Portland Stage — Attraction in Portland

Wow! The show was incredible, and we had a blast, but I need to mention the treatment my sister and I received.

We arrived about 15 minutes before the show and showed our tickets to an usher who escorted us to our seats. However, about 5 minutes before the show started, a couple approached and said they had seats D9 and D10, while we had D11 and D12. Another usher came over, asked for our seat numbers, and then questioned whether we were in the right seats. Despite explaining that an usher had directed us to these seats, she insisted we were wrong. I pointed to our seat numbers and clarified the situation, but she continued to argue until a nearby patron confirmed our seats were correct and apologized.

Frustrated, I remarked, “Of course we are wrong,” after feeling unjustly singled out. The usher then loudly declared, “Someone had to be wrong,” and left in a huff.

While I typically don't attribute such experiences to race, especially given the establishment's focus on POC representation and inclusion, I can't help but wonder if this treatment was influenced by my skin color. I remain concerned that, without the intervention of the other patron, we might have been asked to leave despite being in the right. Very...

My wife and I just watched Darker Skis, Brighter Stars and with one exception, LOVED it. We both felt the acting was one of the best we have ever seen at Portland Stage. The dialog is SUPER TIGHT and just so very well performed. For the stage crew, the lighting and set design was top-notch and very creative. I even thought the nice touch with the stage hand having a backpack was totally over the top.

That one exception—and it’s really huge, is that the play did NOT need to have 3 out of the 6 scenes have woke themes. ONE scene, perhaps with the girl not knowing her feelings, would have been PLENTY (and that would have been 17% of the scenes—far more than the TRUE numbers of our population) but the other scenes simply were’t needed. The two girls might have played out very well if the skittish girl had been a boy instead. As for the two guys—there are SO MANY OTHER themes that could have been used here and it would have been brilliant. So sad Portland Stage had to play it out the...

"Almost, Maine" was a complete delight. The cast were veteran performers of stage and screen with ample powers in the realms of pathos and hilarity. John Cariani, the lead actor and author of the play, has found both a voice and a spirit that evokes the part of Maine culture that is other than "Down East". Four actors portray nine vignettes that are, one way or another, love stories. It is both a light hearted and sensitive delight.

The theatre, Portland Stage, is a lovely contemporary, intimate theatre. With 286 seats, there are no bad ones, yet the amenities are first class, and the stage is fully equipped with rigging...