Back Fence PDX: Live Storytelling

At a Crossroads Stories + Popina Swimwear Fashion Show!

BFMasters — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:03:57 +0000

OUR BIG FUN TIME-Y FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW!

MISSION THEATER |1624 NW Glisan St.| PDX 97209
ADMISSION: $12 ADVANCE, $15 DOOR (get tix: backfencepdx.com)
THURS May 24 6:30PM DOORS | 7:15PM SWIMWEAR SHOW | 7:30 PM STORIES

FEATURING: Our annual Back Fence PDX Popina Swimwear Fashion Show with dance troupe The Dolly Pops modeling and performing a synchronized swim routine with some Busby Berkeley moves worked in.

4th Anniversary love for our amazing audience BONUS! To launch his new line of art Bots, PDX artist GARY HIRSCH is giving each May 24 Back Fence PDX audience member their very own domino-sized, hand-painted, one-of-a-kind Decision Bot! Conflicted? At a Crossroads? Can’t make up your mind? Decision Bot will help! botjoy.com

And, as always, an intermission treat for all provided by Saint Cupcake!

Telling true stories based on the theme AT A CROSSROADS. (In alphabetical order)

BRIAN TIBBETTS (PDX)
Accidental Salesman + Never Been Beat at Scrabble + Unintentionally Drove the Getaway Car for an Armed Robbery at 16

CARLOS KOTKIN (LA)
Author of PLEASE GOD LET IT BE HERPES (Penguin, March 2012) + Winner of Multiple MOTH StorySLAM’s + Featured Essayist on KCRW’s UNFICTIONAL + Swam with Sharks in Bora Bora + Attended Prom Twice, 10 Years Apart

CHERYL STRAYED (PDX)
Gives Life & Love Advice as DEAR SUGAR on therumpus.net + NY Times Best-Selling Author of the memoir WILD (Knopf, March 2012, screen rights purchased by Reese Witherspoon) + Once Purchased the Loudest Whistle in the World

JOHN RODERICK (SEA)
Lead Singer/Guitarist in the Band THE LONG WINTERS + Worked as a Sluice Box Mucker for a Gold Mine + Seattle’s 3rd Sexiest Man in 2003

LAURA GIBSON (PDX)
Folk singer & songwriter + Worked with Colin Meloy, Rachel Blumberg, Laura Veirs, and THE PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT + Currently Touring Her Newest Record, LA GRANDE +
Former High School Basketball Star

NATHALIE WEINSTEIN (PDX)
Editor of PDX PIPELINE + 2011 Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Award, 2nd Place for Lifestyle Reporting + Back Fence PDX House Manager + Lover of All Things Kitty Cat

Ticket link: backfencepdx.com

A BIG Thank you to our sponsors | Hotel deLuxe + New Deal Distillery + Saint Cupcake + Popina Swimwear + Crow Arts Manor + PDX Pipeline

Say Hello To New Faces At Back Fence PDX!

storymakerupper — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 02:01:09 +0000

Hi folks, its your friendly Back Fence Babe, Nathalie, here. We can’t believe its been almost four years since we started working with Back Fence PDX. Back in 2008, Back Fence was just a small gathering at Urban Grind in NE Portland. Meagan and I would check people in, stamp their hands and get all sweaty setting up chairs. Ever since our move to the Mission Theater later that year, the crowds have grown, our duties have grown and so has our staff.

Over the last few years, we’ve had interns pop in and out who were wonderful and helped us out greatly. But in the last six months, we’ve been insanely blessed and have locked down four permanent staffers who helped the show immensely during some very quick growth. In addition, I have been promoted from assistant to House Manager, while Meagan has taken on a new role as the Front of House Manager.

With some exciting news coming down the pipeline for the Back Fence Babes, Meagan and I (as well as B. Frayn and Sarah Grace) are so thrilled to have four new additions to our family. Please say hello to Kerry, Anya, Shannon and Eric who will be checking you in, selling merchandise and greeting you at this week’s Back Fence PDX – Redux shows. You can also learn more about these beautiful people on our staff page.

And if you haven’t bought tickets yet, what are you waiting for! We have two nights of amazing stories you will not want to miss.

==> Head HERE to purchase tickets! Both shows take place @ the Mission Theater!

LAUREN WEEDMAN’s awesome WEEKEND WORKSHOP!!

BFMasters — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:05:20 +0000

Back Fence PDX and Portland Center Stage Present

GET YOUR LIFE FROM the PAGE onto the STAGE

Taught by Lauren Weedman

In this weekend writing/performing lab on March 31/April 1, actors, writers, standup comedians, and solo artists will have the opportunity to engage with critically acclaimed writer, actress, and solo performer Lauren Weedman. The lab is designed to help you mine your most humiliating stories, obsessions, journal ramblings, joys, traumas, dramas, and flat out lies to help create a spontaneous performance piece.

