Linda Ferguson

A nominee for six Pushcart awards, Linda Ferguson writes poetry, fiction, essays, and reviews. Her latest chapbook, "Not Me: Poems About Other Women," was published by Finishing Line Press. As a creative writing teacher, she has a passion for building community and helping students explore new territory.

DramaWatch: Michael Allen Harrison, composing a new musical, lives by his father’s advice to ‘love what you do’

The prolific composer thrives on his packed schedule, which includes rehearsing for "JC: Gospel According to an Angel," a new musical at Triangle Productions. Plus: Other openings, still running, and theater news.

‘Mrs. Harrison’: Movable mosaic of a showdown in an upscale bathroom

Review: R. Eric Thomas's densely stitched two-hander play at Portland Center Stage raises a complex tapestry of questions about race, friendship, and storytelling.

DramaWatch: Performers from two thought-provoking plays talk about their characters.

Audiences and actors alike have the chance to engage with the issues presented in “American Son” and “Samsara.” Plus: Openings, mid-run shows, coming up, theater news.

Breathtaking performances, lush set make Imago’s ‘Streetcar’ a stunning experience

Review: Jerry Mouawad is the maestro behind this tragic but artistically magical reimagining of Tennessee Williams's great American drama "A Streetcar Named Desire."

DramaWatch: In January, theaters explore intricate shades of gray

Imago’s "A Streetcar Named Desire," the touring musical "Kimberly Akimbo," and Portland Center Stage’s "Mrs. Harrison" all defy oversimplification.

Style is the star of Lakewood Theatre’s ‘The Maltese Falcon’

Review: Delicious set, sound and costume designs bring a film noir vibe to the stage in this U.S. premiere theatrical production.

2024 in Review: A few of my favorite (theatrical) things

Oregon theaters offered us an abundance of blissful, moving and mind-altering moments in 2024, and DramaWatch columnist and reviewer Linda Ferguson remembers her favorites.

DramaWatch: In with the new

The 2024 theater year is ending, but there’s plenty to anticipate in 2025 – and a little left in '24.

Review:  ‘ZooZoo’ blinks, hops, slinks and sings with fresh delights

Imago Theatre’s co-artistic directors Carol Triffle and Jerry Mouawad, who have been creating anthropomorphic animals since 1979, have hatched a charming new trio of baby birds for this year’s production.

Christmas spirits: Playing with the supernatural in ‘Fezziwig’s Fortune’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

Josie Seid and Sara Jean Accuardi’s “Fezziwig” offers Twilight Theater audiences a chance to explore their own losses and joys, while Stumptown Theater’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” adds vibrant color and toe-tapping music to its adaptation of a film classic.

DramaWatch: A season brimming with hope and light

Setting the stage for gratitude: As December dawns, “Black Nativity,” “Fezziwig’s Fortune,” and “Veronica, In Bed” all acknowledge adversity while offering inspiration.

Fresh Takes: Adaptations and original works abound in theaters this month

DramaWatch: In addition to a sleigh full of holiday shows, Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” an updated Cinderella story, a comic horror musical, and an unexpected Austen heroine are making their appearances on Oregon stages.

Short and sweet: E.M. Lewis’s 60-minute play ‘Dorothy’s Dictionary’ offers inspiration and hope in a divisive time

Review: Chronicling the friendship between a teen and a librarian, the 21ten Theatre production of the Oregon playwright's award-winning play glows with humor and emotion.

Forget your troubles: Plays to help get us through the election trauma

DramaWatch: Early November shows a range from comics and camp to E.M. Lewis’s heartfelt first two-hander, plus a sprinkling of holiday fare.

Can we talk? An unflinching and funny tale of life and illness in a fasting clinic

Review: Annie Baker’s "Infinite Life," produced by Third Rail at CoHo Theatre, uses silence and sharp dialogue to examine the way people navigate the physical and emotional trauma of pain.

‘Is You Is’ finds hope in the darkness of the past

Review: The moving musical, which expertly interweaves racial issues past and present, is the first collaboration between Washington County’s Bag&Baggage and Broadway Rose Theatre.

All together now: Community is the focus of four theater companies this month

DramaWatch: Bag&Baggage and Broadway Rose are co-producing a concert performance of the new musical “Is You Is,” Shaking the Tree is offering a reading series to help process our communal election angst; Third Rail presents “Infinite Life.”

‘Amélie’: A blissful musical tour de force

With Lo Steele in the title role and an all-star cast also serving as the onstage orchestra, Portland Playhouse’s magical stage version of a French film is awash with lyrical sights and sounds.

DramaWatch: Autumn blows in a breeze of musicals

“Amélie,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” and “Sweeney Todd” all take the stage this week. October also brings Artists Rep's "The Event!," the concert musical "Is You Is," "Wicked" and more.

Broadway Rose and Patsy Cline, together again

"Always ... Patsy Cline," a musical about the friendship between the legendary country singer and her biggest fan, is still delighting packed Oregon audiences the fourth time around.

Welcome back: ‘Ann’ captures the charisma of the late Ann Richards

Margie Boulé takes the stage at triangle productions!, reprising her role as the legendary Texas Democrat in a play that offers abundant laughs, a sliver of hope, and a reminder to vote.

Purple Reign: ‘Henry V’ entertains with colorful characters, artful fight scenes

Portland’s Salt and Sage performs Shakespeare’s historical fiction in repertory with “Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2” through August.

‘My Fair Lady’: Still loverly after all these years

Clackamas Repertory Theatre mines the lasting appeal of the classic musical, which stays rooted in the Edwardian era yet dances with ease and high humor into the 21st century.

One fine show: It’s ‘Beautiful’

Broadway Rose Theatre Company’s smart and sharply choreographed “Beautiful” tells the inspiring story of singer and songwriter Carole King’s musical journey.

Can’t take our eyes off of them: The Boys are back

Broadway actor Russell Fischer stars as Frankie Valli in Lakewood Theatre Company’s exuberant and entertaining jukebox musical “Jersey Boys.”