The April 28-May 24 run of “4000 Miles” by Amy Herzog will feature an exciting collaboration of Artists Repertory Theatre, The Geezer Gallery and ORA Northwest Jewish Artists.
The Geezer Gallery, which is now in residence at ART, asked ORA artists to create visual art responding to the play, which Time magazine named the number one play of 2012.
For two weeks of the run (Wednesday-Sunday, May 6-17), the three nonprofits will join Jamison Restaurant to offer a one-of-a-kind curated evening of local art. The “Trifecta” package will be a feast for the senses: culinary, visual and performing arts.
Tickets for the Trifecta Experience are $125 per person; a portion of the proceeds support the Geezer Gallery’s residency at Artists Rep’s ArtsHub (the eight arts companies in the building).
The evening begins at 5 pm with a three-course dinner at the Pearl District’s Jamison Restaurant and includes a teaser exhibit at the restaurant of the work of ORA artists.
Following this gourmet dinner, travel just under a mile from 900 NW 11th Ave. to Artists Rep at 1515 SW Morrison to view The Geezer Gallery’s full installation of juried works in the Morrison Lobby.
At 7:30 pm enjoy great seats to see “4000 Miles,” directed by Alana Byington. The ART website says the play “follows a cross-country bike trip from the Pacific Northwest that brings 21-year-old Leo, unannounced, to his 91-year-old grandmother’s West Village apartment. Trapped in inertia and trying to escape his past, the young man’s world views are rattled by his grandmother’s recollections of her radical, bohemian past. Ideological sparks fly in this subtle, comedic drama as the two discover where their worlds intertwine.”
As a company-in-residence at Artists Rep, Geezer Gallery artists offer patrons rotating visual art installations that reflect or are inspired by the work onstage. The Geezer Gallery invited ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists to create an art show from their interpretations of the play. The resulting exhibit will be on display, and the artwork will be for sale in the lobby throughout the run of the play.
“ORA has been astounding,” says Nicole A. Lane, marketing and public relations director for Artists Repertory Theatre. “Artists started reading the play last fall and have created pieces for the play.”
“This is a very unique and exciting event for ORA,” says Brauna Ritchie of ORA. “In preparation for the exhibit, two study groups met to discuss the play and explore possible artistic themes. After each artist submitted work, the art was juried by The Geezer Gallery’s curator. The result is a thought-provoking art exhibit paired with a poignant play – and a new art partnership for Portland!”
In Hebrew, ORA means light, luminosity, warmth, perspective, liveliness, brightness. ORA is a group of artists in the Portland area who have come together to support, share, inspire, enjoy and showcase a wide variety of art forms within the context of the Jewish experience. Mittleman Jewish Community Center members who show their membership card will receive a 10% discount on any ORA art purchased during the show.
During the first season of its residency at ART, The Geezer Gallery has featured dozens of local artists as they explore how visual art and performance can converse with each other to make for a more enriching experience. Art sales at Artists Rep support the Geezer Gallery’s programs for seniors. The Geezer Gallery is devoted to celebrating master-level senior artists, providing therapeutic arts programming for low-income seniors for the Portland community.
To purchase tickets visit artistsrep.org or call the Artists Rep box office at 503-241-1278.
