The Play’s The Thing At Portland Center Stage

The stars of Nick Payne’s Constellations explore love across the vast multiverse. To watch their journey, Portland’s Yelp Elites only had to travel as far as the Pearl District’s Armory! that’s because Portland Center Stage invited 40 members of Yelp’s Gold Elite Squad in for a full VIP experience. With an extensive behind-the-scenes tour, bountiful treats and giveaways, and primo seats to the performance, the Yelpers cried bravo and yelled for an encore!

The evening began in the lobby of The Armory, where a theater rep shared the building’s history. Built in 1891 to house the Oregon National Guard, the Armory functioned as a public hall through the first decades of the 20th century. It then fell into disrepair and was largely ignored until 2006, when after a major renovation it became home to Portland Center Stage. In fact, the Armory was the first building on the National Register of Historic Places — and the first performing arts venue in the country — to achieve a LEED Platinum rating!

Next, it was time to explore the building! Yelpers visited both of the Portland Center Stage theaters. They were shocked to learn just how many people it takes to set the stage for a performance. They toured the prop and costume shops and explored the intricate lighting and fly systems.  And they even had a wine and snack break in the practice space, courtesy of the in-house caterers! Finally, the guides surprised the Yelpers with swag bags complete with discount coupons and hardbound books! As they found their seats for the night’s performance, every Yelper truly felt like a VIP.

Then the lights went down, and the show began. Everybody loved the performance and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house! For many of the Yelpers, this was their first time to Portland Center Stage. As they filed out of the theater, they all promised that it wouldn’t be their last. Want to know more? Visit Yelp to check out the behind-the-scenes photos and read the Yelper’s reviews!

About our partner:

Portland Center Stage At the Armory – Portland Center Stage at The Armory is the largest theater company in Portland to produce fully professional theatrical production for the community. An estimated 150,000 visitors attend The Armory annually to enjoy a mix of classical, contemporary and world premiere productions, along with the annual JAW: A Playwrights Festival, and a variety of high quality education and community programs. Tickets are on sale now for their limited engagement of The Pianist of Willisden Lane, plus season passes for their just-announced 2017/2018 season.