The Northwest Classical Theatre Company is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 by Artistic Director Grant Turner. We specialize in classic works by great authors with an emphasis on the authors' own writing and not the directors' concept. The NWCTC is the resident company of Portland's most intimate performance space, The Shoe Box Theater (2110 SE 10th Ave. Portland, OR 97214).
A note from Grant Turner, Artistic Director of the NWCTC:
I started this company for the most selfish of reasons. I felt at the
time that no one was presenting plays that I wanted to see in ways that I
thought they should be performed. I wanted to perform plays for their
artistic merit or for their entertainment value not for their ticket selling
ability. I wanted to present plays in an unadorned, accessible way that
mirrored not only my artistic sensibilities but my belief that theatre is
about communicating with an audience first and foremost. And finally, I
wanted to have fun. I never in a million years dreamed that so many others
would share my passion.
A company is not one person and I could have never achieved anything
without everyone's help. My special thanks to Richard for his dependability
and reliability through all of the years. To Fred and Bibi for making me
realize that what we have here is something that deserves to be shared. To
David and Racheal for making an old warehouse into a home. To Allison and
Rio for never doubting or questioning the magic that is the NWCTC. To
Butch and Melissa for validating my theory that theatre can be fun.
And to Tom for being my best friend and number one fan. Most important of
all I thank Nicole for believing in the first place that this company could
exist.
I remember several years ago, I marveled that every show we had done up
until that point had been enjoyable one way or another. It occurred to me
that some day that streak would have to come to an end... Several years
later it's still going strong.
NOW PLAYING THROUGH NOVEMBER 9th!
From the Terrifying to the Macabre: An Evening of Darker One Acts
Spend a dark autumn evening with the NWCTC as they proudly invite you to their From the Terrifying to the Macabre one-act festival. Join the NWCTC as they embark on a 6 story tour comparing classic spooks to modern thrills.
Featuring works such as The Monkey’s Paw, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Open Window, and more! Housed at The Shoe Box Theater, 2110 SE 10th Ave (located between Lincoln and Grant).
Margaret Darling as Mrs. White in The Monkey's Paw
Shows run Oct 17th – Nov 9th, Thursdays and Sundays at 7pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 10pm. Tickets cost $10 at the door. For reservations or additional information please call us at 971-244-3740 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Seating is limited, and reservations are strongly encouraged.
Dramaturgical Note
by Rhianna Walton, NWCTC Dramaturg
From the Terrifying to the Macabre
In Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven the protagonist whispers chillingly to the reader, “Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, / Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.†Shaking, the man stares out the door into night’s abyss, not yet sure what the consequences of his actions will be, or whose presence it is that he feels so acutely. Halloween exists in this moment of suspension, between certainty and the unknown, day and darkness, life and death, time past, present and future. For the Druids Halloween was a time of divination, when the border between the living and the dead blurred to allow congress between the two groups. Not a scary time, per se, but a night when time ceased to be tripartite and each moment became an anarchic mix of past, present and what was to come.
In the 2,000 years that have elapsed between the Celtic celebration of Samhain and what we call Halloween, the emphasis has shifted from fortune telling to Frankenstein. And while Halloween is still very much a festival of night and madness, it has lost many of its original connections to ancestor worship and the harvest. One of the elements that has been preserved, however, is storytelling. The Celts told stories of the future; the medieval Church of saints and martyrs; Victorians of love and matchmaking; and Americans of ghosts, ghoulies and things that go bump in the night. Halloween remains a night of collective narrative and costume theatre, little different from the Celtic dramas or candle-lit “play parties†of colonial America.
It is with this in mind that producer Tom Walton presents From the Terrifying to the Macabre. Each play and short story explores the power of tales to elicit excitement, desire and dread in its listeners. Whether ghost story, horror piece, or crime thriller, the texts illuminate how the past divines the future, and how the choices we make are eternally tied to the dead. True to the origin of Halloween, our tales are more unsettling than gruesome. They invoke the monsters of history and the monsters within. After all, the tell-tale heart that beats out human guilt and obsession is far more terrifying than any ghoulie.
The Shoe Box Theater
Home to and operated by the Northwest Classical Theatre Company since 2004, The Shoe Box Theater is renowned throughout the Portland Metro Area for its intimate and surprisingly versatile auditorium, as well as its distinct and hospitable lobby. When not in use by the NWCTC, the theater is often utilized by other companies for their productions.
The Shoe Box Theater is located at 2110 SE 10th Ave. Portland, OR 97214 (between Lincoln and Grant). To see photos of the theater, please visit our gallery here .
For a map with interactive directions, please visit Google Maps here .
Earlier This Season:
For photos from our 2008-2009 Season, please visit our gallery here .
Celebrating our 10th Anniversary Season!
The NWCTC 2008-2009 SEASON:
Troilus & Cressida ~ 07/19-08/10
By William Shakespeare. Directed by Grant Turner
Hedda Gabler ~ 09/05-10/12
By Henrik Ibsen. Directed by Racheal Erickson
From the Terrifying to the Macabre: An Evening of Darker One Acts ~ 10/17-11/09
Sherlock Holmes: The Speckled Band ~ 11/21-12/28
By Arthur Conan Doyle. Directed by Bibi Walton
The Merchant of Venice ~ 01/30-03/08
By William Shakespeare. Directed by Grant Turner
An Evening of One Acts ~ 03/12-04/05
Richard II ~ 04/17-05/24
By William Shakespeare. Directed by JoAnn Johnson
Stay tuned for upcoming information regarding
the 6th Annual Shakespeare Birthday Bash!
All shows (except Troilus & Cressida) performs
7:00 PM Thursday-Saturday, 2:00PM Sunday at:
The Shoe Box Theater
2110 SE 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
Troilus & Cressida performs
3:00PM Saturday-Sunday at:
Woodlawn Park
NE 13th Ave. and NE Dekum St.
Portland, OR 97211
For information or reservations,
please call us at 971-244-3740
or e-mail us at [email protected]
You can now purchase tickets to Northwest Classical Theatre Company shows online through Ticket Turtle! It's safe and easy and guarantees your seat at the show! Please visit:
The NWCTC Ticket Turtle page .
Visit our website: www.nwctc.org
Find us on Facebook: NWCTC on Facebook
Purchase gift certificates or the NWCTC 10-Show Punchcard Pass by visiting our Ticket Turtle site:
NWCTC Ticket Turtle Online Store
Current company member photos can be located here .
And please check out our video trailer archives here .
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From the Terrifying to the Macabre: An Evening of Darker One Acts now playing through November 9th! Scroll down for details....
