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Fertile Ground Festival
New works of theater, dance and comedy fill Portland's stages every year.
Oregon Arts Watch
Early birds, script-chasers and workshop-watchers already know: Fertile Ground Festival is where you go to see Portland’s newest performance works first. Produced by the nonprofit Portland Area Theater Alliance (PATA), this annual festival will return April 12–21, 2024.
Fertile Ground Festival is distinct from other cities’ “fringe” fests in two important regards: 1) It only features local producers, and 2) it’s non-juried, waving creators through an open door to access the critics they value most: audiences.
As you might imagine, that means there’s a lot to see. Offerings include theater and dance, along with flourishes of comedy, musical theater, multi-media performances, staged readings and more. Each year, there is way more to see than one person can manage, and stumbling into something on your own that turns out to be fabulous is part of the fun. It also offers an opportunity to experience a variety of local performance spaces, including Artists Repertory Theatre, Clinton Street Theater, The Back Door Theatre and Portland Playhouse.
If you like your performance arts like your produce — locally sourced and partially raw — then you’re sure to enjoy Fertile Ground’s bounty.
Hit The Stage
Explore more of Portland's vibrant performing arts scene.
Portland Theater
Portland has a well-established network of venues and theater companies and an increasingly dynamic and diverse small theater scene.
Comedy in Portland
There’s always something funny happening in Portland. From stand-up comedy to improv or even comedy classes Portland has any kind of comedy you may be looking for. Portland boasts many stages to bring you fresh, up-and-coming, and touring comedians.
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