everything beautiful. But the play has a tinge of sadness amidst its comic moments, especially considering that her dinner party guests never show up.

Portland's "American Idiot" Aspires to Broadway and Aids Orlando LGBTQ Group

Everything you could want from the actors of Triangle Production’s American Idiot is there in full force, yet the show was still wrought with technical difficulties on its opening night.