Pearl District Businesses

Portland Center Stage is the largest theater company in Portland and is among the top 15 professional regional theaters in America. Portland Center Stage produces 10 major productions annually in two theaters located inside the Gerding Theater at the Armory: The 599-seat Main Stage and the 199-seat Ellyn Bye Studio. Established in 1988 as an offshoot of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage became an independent theater in 1994 and now attracts more than 150,000 theatergoers annually. Portland Center Stage produces a blend of musicals, classical, contemporary and premiere works, in addition to the annual summer festival called JAW: A Playwrights Festival. The festival, occurring in July each year, is completely free to the public and features several readings from prominent and up-and-coming playwrights from all over the country. The Gerding Theater at the Armory is the first historic rehabilitation on the National Historic Register and the first performing arts venue to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum rating. For more information about Portland Center Stage and a complete listing of current and upcoming productions, events and activities, visit the website at www.pcs.org or call 503-445-3700. more ▾