Portland Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations

Review: MJ THE MUSICAL at Keller Auditorium
by Krista Garver - July 16, 2025

MJ The Musical is a high-energy tribute to the King of Pop that delivers everything you could want from a Michael Jackson show. This Tony Award-winning production (4 wins, including choreography) combines spectacular performances with Jackson’s legendary catalog into a celebration of one of the bigg...

Review: THE ONE at 21ten Theatre
by Krista Garver - July 07, 2025

What did our critic think of THE ONE at 21ten Theatre?...

Review: WAITRESS at Broadway Rose
by Krista Garver - July 03, 2025

At its heart, WAITRESS celebrates the dreams that refuse to stay buried, the courage to reimagine your life, and the friends who believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself. I loved every minute of this excellent production....

Review: MOTHER RUSSIA at Profile Theatre
by Krista Garver - June 19, 2025

The play centers on Evgeny (Bets Swadis) and Dmitri (Orion Bradshaw), two twenty-five-year-olds whose career aspirations – cushy government work and KGB glory, respectively – have been rendered obsolete. With no other work available, they find themselves surveilling a former subversive-pop-star-turn...

Review: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST at Portland Center Stage
by Krista Garver - June 19, 2025

Kamilah Bush's new adaptation of Oscar Wilde's beloved comedy THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST transplants the action to 1919, creating a world that mirrors contemporary D.C.'s obsession with wealth, identity, and reputation as social currency. ...

Review: CHRIS GRACE: AS SCARLETT JOHANSSON at Portland Center Stage
by Krista Garver - May 18, 2025

Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson, currently playing at Portland Center Stage, is a delightfully disorienting theatrical experience that defies categorization and expectations....

Review: JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE at Portland Playhouse
by Krista Garver - May 17, 2025

Portland Playhouse's latest production, August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, offers audiences a complex meditation on identity and belonging. As the second play chronologically in Wilson's Century Cycle, this work captures a pivotal moment in African American history during the Great Migratio...

Review: THE STORYTELLER at Artists Repertory Theatre
by Krista Garver - May 06, 2025

Artists Rep is ending its short season on the highest of high notes with the world premiere of THE STORYTELLER, by local playwright Sara Jean Accuardi. This gorgeous play, which won the 2023 Oregon Book Award for drama, delves into the profound ways stories shape our understanding of the world – hea...

Review: THE BROTHERS SIZE at Portland Center Stage
by Krista Garver - May 06, 2025

Tarell Alvin McCraney's THE BROTHERS SIZE, currently playing at Portland Center Stage, under Chip Miller’s direction, presents an ambitious fusion of Yoruban mythology and contemporary American life....

Review: SIX at Keller Auditorium
by Krista Garver - April 30, 2025

The queens are here, and they rule! The national tour of SIX is currently running at the Keller Auditorium, bringing with it all the dazzling spectacle and feminist power that has made this musical a global sensation....

Review: FERTILE GROUND 2025 ROUNDUP #3 at Various
by Krista Garver - April 25, 2025

What did our critic think of FERTILE GROUND 2025 ROUNDUP #3 at Various?...

Review: GREASE at Broadway Rose
by Krista Garver - April 23, 2025

What did our critic think of GREASE at Broadway Rose?...

Review: FERTILE GROUND 2025 ROUNDUP #2 at Various
by Krista Garver - April 17, 2025

What did our critic think of FERTILE GROUND 2025 ROUNDUP #2 at Various?...

Review: FERTILE GROUND 2025 ROUNDUP #1 at Various
by Krista Garver - April 10, 2025

What did our critic think of FERTILE GROUND 2025 ROUNDUP #1 at Various?...

Review: LIFE OF PI at Keller Auditorium
by Krista Garver - April 09, 2025

Everything about this 'theatrical experience' is stunning, from excellent performances to spectacular technical elements, evocative puppetry, dance-like movement, and even an original score....

Review: THE LIGHT at Portland Center Stage
by Krista Garver - March 25, 2025

What did our critic think of THE LIGHT at Portland Center Stage?...

Review: THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE at 21ten Theatre
by Krista Garver - March 20, 2025

What did our critic think of THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE at 21ten Theatre?...

Review: WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? at Portland Center Stage
by Krista Garver - March 14, 2025

This darkly humorous and devastating exploration of relationships, illusion, and human fragility remains as relevant and impactful today as it was over 60 years ago....

Review: NOTES FROM THE FIELD at Portland Playhouse
by Krista Garver - March 11, 2025

NOTES FROM THE FIELD is a must-see for anyone who cares about justice, education, and our collective future....

Review: SAPIENCE at Artists Repertory Theatre
by Krista Garver - March 04, 2025

SAPIENCE is an innovative, imperfect exploration of communication that celebrates the diverse ways beings can understand each other....

Review: THE ANTIPODES at Shaking The Tree
by Krista Garver - February 27, 2025

What did our critic think of THE ANTIPODES at Shaking The Tree?...

Review: PASS OVER at Corrib Theatre
by Krista Garver - February 22, 2025

What did our critic think of PASS OVER at Corrib Theatre?...

Review: 8-TRACK: THE SOUNDS OF THE ‘70S IN CONCERT at Broadway Rose
by Krista Garver - January 31, 2025

A musical revue, the show weaves together over 50 iconic songs from artists like The Bee Gees, KC and The Sunshine Band, and The Village People....

Review: SAMSARA at Profile Theatre
by Krista Garver - January 30, 2025

Lauren Yee's SAMSARA will make you laugh, cringe, and think about its implications long after you leave the theatre. If you like challenging, conversation-starting theatre, this show is absolutely not to be missed....

Review: FLY BY NIGHT at Tapestry Theater Collective
by Krista Garver - January 30, 2025

What did our critic think of FLY BY NIGHT at Tapestry Theater Collective?...