The Gerding Theater at Armory Building

Portland, United States

4.7

Open now

20 reviews

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 503-445-3700
Website:
www.pcs.org
Address:
128 NW 11th Ave, Portland, OR, 97253
Southwest Portland, Downtown
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
60 ftSouthwest 6th & Oak
70 ftSouthwest Oak & 6th
220 ftSouthwest 5th & Oak
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Bussiness info

Good for Kids
Yes

Today

Today 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Portland) 1:44 PM Thursday, November 28, 2024

Business hours

Monday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Description

Specialties

For 25 years, Portland Center Stage has inspired our community by bringing stories to life in unexpected ways. Founded in 1988, we are the city’s leading professional theater and one of the 20 largest regional theater companies in the U.S. Each season we produce a blend of classical, contemporary and première works, as well as our annual playwrights festival, JAW. In our home at the Gerding Theater at the Armory we also offer a variety of education and outreach programs, including classes, workshops and partnerships with organizations throughout the Portland area.

History

Established in 1988.

PCS began as OSF Portland, the northern sibling of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. After years of planning and preparation, the company was successfully launched on November 12, 1988.

In September 1993, after five successful seasons, the Festival approved a recommendation that the Portland branch become an independent theater company, starting with the 1994 – 1995 season.

Artistic Director Chris Coleman joined PCS in 1999, with the hope of bringing even bolder work to the our stage and connecting in a more vital way with the community.

Throughout the next few years, the vision of a new home for PCS began to emerge. That vision became a reality when, in 2006, we moved into our new home in The Gerding Theater at the Armory. Built in the historic Portland Armory, the new facility houses a 599-​seat main stage and a 200-​seat black box theater.

This year we celebrate our 25th anniversary season! We look forward to an exciting, boundary-​pushing and galvanizing future.

Meet the Manager

Chris C.

Manager

Chris joined PCS as artistic director in May 2000. Before coming to Portland, he was artistic director at Actor’s Express in Atlanta, a company he co-​founded in the basement of an old church in 1988. At PCS, recent direction includes «Oklahoma!,» «Anna Karenina,» «Shakespeare’s Amazing Cymbeline,» «The Imaginary Invalid,» «Sunset Boulevard,» «The Chosen,» «Snow Falling on Cedars,» «Ragtime,» «Grey Gardens,» «Crazy Enough,» «The Importance of Being Earnest,» «Guys and Dolls,» «Cabaret,» «The Beard of Avon» and «The Little Dog Laughed.» He also made his Portland acting debut in «Opus.» Since moving to Oregon, Chris has skied down Mt. Hood, rappelled in The Dalles, climbed a ropes course in Eastern Washington, kayaked down the Rogue, biked through most neighborhoods of the city and hiked all over the state. Chris’s favorite things about Portland: farmer’s markets, Timbers games, Salt & Straw ice cream, zoo concerts, dog parks, food carts, and cars that stop for pedestrians.

The Gerding Theater at Armory Building also recommends

Urban Fondue

284

reviews

Fondue

,

Desserts

Chris C. says,

«From the indulgent cuisine to the extensive martini selections Urban Fondue is a feast for the senses.»

Mabel & Zora

31

reviews

Women’s Clothing

,

Jewelry

Chris C. says,

«A lovely ladies’ boutique located in the Pearl District. Plan your next pre– or post-​show shopping excursion now!»

Popina Swimwear Boutique

27

reviews

Swimwear

Chris C. says,

«The cutest swimsuits we’ve ever seen! Popina carries 25 brands of ladies swimsuits, coverups and accessories.»

Oven and Shaker

427

reviews

Pizza

,

Italian

,

Gastropubs

Chris C. says,

«A modern urban saloon that ties together the pizza-​making talent of Cathy Whims with cocktails from Ryan Magarian.»

Coppia

107

reviews

Wine Bars

,

Italian

Chris C. says,

«Offers fabulous food and a wine list that is at once easy to read and eclectic, with choices for the meek as well as the wild.»

