And Oregon theater, for that matter ... probably Northwest theater ... maybe west coast theater ... theater west of the Rockies ... west of the Mississippi River ... you get the picture.
Look at this calendar. 4 plays on 4 successive nights, at the same theater, by the same company. A new set taken down and erected, nightly. Many company members cast in multiple plays.
All this was possible because a core of actors had CETA grants, which is to say, they could be full time actors -- and not depending on box office, the company didn't have to play to "pop" tastes. Four serious, heavy, dark plays in repertory for two months.
They don't make theater seasons like this very often, folks. Those of us who were there to witness it will never forget it.
Fall, 1978, at Peter Fornara's Production Company. A season to remember. This is the subject of my essay for next year's anthology published by Oregon State University Press, celebrating Oregon's 150th birthday.
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