Clackamas Repertory Theatre

The family vacation to Friday Harbor, WA to see my grandpa each summer included sitting down in his ‘TV room’ and putting on an old VHS version of How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. I grew up loving this movie and of course had to see the production. Unfortunately I haven’t made it to NYC recently enough to catch the Broadway version, so I settled for the Clackamas Repertory Theatre rendition.
Honestly, my expectations weren’t high for this 200-​seat theater that required driving into a part of Oregon I haven’t been to in over 10 years, but I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the show. Jameson Tabor was outstanding as J. Pierrepont Finch and he honestly made the show. He should be on Broadway.
There was a well-​organized Talk Back after the show in which the cast and crew sat on stage and answered questions. I enjoyed that. The questions were more along the lines of «Is it hard to memorize all those lines?» and not anything close to «Do you feel there is a social commentary that is relevant to modern times?». I suppose it is what it is.
The reason this review is four stars and not five is due to our experience buying tickets. There were seats available 30 minutes before the show, which we were very happy about. However, the woman who sold us the tickets was incredibly cold. Mean even. I realized halfway through the transaction that I needed to pay a different way. My first transaction hadn’t been finalized yet and I apologized and asked if I could pay differently. The woman was visibly annoyed but agreed. At the end I apologized again for a bit longer transaction and thanked her. She just stood there with thin, flat lips and didn’t say a word. Our tickets were handed to us in silence and we walked away.
It was very awkward and made the first bit of the show less enjoyable. I loved this production and I’m glad we went, but this experience makes me less likely to drive all the way out here again.

Professional theater, close to home. All the shows we’ve seen here have been of the highest quality. The sets are unique, the costumes classy and the actors superb. Plus the parking is free! And Oregon City has some wonderful restaurants for before or after. Just 20 minutes or so from downtown. A real gem!

I love this theater company!!! I have been to several shows and have enjoyed all of them. The theater is small so there are no bad seats. The cast and productions are such a high caliber for a small theater. Their production of Cabaret last year was the best I’ve ever seen. They have received standing ovations in almost every production I’ve been to. If you have been wondering whether it will be worth the time or the trip, wonder no more! Go! You will not be disappointed!

We came here to see a play last night and It was amazing. I was very surprised by the professional production and the quality of the actors. What a wonderful night out. Come early and get ready for a very entertaining night. The seats are very comfortable and fresh coffee in the lobby.

This is a gorgeous theater, right on the campus of Clackamas Community College. The lighting is great, seating comfy, and there’s a wide variety of things being offered up here. I actually prefer this tehater over most of the ones offered up at other local colleges (PSU, Lewis & Clark, Reed, etc)…plus there’s free parking. You can’t beat that!

Clackamas Repertory Theatre, (CRT) now in its 7^th full year produces exceptionally high quality professional theater at incredibly low prices. The summer season typically contains three plays running for 3 or 4 weeks each. The general pattern is the first is a comedy/​farce, the second is a musical, and the third is a drama.
For 2011 they are performing FOR BETTER, a wonderful comedy I saw a week ago about the perils of living and communicating is a keyboard and smartphone world.
Coming in August will be OKLAHOMA! And, in late September-​early October they will be doing WHO’s AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
My wife and I have been going to CRT since the end of their first year and always get season tickets (under $ 60 for 3 plays!) We also go to their spring «readings,» a set of plays that are not fully staged or costumed, but are still a wonderful experience (dirt cheap and they serve cookies!).
The Artistic Director (who is often also the director of one or two plays per season) is able to get top-​notch performances out of each and every cast member. The theater is intimate and comfortable with absolutely no bad seats and the quality is as good as or often better than anything else you will see in the greater Portland area.
To give an example, we saw I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE with the original off-​Broadway cast in New York. Wonderful play. CRT did it the year we moved to Oregon and it was BETTER! Full stop, no question. Better than the original. You can’t beat that!
It is wheelchair and walker-​friendly with special seats reserved for those who need a no-​stairs location.