“In some sports, there is a premium on people that are really big or tall, because, while there are many skills that can be taught, size is not one of them. The work of the 25-year-old Portland playwright Craig Jessen brings that principle to mind.
“Jessen is a storyteller of impressive gifts. He is clearly intrigued by the paths on which individuals find themselves and what got them there, the process by which loyalties are formed and the blind spots that send people headlong into self-sabotage and betrayal. And girls.
“With ‘Pylon,’ which opened Friday night at the Firehouse Theatre, the playwright crafts another set of memorable characters and again shows skill at drawing clear distinctions between them.
“It’s a trickier proposition in this case, because the play's protagonists are three teenage geeks who might not seem all that different from one another, certainly not to the high school mainstream of which they clearly are not a part.
“But Jessen’s trio — Connor, Jake and the supernerd Mike — are an agreeable bunch. They get together when Connor borrows his dad’s car one night and discover the height of rebellion by stealing traffic cones and then placing them in people’s front yards.
“Not only does Jessen make these characters easy to laugh at and easy to like, he has some fun in the process. When we first meet the three, they perform a delightful synchronized pat-a-cake number for no particular reason, and when Mike later questions Conner’s truthfulness, he is rebuffed with the reminder that authenticity shouldn’t be too much of a priority since the two are actually actors in a play.
“The young Jessen, who will go off to study playwriting in Southern California this fall, has once again reached inside an impressive toolbox for a clever, heartfelt piece of storytelling. This time, he’s made a legitimately satisfying contribution to a summer of theater in his hometown, and shown in the process that he may be on a very promising path of his own.”
Essayist Taylor Donnelly shares her thoughts on Pylon. Read an excerpt below, or the complete essay.
“Adolescence is special. It is also god-awful. As a rule, if a story emphasizes the god-awful aspect of adolescence, it is a comedy. If it emphasizes the special, it is tragedy. Either we lose something irreplaceable in the fall from childhood, or we gain something essential in the ascendance to adulthood. Or, as a non-binary alternative, we neither lose nor gain, but rather survive adolescence, with mixed results and mixed feelings. Pylon explores that third route. Neither comedy nor tragedy, the play approaches the notion of ‘coming of age’ with as much acid as tenderness, and as much bewilderment as either.”
7.14.2008: A Request from a Distinguished Gentleman
Last Saturday, an unusual request was posted for Portland ETC on the yahoo group PDX Backstage from a Mr. Alan Dalegiesh. Read his request and our response here.
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7.4.2008: Teaser Trailer Online!
Celebrate Independence Day by watching the Pylon Teaser Trailer below!
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6.14.2008: Vera Katz Statue Beware
Recently, our offices received a letter from Warren Smith. If this letter is to believed, a precious municipal icon may be in danger this October.
A scan of the letter our office received from Warren Smith. Click to enlarge.
Artist’s depiction of the
clear and present danger
to Vera Katz’s statue.
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5.30.2008: The Elements of Longing
In Pylon, the character of Connor creates silhouettes in a variety of mediums. Below is a series of digital paintings inspired by the four elements and the play’s themes of longing.
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5.24.2008: Cone Photo Contest
To celebrate spring, we’re holding a contest for the most creative photograph of a cone. We will be accepting entrees through July 31st. The winner will receive 4 free tickets to Pylon.
Here are the contest rules:
All photos must be original
Photos should feature a cone of some sort
There is no limit to how many photos you can submit; you may make as many entrees as you like
Contest deadline is July 31
All entrees should be e-mailed to contest@portlandetc.org
Do be good citizens, and if you borrow a cone that’s not yours, put it back where you found it.
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5.19.2008: Aliens, Peaceniks, and Lost Pets
Over the weekend, Portlanders frequenting the Park Blocks were given pause by postings of crop circles, peace signs, and lost pets. What did these things have in common?
Click below to enlarge the images, and see if you can be the first to unravel the mystery.