Using improvisation, flash writing exercises, and two rounds of direct and frank feedback, Lauren will work to help you create a 6-8 minute piece.

Students should have writing/stage experience and will be required to arrive with a 1200 word piece that will be workshopped over two days, culminating in a performance of said piece on Sunday, April 1st at 6PM, in the Screening Room at the fabulous Hotel deLuxe.

For six hours of workshop time + performance the total cost is $75.

A $30 deposit paid via EVENTBRITE will hold your spot! (Deposits are non-refundable after 3/25)

WORKSHOP DATES
Saturday, March 31, 2012 from 12-3
Sunday, April 1st, 2012 from 12-3

LOCATION
Portland Center Stage the Gerding Theater at the Armory
128 NW 11th AVE
Portland, OR 97209
________________________________________________

PERFORMANCE
Sunday, April 1, 2012 @ 6PM

LOCATION
Hotel deLuxe in the Screening Room
729 SW 15th AVE
Portland, OR 97205

The performance will be hosted by Lauren and is free to family, friends, hotel guests,
and jaunty passersby. The lovely Driftwood Bar (inside the hotel) will be open, ready
and willing to serve drinks and food.

Validated parking is available through the hotel valet.
__________________________________________________

Instructor ❘ Lauren Weedman, an Alpert Award winning solo theater performer, is currently touring her 9th solo show ‘NO…YOU SHUTUP’ and is the creator/performer in Portland Center Stages’ upcoming production of ‘THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF PORTLAND.’ Her book ‘A Woman Trapped in a Woman’s Body’ was named by Kirkus as a top 10 Indie book and her story ‘Diary of a Journal Reader’ was featured in The Best of Non-Required Reading. She was a correspondent on ‘The Daily Show’ during the one year they didn’t win an Emmy and is currently playing the role of Horny Patty on HBO’s ‘HUNG.’ She lives in a tiny apartment in Santa Monica with her man and her baby.

MARCH 29/30 REDUX Storytellers Announced!

BFMasters — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:11:00 +0000

Tickets are already moving fast for our big March storytelling shows! We hope you’ll join us for two very special nights of all new stories from some of our audience favorites of the past four years! We cast a variety of local and national tellers from different walks of life…some have a long list of performing credits, and for others this appearance will be their second or third time on stage!

Many tellers will share personal details that they’ve never uttered to another soul before hitting our stage.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR: Dreams, Idols, Obsessions |Thursday March 29

JUST CAN’T GET OVER IT: Revenge, Heartache, Insanity, Anticipation | Friday March 30

===> Head HERE to purchase tickets! Both shows take place @ the Mission Theater!

________________________________________________________________________

ANNOUNCING OUR AWESOME MARCH STORYTELLERS (listed in alphabetical order)

ADAM ARNOLD (PDX) | Friday March 30 (pictured)
Local Fashion Designer Icon + Collects Marmalade + Is an INFJ + Owns all of the Original ‘Hawaii Five-O’

AMBER JO (PDX) | Thursday March 29
Radical Social Worker + Undefeated Leg Wrestler in 4 States + Former Gambler + Featured Mortified Performer

ARTHUR BRADFORD (PDX) | Thursday March 29
Director ‘Six Days to Air: The Making of South Park’ + Forthcoming: ‘Benny’s Brigade’ (McSweeney’s) + Co-Director for Camp Jabberwocky (the nation’s longest running residential summer camp for people with disabilities) + Writer, Director, Producer of MTV’s ‘How’s Your News?’

BETH LISICK (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) | Thursday March 29 & Friday March 30

Lead in the Award-Winning Feature Film: ‘Everything Strange and New’ + Front Person for the Band ‘The Beth Lisick Ordeal’ + NY Times Best-Selling Author + Forthcoming: ‘Yokohama Threeway’ (Michelle Tea’s City Lights imprint)

BRIDGET PILLOUD (PDX) | Thursday March 29
Pet Psychic + Intuitive Counselor + Athlete Wannabe

DAYVID FIGLER (LAS VEGAS, NV) | Friday March 30
Became One of the Youngest Lawyers in Nevada History (at 23 yrs. old) + Commentator on ‘The Nancy Grace Show’

ERIC SCHEUR (PDX) | Thursday March 29
Freelance Animator + Karaoke Junkie + Collector of 1980’s Pocket Games + Ira Glass Wannabe

JEFF HARDISON (PDX) | Friday March 30
Currently Building ‘Meridian’, a Mobile-App Startup + Kentucky Born and Raised + Has a Leg Length Discrepancy + Post-College, Supported Himself Winning Foosball Tournaments for Cash Prizes

LAUREN WEEDMAN (LOS ANGELES, CA) | Thursday March 29 & Friday March 30
‘The Daily Show’ Correspondent + Actor, Writer for HBO’s ‘Hung’ + Featured in ‘The Five-Year Engagement’ with Jason Segel + Creator of Critically Acclaimed One Woman Shows ‘Bust’ & ‘No, You Shut Up’

MATT SMITH (SEATTLE, WA) | Friday March 30
World Class Benefit Auctioneer + Longtime Newspaper Boy + Star of Video Series ‘Cookus Interruptus’ + Creator of Critically Acclaimed One Man Shows ‘All My Children’ & ‘My Last Year with the Nuns’

===> Head HERE to purchase tickets!

