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| Custom Made Theatre Co. | |
|---|---|
| Name | Custom Made Theatre Co. |
| Established | 2004 |
| Location | Portland, Oregon |
| Genre | Contemporary theatre, devised theatre |
| Artistic director | Varied ensemble leadership |
Custom Made Theatre Co. is an ensemble-driven theatre company founded in the early 21st century and based in Portland, Oregon. The company developed a reputation for collaborative devised works, multimedia performances, and site-specific productions that intersect with civic life in the Pacific Northwest. Its practice drew on traditions from experimental theatre, contemporary dance, and documentary performance, engaging artists and institutions across North America and Europe.
Founded in the aftermath of the early 2000s regional theatre renaissance, the company emerged from a network that included practitioners influenced by Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Royal Court Theatre, and The Wooster Group. Early seasons reflected dialogues with festivals such as Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Spoleto Festival USA, and presentations at venues like PICA and Artists Repertory Theatre. Company members trained or collaborated with institutions including Juilliard School, Tisch School of the Arts, Atlantic Theater Company, University of Washington School of Drama, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Tours and exchanges connected the ensemble to collectives associated with Complicité, Theatre de la Colline, Compagnia TPO, Teatre Lliure, and Belvoir St Theatre.
The ensemble articulated an artistic vision influenced by practitioners such as Bertolt Brecht, Jerzy Grotowski, Anne Bogart, Suzuki Method, and artists from The Living Theatre. Their work integrated methodologies from Grotowski's Poor Theatre, Richard Schechner, Théâtre du Soleil, and devised systems practiced at Liverpool Everyman and Factory Theatre. Visually and musically the company referenced collaborators across disciplines who had worked with Philip Glass, A.R. Rahman, Björk, and sound designers associated with Punchdrunk. Choreographic and physical vocabularies recalled links to Pina Bausch, Merce Cunningham, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, and movement teachers from Laban Centre.
Productions ranged from small-scale ensemble pieces to large site-specific spectacles. Notable productions (influenced by formats popularized by Sarah Kane, Caryl Churchill, August Wilson, Tony Kushner, and Suzan-Lori Parks) incorporated documentary elements recalling Anna Deavere Smith and devised strategies akin to Complicité and Forced Entertainment. The company mounted adaptations and original texts that dialogued with literary and historical works such as those by William Shakespeare, Samuel Beckett, Henrik Ibsen, Anton Chekhov, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and Lorraine Hansberry. Multimedia design practices involved collaborators with backgrounds at National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Roundabout Theatre Company, and independent scenographers associated with Ars Electronica and SIGGRAPH.
Partnerships included residencies, co-productions, and commissioning relationships with regional and international organizations: Portland Center Stage, Oregon Contemporary Theatre, WordStage, Museum of Contemporary Art (Portland), Portland Art Museum, National Endowment for the Arts, Oregon Arts Commission, Canada Council for the Arts, British Council, and universities such as Portland State University and Reed College. International co-productions connected the ensemble to Teatro di Roma, Comédie-Française, Kinosaki International Arts Center, and touring presenters like PROTOTYPE Festival and Under the Radar Festival.
Education initiatives echoed models from Lincoln Center Education, Theatre for a New Audience, Tectonic Theater Project, and National New Play Network. Youth and community programs collaborated with schools in Portland Public Schools, community centers affiliated with Multnomah County Library, and nonprofit partners like Urban League of Portland and Ecotrust. Workshops and apprenticeships reflected pedagogical approaches seen at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, ARTS Emerson, Second City Training Center, and Broadway Workshops, while civic projects engaged local governments and organizations comparable to Portland Bureau of Transportation initiatives and neighborhood revitalization programs led by Prosper Portland.
The company received regional awards and nominations analogous to honors from Drammy Awards, Oregon Book Awards (for adapted texts), and recognition programs associated with Americans for the Arts. Artists affiliated with the ensemble were finalists for grants from Guggenheim Fellowship, MacArthur Fellowship, AVAM, and recipients of support from Kresge Foundation and Ted Alumni-style prizes. Production design and innovation garnered attention in publications and platforms aligned with American Theatre Magazine, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Oregonian, and trade showcases like TPAM and Theatre Communications Group conferences.
Governance followed a nonprofit model parallel to boards overseeing organizations such as Roundabout Theatre Company, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and Lincoln Center. Staffing included artistic directors, managing directors, production managers, and community liaisons with hiring practices comparable to companies supported by National Performance Network and Mid-America Arts Alliance. Funding combined earned income, ticketing partnerships, philanthropic grants from foundations like Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and corporate sponsorships resembling relationships with entities that support performing arts such as Nike, Inc. and Intel Corporation. Fiscal oversight and development strategies paralleled standards promoted by Independent Sector and GuideStar-type transparency initiatives.
Category:Theatre companies in Portland, Oregon