Organization: Coho Productions Inc
Mission: COHO PRODUCTIONS BROADENS PERSPECTIVES AND CULTIVATES EMPATHY THROUGH VIBRANT AND INTIMATE PRODUCTIONS. COHO NURTURES AND SUPPORTS PORTLAND AREA-BASED THEATRE ARTISTS THROUGH A MODEL OF THEATRICAL CO-PRODUCTION, CHAMPIONING EXCEPTIONAL LOCAL ARTISTS.
Activities: PRODUCED PLAYS, DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED THEATER SPACECOHO PRODUCTIONS, ESTABLISHED IN 1995, IS A THEATER COMPANY WITH A UNIQUE MODEL. IT OFFERS INDIVIDUAL LOCAL THEATER ARTISTS (ACTORS, DIRECTORS, AND PLAYWRIGHTS) THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW A DREAM AND CO-PRODUCE A PLAY FOR WHICH HE OR SHE HAS A SPECIAL PASSION. COHOS ARTISTIC COUNCIL, COMPRISED OF PROMINENT THEATRICAL SCHOLARS AND WORKING THEATER PROFESSIONALS, REVIEWS DOZENS OF PROJECT SUBMISSIONS TO SELECT A SEASON COMPRISED OF THE THREE PLAYS WHICH REPRESENT THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE. WHILE THE CHOSEN ARTISTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING THEIR ARTISTIC VISION TO LIFE ON THE STAGE, COHO PROVIDES THE FUNDING AND THE VENUE, AS WELL AS MARKETING AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. THIS CO-PRODUCTION MODEL HELPS DEVELOP YOUNG ARTISTS AND ALLOWS THEM TO DEVOTE THEIR FULL ATTENTION TO THEIR CRAFT. THE RESULT OF THIS REMARKABLE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN A DEEPENING OF THE ARTISTIC TALENT AND A WIDENING OF THEATRICAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY. OVER THE YEAR, COHO HAS BEEN THE FIRST PRODUCTION HOME FOR A NUMBER OF NOW PROMINENT AND WELL ESTABLISHED PORTLAND-BASED THEATER COMPANIES WHO WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN ORGANIZATIONS AND THEATER HOMES DUE TO THE EXPOSURE AND OPPORTUNITY THAT COHO PROVIDED. ADDITIONALLY, COHO HAS OFFERED MANY LOCAL PLAYWRIGHTS THEIR INITIAL VIEWINGS AND OVER THE COURSE OF ITS HISTORY HAS GARNERED AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION, DIRECTOR, AND ACTORS. THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING LOCAL THEATER ARTISTS, BOTH SEASONED AND EMERGING, CANNOT BE OVERSTATED. A COMMUNITY THAT VALUES NEW CREATIVE GIFTS IS A COMMUNITY THAT GROWS IN RICHNESS BOTH FINANCIALLY AND SPIRITUALLY.
NTEE category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Secondary category: Community Improvement & Capacity Building