Friends of Back Fence Helping Planned Parenthood

thatwriter — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:05:21 +0000

We always promote shows in the city, and we’re huge fans of one happening tonight at the Bagdad! Some alums and friends of the show will be helping out the Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon in “It’s Not Me, It’s You”!

The show will be full of laughs and cringing as brave performers talk about their best (and worst) dating moments that will make you grateful for what you have, and maybe think about some of your own hiccups on the road to eternal love. Miss Sarah Mirk will be on stage, with our buddy (and another former teller) Jimmy Radosta behind the scenes as Producer!

Check out info below and get your tickets now!

• Chelsea Cain, New York Times bestselling author
• Christine McKinley, musician/writer
• Scott Poole, house poet on OPB’s “Live Wire!”
• Seth Walker, storyteller
• Sarah Wexler, journalist and author of “Awful First Dates”
• Kevin Sampsell, author/editor/publisher
• CM Hall, political activist and ASL interpreter
• Sarah Mirk and Alison Hallett, journalists

WHAT: It’s Not Me, It’s You: Stories from the Dark Side of Dating

WHEN: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 (doors 6pm, show 7-9pm)

WHERE: Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland

TICKETS: $20 at the door or $18 in advance from CascadeTickets.com and the Bagdad box office. All advance ticketholders are entered in a drawing for fabulous door prizes. Proceeds benefit Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, which works to keep Oregon a pro-choice state.

And We’re Off!

Sarah Grace — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:12:40 +0000

We laughed. We grossed out. We gasped. We elbowed the person next to us. We licked cupcakes off the stage. What an incredible start to the 2012 Back Fence PDX season! Thank you to our packed house at the PCS Gerding Theater at the Armory, and all our wonderful storytellers who bravely took the stage Monday night, including Carli Davidson (pictured here with one of the tigers from Last Hope!), Doug Askelson, Mary Van Note, Gregg Abbott, David Silverman and Laurie Notaro. Also, special thanks to all our audience lightning round participants – yes, even our new friend (probably one of the Brian’s) who took the booty shot while exiting the stage!

Next up: BACK FENCE REDUX, back-to-back nights featuring some of your favorite storytellers from the past four years, returning to our stage to share ALL NEW true tales. Join us Thursday March 29 for BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR and Friday March 30 for JUST CAN’T GET OVER IT, both at the Mission Theater. Tickets are already going FAST, so scoop yours up now before they – poof! – disappear.

What was your favorite moment from Monday night’s show? And how ’bout our sexy new logo and website? (Thanks, Swift Collective!) Share your two cents below, and we’ll see YOUR sexy self in March!

And the ‘I DIDN’T THINK THIS THROUGH’ winners are….

BFMasters — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:18:23 +0000

This was a hard choice y’all! All of the ‘I Didn’t Think This Through’ stories were fantastic! So good, in fact, that we decided to add prizes for a runner up and 4 honorable mentions! Out of about 30 stories we received, here are our top 6!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

AMANDA ROBINSON (Entered on Back Fence Facebook fan page)

I agree to help my new friend move- she’s finally leaving her loser/boozer/abuser boyfriend. I pull up to the house. He’s gone; he’s locked her out. She breaks the front window. Glass everywhere. We start frantically stuffing clothes into garbage bags. She says: “Weird- his gun’s not in its case.”

WINS: 2 VIP tickets to 1/23 Back Fence show (plus 2 drink tickets), PLUS 2 tickets to Portland Center Stage’s hit show The North Plan, PLUS from our lovely sponsors Saint Cupcake & Popina Swimwear gift certificates. PLUS, PLUS two tickets to one of our March Back Fence shows (plus two drink tickets)!

RUNNER UP!

SARAH MOORE (Entered on backfencepdx.com website)

In sixth grade, I hatched a brilliant scheme to win the man of my dreams. I would leave us both “anonymous” notes telling us we were meant for each other, then act surprised. I didn’t mean to write them on the back of my schoolwork. With my name on each.

WINS: 2 VIP tickets to 1/23 Back Fence show (plus two drink tickets), and two tickets to one of March Back Fence shows (plus two drink tickets)!

