Theatre has played a role in humanity’s repertoire of expression since the first man acted out narrowly escaping from some flesh-eating kangaroo. Today, the price of admission may not be quite so high as that, but the value of partaking in the human drama, minus the potential for any actual personal harm, has certainly not diminished.
Modern western theatre as we know it is largely a product of the ancient Greeks, from whom it borrows many of its themes, characters, and plot elements. The Romans further refined theatre in practice and form, but it was Shakespeare, or at least the legacy attributed to him, that truly codified its western archetype.
The beauty of theatre lies in its duality. It has long been considered a symbol of cultural refinement, yet it continues to be altogether approachable. From the simplest children’s program to the most extravagant Broadway production, any community, no matter how large or small, can exercise this particular form of art.
Arguably, theatre strikes humanity’s emotional chord more readily than any artistic expression outside of music, which it often incorporates. It accesses our shared well of fears, desires, agonies, and triumphs, and conveys them in such a way that the medium is not separate from the experience. Actors and audience occupy the same moment, creating a connection between the two that can exist only in performance art.
Another of remarkable quality of theatre is that, unlike cinema, reprise and rendition are celebrated, rather than condemned. Classic conflicts are examined and explored in characters and plots that remain relatively unchanged, played and replayed with slight variations based on when, where, and by whom they are being performed. Like craft spirits, theatre exhibits terroir, with every production taking on a flavor unique to its particular director, venue and cast. Night to night, run to run, each performance is different.
By its nature, theatre is a part of craft culture and, by extension, cocktail culture as well. What could be more agreeable than dissecting a playing of Hamlet over a spirited nightcap, or a hot toddy before taking in a performance of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol? Toss in the fact that this was an experience shared with, and perhaps delivered by, friends and neighbors, in the community’s local playhouse, and suddenly the very essence of craft culture is laid clear.
New Deal Distillery in Portland, Oregon is one craft producer who understands this relationship between culture and art. To their credit, they have partnered with Portland Center Stage (PCS), one of the top regional theaters in the country and the largest performing company in the city, to offer full table service - and New Deal cocktails - at the Armory Café on the Mezzanine before every performance of the 2015-2016 Season. PCS stages at least ten major productions annually in two theaters located inside the Gerding Theater at the Armory, a building that Forbes Magazine recognizes as one of the greenest buildings in America.
We recommend you avail yourself of one of New Deal's craft concoctions before curtain call at a playing of either The Santaland Diaries or Twist Your Dickens, both of which are sure to make your holiday season exceeding jolly.
