“Cuomo’s legacy lives on through the recently announced Cuomo Theatre Collaborative, which seeks to secure [the building] on Northwest Raleigh Street as a permanent performance space.”
– Bennett Campbell Ferguson, Willamette Week
Building on the work of Philip Cuomo
For 26 years, even in uncertain times, CoHo Theater at 2257 NW Raleigh Street has provided a vital resource for artists, and a reliable location for audiences. As CoHo’s Producing Artistic Director, Philip Cuomo committed himself to purchasing the performance venue on NW Raleigh in order to safeguard it against expansions in Slabtown that could threaten its existence as a performing arts venue – an overwhelmingly frequent occurrence throughout Portland. Prior to his death in November of 2021, Philip had made tremendous progress on this invaluable capital project, including negotiating purchase terms with the building’s owner, securing support from a foundation and two generous individual donors, and even engaging an architect to design renovations which would transform the space into a multi-functional artistic center for the community.
When we lost Philip, the three companies with whom he played significant roles – Third Rail, CoHo Productions, and PETE (Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble), joined to form the Cuomo Theatre Collaborative (CTC). Working in tandem with the Philip Cuomo Family Foundation, the CTC is honoring Philip’s legacy by completing the important vision he had set into motion – preserving and expanding the space on NW Raleigh, and ensuring its accessibility as an incubator and home for artists and the performing arts.
Using a model of collective leadership, artist empowerment, and affordable access, the CTC will leverage this space to preserve and deepen the performing arts as a necessary ingredient for community vitality in Portland’s exploding Slabtown neighborhood. The building will serve as a space of inclusion, access, innovation, and connection. It will continue to serve as a venue for small to midsize companies like CoHo, Third Rail, and PETE, and the innumerable artists who have created and shared innovative work in the space for the last 26 years.
About Philip Cuomo
Philip was a pillar of the Portland performance community. He was an impassioned and accomplished artist, producer, and educator. He worked tirelessly to ensure opportunities to make and to experience live art in this town. Philip Cuomo served as CoHo’s Producing Artistic Director, was a company member with Third Rail, Executive Director of PETE’s Institute for Contemporary Performance, and was the creative force behind CoHo’s Clown Cohort.