HONORABLE MENTION

NOTJUST ABREEDER (Entered on Back Fence Facebook fan page)

Long story short, camping, 8 kids, 3 adults, 1 adult being the ex-wife, whiskey, drunk ex, vomit in truck, teenagers leg trapped between logs, cops, jaws of life, Russian mafia guy, body guards, hospital, no sleep, no fish, never again…

WINS: Two tickets to one of our March Back Fence shows (plus two drink tickets)!

NAT S. (Entered on backfencepdx.com website)

Decided to take a crazy amount of acid at midnight with an acquaintance. We stayed up all night watching the trees wave to us. Forgot that later that morning I was driving with my now-lesbian ex-girlfriend 500 miles to my hometown to visit my parents. For Thanksgiving.

WINS: Two tickets to one of our March Back Fence shows (plus two drink tickets)!

CHLOE P.S. von UECKERMANN (Entered on Back Fence Facebook fan page)

Went to the Midwest to help build a friend’s house. Bought a one-way ticket. Met “Crazy Joe” who told strangers he was ‘pot guy on facebook’. One night he tried to kiss my face & said, “I ain’t tryin’ to keep you, I just wanted to know if your skin was soft.”

WINS: Two tickets to one of our March Back Fence shows (plus two drink tickets)!

THOMAS (Entered on backfencepdx.com website)
When I was seventeen, I got a Straight Edge tattoo.

WINS: Two tickets to one of our March Back Fence shows (plus two drink tickets)!

*Winners please email info@backfencepdx.com to find out how to claim your prize! THANK YOU.

Share Your ‘I Didn’t Think This Through’ Story, Win Prizes!

BFMasters — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:55:08 +0000

Here’s a haul worth writing for!* Share your I DIDN’T THINK THIS THROUGH **TRUE** story in 50 words or less as a comment right here on this here blog post, by TODAY 1/19 @ midnight.

One lucky person will win $200 of awesome-ness: 2 tickets/early entrance for our Jan. 23 show, PLUS two tickets to THE NORTH PLAN at Portland Center Stage, The Gerding Theater at the Armory (“…nothing short of uproarious…”), AND gift certificates from our lovely sponsors Saint Cupcake and Popina Swimwear! Winner will be announced tomorrow, 1/20!

Pictured: Tanya (Kate Eastwood Norris) knows how to get Shonda’s attention (Ashley Everage) in Jason Wells’ hilarious play (RAVE reviews from local media) The North Plan, running January 10 – February 5, 2012 at Portland Center Stage. Photo by Patrick Weishampel.

*YES – you CAN enter for a chance to win, even if you already have reservations for the 1/23 show!!

More FREE tix released today at 4:30!

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:57:47 +0000

TODAY! At 4:30 we’ll release a few more tickets for the FREE January 23rd, I DIDN’T THINK THIS THROUGH show at Portland Center Stage! Another chance to see World Class Benefit Auctioneer David Silverman (pictured), Laurie Notaro, Mary Van Note, Carli Davidson , Doug Askelson, and Gregg Abbott tell stories! (If you don’t get tix today, don’t fret, we have a really fun contest going at portlandstagereviews.com to get tix and more fun stuff coming up!!)

Tix here at 4:30: http://backfencejan2012.eventbrite.com/

Other MYSTERIOUS Ways to GET FREE TIX…

BFMasters — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:52:23 +0000

===>Our SIGN-INTERPRETED section still has seats available for those in need of an interpreter! See below for details on how to reserve tickets for this section only.

HOLY MOLY People! The general admission FREE TICKETS for the January 23rd show were obliterated in just over an HOUR!!! WOWZEE.

BUT WAIT!!! If you missed out…we will ping people with reservations in a week or so to make sure they can still come to the show for really reals…and we will be releasing any available tickets for people who cancel through the next weeks until the show. IN ADDITION…in the next week or so we’ll announce an exciting way to win VIP tickets to the Back Fence show (um, this means you get let in before everyone else, no rock star party…sorry) and to Portland Center Stage’s stunning production of THE NORTH PLAN!

Follow us on twitter: @backfencepdx, Portland Center Stage: @pcsghost and LIKE us on Facebook so you’ll be sure to be apprised of current information!

January storyteller DOUG ASKELSON pictured on the crane.

*This form of reserving tickets is for the ASL section ONLY, general seating is now SOLD OUT: We are excited to announce that stories will be interpreted by nationally certified sign language interpreters Dot Hearn and Steve Nail. To reserve space for these tickets, please email: events@backfencepdx.com with your first/last name, number of people in your party, AND “Tickets for Interpreter Section” in the subject header. There are a limited number of tickets available for this section and reservations must be made by January 9th, midnight. After that time they will be released to the general public.