The People's Republic of Portland

Lauren Weedman brings the wonder of Portland alive in her funny and tender tribute "The People's Republic Of Portland." For 90 minutes, Weedman shares her carefully crafted vignettes describing her encounters with the wildness and variability of our city, intercutting her story-length observations with energetic and surprisingly liberating dancing. With energy and wit, biting satire and wry perception, Weedman takes the audience into her experience of meeting this profoundly strange and accepting city.

The first "dance transition" took me off guard. Her launch into corner-to-corner full-commitment club dancing alone on a stage as a segue between segments initially seemed contrived, but soon the laughter from one segment was so prolonged I barely noticed the dance portion until it was over. Eventually, the dance breaks became part of the story being told; they seemed less "commercial break" and more "and then THIS happened!"

Weedman is a strong storyteller, sharing vivid characters without forcing them into caricature. Like good writers do, she made us care about the people in her stories; from the ones she shared her life with to the ones who merely served her coffee. With a city like Portland populated with colorful personalities, it would be easy to reduce people to their most ridiculous, but Weedman imbues her observations with insight and tenderness.

She introduces us to the sweet Portland population early, with their public transportation enthusiasm ("oh, don't rent a car in Portland! Just take the Max!") and the eagerness with which they share their individuality (fellow 'salon' guests include a woman converting a church into a music space with sustainable bar food).

She takes us through her cynicism that any city could be this accepting of non-traditional lifestyles to a realization of the open attitudes about the taboo, hinting at her own insecurities and fears along the way. Her "Musical Theatre Stripper" impression was uproarious, and here her considerable dance abilities serve her beautifully.

It's the same tenderness with which she views Portland, an affection that springs from many visitors, and for some of us, leaves such an impression that we make this place our home. Weedman's relationship with this city is like dating the slightly kooky guy or girl who kinda drives you nuts, that you can't figure out, but who starts growing on you, and pretty soon, you realize you're falling in love.

Her skill in comedy is as great as her writing. Using pantomime, expressions and her voice, she does impeccable impressions, bringing people to life, and making the audience double over. I was grateful for the interludes so I could resume breathing.

Weedman also examines the city's conflicted racial issues, and again approaches the problem thoughtfully and honestly, with an acknowledgement that this delightfully entertaining city has a huge social issue that all of our eager environmentalism and community aesthetics haven't even attempted to address. But somehow, she even tells THAT story with humor.

This is the city that's fun to mock until you realize, as Weedman clearly has, that it's the only place where you aren't just allowed to be as weird as you want to be, you're celebrated for your oddity. Portland is a community of avid eccentrics encouraging each other to reach the full extent of their weirdness.

As Weedman unravels the way in which her life has changed during her time in Portland, we finally see in her the effects of our city's endearing positive peer-pressure, as she sheds her cynicism and embraces the quirk. Her show has a limited run, but I left with the impression that she'd either moved to Portland or was seriously considering it. As I cheered her energetic and intelligent performance, I had one thought: "Welcome to Portland, Lauren."

"The People's Republic of Portland" runs through April 19 at the Ellyn Bye Theatre, Gerding Theater at the Armory, Portland Center Stage 128 NW Eleventh Avenue in Portland. For information or tickets, call 503-445-3700 or visit http://www.pcs.org/republic-2015/