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20 reviews of The Gerding Theater at Armory Building

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Portland, OR
My wife and I saw the play «Sex With Strangers.» I was capitivated from the get-​go! Delightful, entertaining pace, excellent entertainment. It’s provocative (a little skin tastefully done), funny and heartwarming. Two characters connect on the smaller, very intimate, Ellyn Bye studio. 2 character profiles (he and she) gave awesome performances and encourage each in pursuit of passion for writing and love. Beware, the «F» word zings along during the performance, making the story-​line more plausible. I gave the actors, the director, the set and stage crew a standing ovation. I loved it! Like the cliff hanger ending, «do they» or «don’t they?» … Do What (not the sex thing either)? Find out! Get your tickets now. Come and check it out!
Gerding Armory is my «fav» PDX theatre! And you can find a good pub or eatery close by! Want to know almost everyting about the Gerding theatre? Read my previous review.
Place rating: 4
Portland, OR
This review will be short and sweet because I don’t have much to say other than I really liked this space. We spent New Year’s Eve here and really liked the layout. There was plenty of room for everyone in attendance, bar areas, a place for the band and DJ, dancing, and space for the silent auction items. This place was the perfect location for a lovely evening.
Place rating: 5
Beaverton, OR
The show was great and the theater was packed. We’ve been waiting since we moved here 3 years ago to come see this place. Last time we looked to sneak a peek there was a wedding going on, and we didn’t want to intrude.
So when a david sedaris «one man» play was in town and on yipit, we knew we should finally go.
What a great way to close out the holiday season. My wife has read all his books and is a huge fan. Well the show didn’t disappoint. 70 min was just enough, and I wish it would of kept going.
Great fun.
Place rating: 5
Portland, OR
We had our wedding at the Armory and it was better than we could have ever imagined. The event staff went out of their way to make it the smoothest and best day ever. All of the guests had an amazing time and commented on the beauty of the venue. Jessica was an amazing event coordinator. We can’t praise or thank the armory enough for making our big day amazing!!!
Place rating: 4
Northampton, MA
I came here for a conference last week. It’s a gorgeous theater, with comfortable seating, great lighting, and decent acoustics. I sat near the front, in the center.
Bathrooms are down a staircase and were clean and well lit. The lobby was big, open, and had plenty of couches and tables.
I enjoyed this theater and would come back here for performances or other events!
Place rating: 5
Oregon City, OR
We recently had my daughters wedding here! The staff was perfection at it’s finest, the venue was breathtaking! Could have not asked for better! Jessica Metteer and her staff — LOVE
Place rating: 4
Santa Clara, CA
Stopped in here to watch the play «Chinglish», which by the way was quite funny and is totally worth your time if you can catch it. But since this review is for the theater, I’ll talk about that.
The venue is very clean and bright. The lobby has a fair amount of seating for you as you wait for your show. You can even grab a bite or a beverage while you wait. Staff was very polite and helpful. Bathrooms were clean.
The theater itself was not huge, which likely means there’s probably not a bad seat in the house. We were in about the middle of the theater, and we thought the view was great. Seats were comfy enough and adequately wide. It did tend to get a little warm inside, but it was a full house.
Would definitely recommend seeing a show here.
Place rating: 5
Portland, OR
A GORGEOUS, historic building, and home to Portland’s own top-​notch theater company, «Portland Center Stage”– an institution that holds it own amidst the very, very best!
Tip: If your plans are ever open and your low on funds, come to the theater prior to a performance and wait for some «Pay What You Will/​Can» tickets and enjoy a truly fabulous production!
Place rating: 5
Lincoln City, OR
What a beautiful building. Also, the seats are comfortable and well laid out. I don’t think there was a bad seat in the house.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Great, modern place. Not many seats appear to be bad. Perfect to watch the arts! Get unsold rush tickets for a steal on adults! $ 20!!!
Place rating: 5
Newberg, OR
I saw my first play here recently… yes, that’s right, I’m 30 something and just saw my first play! gasp!
I love to eat was awesome! I learned a few things about the culinary man Mr Beard that I had not know!
The set was done really nice, and the seating was very comfortable. Not a bad seat in the house, this theatre is nicely done with friendly staff too. The sound was great, all in all a great show with not one complaint…
I don’t have to much to compare on being this was my first play to see, but this theatre is beautiful. I would definitely see another play here in the future.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
I went to a wedding here recently. It was absolutely lovely. Its a beautiful space for any type of event. When I go back to Portland I will definitely try and see a show or production here. Kudos to the architects that redesigned the Armory. I don’t think they could have done a better job.
Place rating: 5
Portland, OR
Perfect venue for Oregon Active’s NYE party! Not only is the place beautiful, but there is a ton of space to mull about. Who knew there were 2 floors below street level?
