About Us
Founded in 1974 as the Profile Theater, Portland Stage is one of Maine’s largest fully professional, non-profit theaters. We are committed to providing the finest productions for audiences in a broad region of Northern New England.
Portland stage offers a variety of programming that is designed to meet the needs of a broad cross-section of our population. In producing this work, Portland Stage auditions both locally and in New York, and then brings the artists – actors, director, designers, and technicians – together in Portland to rehearse the show. Each production is created specifically for our audiences.
As a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), Portland Stage is committed to using actors who are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the professional actors union. Having a relationship with Equity is more than a commitment to hiring professional actors – it is one of the steps that Portland Stage takes to ensure the highest quality theater experience possible for artists as well as audience members.
Portland Stage plays a pivotal role in the life of our community by providing the experience of theater for our audience and by making that experience one which enlightens and adds insight into our world.
Our Mission, Vision & Values
Our work is always evolving to stay relevant. We are entrepreneurs, innovating, asking questions, cultivating and incubating. From artists to audience, from long time subscribers to interns and students, our productions, as well as our education and artistic programs, continually evolve to meet the needs of our constituents, thus remaining relevant to our community.
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access
At Portland Stage we agree to create and maintain a work environment that respects diverse ideas, races, genders, sexualities, abilities, culture, and religions, contribute to working in an anti-racist theater, and value Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA).
Click on the link below for our land use acknowledgement, our statement of solidarity, and information to Maine’s connection to the slave trade and the problematic relationship between theater and race.
Handcrafted in Maine
Our productions are handcrafted from the ground by combining the best local talent with artists from around the nation. Each season, Portland Stage produces a Mainstage Subscription Series, a Holiday Show, Co-productions with other local and national theaters, Educational programs for children both in Schools and in our Theater for Kids store font space, a festival of new work, and numerous Affiliate Artist readings and events. Over the course of one season, PS creates over 250 live performances!
History
Since 1974, Portland Stage has become one of the largest professional theater in Northern New England. From our beginnings as Profile Theater on Temple Street to our current location on Forest Ave. Portland Stage has continued grow and evolve.
