The Weekly was always supportive of the Fringe, but in the third year of the Fringe, I think I had heard that a conservative religious radio station had been warning its listeners about the Fringe, while the Weekly ran a headline "Fringe a forum for Religious Right" because of a production of an anti-abortion-leaning play. That was the best and the worst – to have ALL sides of our community offended, but to have all sides of our community OFFENDED.

raised $6.5 million with Techstars Ventures and Foundry Group. “The circus sector hasn’t been disrupted since Cirque du Soleil, and that was 20 years ago,” Techstars Ventures Managing Partner Mark Solon told the Wall Street Journal. “This is not your typical venture deal, but you don’t get outsized returns from following the crowd.” Two Bit Circus has developed a number of productions that blur the lines between performance, education, and traditional traveling shows.

Portland Theatre Scene is a curated view of what’s interesting in Portland performance – mainly via the blog. It does not attempt to provide a comprehensive listing of what’s on in town. See this full list of all Portland theatre companies. Marvel at a selective list of stuff coming up you don’t want to miss. Want to know what shows I’ll be seeing in future, or what I’ve seen in the past? Here is your destination.

PICA’s annual Time-Based Art Festival (TBA) draws artists from across the country and around the globe for a convergence of contemporary performance and visual art. Installations and live performances fill out theaters, temporary galleries, and unexpected public spaces throughout Portland, activating the city with art and energy. From morning workshops to afternoon salons and talks, to evening shows and late-night happenings, TBA is an all-hours forum for new ideas and experiences.

Probably none of these are going to suit you, in particular. They’re just generically wonderful. As a Boston musical director once put it, the best auditioners “are clearly showing a natural sense of who THEY are, with a piece that fits THEM well, as opposed to someone who seems to be trying to “impress” with a song choice or who is trying to “be a character” too much. Sing something that simply shows who YOU are.”