I also loved that they have an vendor who sells delicious deli food and sandwiches.
I’d been here for a fashion show, but didn’t realize the extent of it’s size.
Upstairs you only had 2 stalls in the ladies bathroom, but the other floors had quite a few more.
The wood floors are great for dancing and the wrap around balcony is fantastic for people watching. The only downside is parking, or lack thereof. While street parking is optimal, it isn’t always possible to find any spots close by (a few blocks walk can feel especially long in the winter).
Place rating: 5
Multnomah Village, Portland, OR
LOVE LOVE LOVE
This place is right up this little princess’ alley!!! Amazing customer service. Maybe one snooty Red haired fella! ;)
My GF had an extra ticket to see Sweeney Todd!!! I jumped at it. It’s in the Pearl. The place was packed. You are able to order drinks and snacks to enjoy while you watch this amazing show. All drinks must have a lid. I gladly drank my Syrah with a Straw! So much fun. You can pre-​order your intermission drinks before the show!!! They have them waiting for you with your name written in Calligraphy. The lobby architecture is beautiful. Looks like an airplane hanger. The interior theater is super nice as well. The actual show was exceptional. The performers were amazing actors and singers. The costumes were amazing.
I really can’t recommend this place more!!! Super amazing.
Place rating: 4
Portland, OR
The Gerding Theater at Armory Building is a very nice theater. It’s intimate (as far as theaters go), modern and green. A solid place to attend an event in the lobby or see a presentation or similar in the actual theater. Most of my visits have focused on the lobby area, but I’ve had the opportunity to sit in on a theater session or two.
This renovated historic building is now LEED certified and boasts all sorts of cool design features. From the outside it resembles an old stone castle, but one look at the interior and it could be any next-​generation building. Home to events ranging from conferences to wine tastings, it’s super versatile.
Definitely a solid part of Portland’s performing arts scene.
Place rating: 5
Portland, OR
What a great place to see a show! We got some cheap tickets to The Santaland Diaries and were very please with the venue, the cocktails and the atmosphere. Oh! And the parking! Portland has some of the cheapest parking. $ 5 for all night? Really? And right across the street! All the more reason to return!
Place rating: 4
Pleasant Hill, CA
The First Regiment Armory Annex, commonly known as the Portland Armory, was built in 1891 by Multnomah County to house the Oregon National Guard. While soldiers mustered at the Armory in 1898 for the Spanish American War, no urban unrest has ever been quelled here. In 1968, after years as an event space, it became a beer warehouse, owned by Blitz Weinhard Brewery. In 1999, the building was purchased by Gerding Edlen as part of the redevelopment of the Brewery Blocks. In 2000, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Following a renovation project that lasted from 2002 to 2006, the building now houses Gerding Theater, used primarily by the Theater group Portland Center Stage.
The Armory is a stunning facility both inside and out. I walked around the block to see it at various angles, after earlier watching a Portland Center Stage Production in the Gerdling Theater. What I enjoyed most was the cavernous space accented by the the steps of the Joanne Lilley Grand Staircase, which are cantilevered off a second floor balcony. And perfect for a special event.
Place rating: 4
East Bay, CA
Course having just reviewed Deschutes, must mention the Armory!!! An historic armory that is now the venue for Portland’s Center Stage theater, it opened oh… i’d say 2007? as the next best venue for the city and fine arts.
I recently was in Providence, RI visiting its own armory (very very memorable too. in a wholly different way) hanging on the west side of Brown U’s campus (close to RISD), and that memory jogs this one. Same kind of deal===the storage closet for all of that munition has now found great usage in the 21st century. Much like why i admire McMenamins, history preserved and honored, and a useful and appreciative use of space.
Came when they opened their first week — -back when the queues were so long, they had to pass out staggered tour tickets in order to view the facility. Small, but very awesome design and feeling of depth, height. even a bit macabre.
Smack dab in the Pearl!
Place rating: 4
Camas, WA
The theater is a 5, The plays are of the quality similar to OSF (Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland) so also a 5. Must see A Christmas Carol at Christmas time! I loved the Receptionist it was in the smaller theater on the lower level. I enjoy the smaller theater only because of the proximity to the stage, much more cozy.
If you want to just show up to see a play at a discount price, You can wait in line til they open up remaining seats and get in a little cheaper! No guarantees though, just have to take a chance! I have done it a couple of times and been able to get in!
Downside-​parking is a headache. So I park in the parking garage next to Powells and Art Institute. Also, eat before you go unless you want to pay a little more for restaurants, they are always expensive in the Pearl and the food in the theater is not cheap.
Place rating: 5
Portland, OR
Not too shabby Portland. Be prepared to be greeted by lofty ceilings and beautiful modern lines. This place is a delightful surprise in the Pearl. The seats are comfortable and the facilities feel like brand new. Only the exterior shell of the Armory building hints you at its previous life.