May 16, 2025 - June 1, 2025
by Chris Gonzalez & Damaris Webb
directed by Olivia Mathews
CoHo Theater - 2257 NW Raleigh St, Portland, OR 97210
Longing to step beyond the weight of her family’s past, and the clutter of her inherited possessions, Damaris—a third generation Black Portlander and Oregonian—embarks on a series of quests that lead her to discover both the magnitude of Oregon’s natural landmarks and the untapped truths in her own family home. As she struggles to let go, she must confront tangled legacies of history, memory, and belonging. She journeys toward a precipice—one she both seeks and resists—where transformation awaits. Precipice is a magical-realist solo play that excavates Damaris’ relationship to home, relationship to familial artifacts, and relationship to the land.
Precipice was first developed under the 2024 IFCC Grant and Residency Program and was subsequently presented as part of the 2024 Vanport Mosaic Festival.
This production of Precipice is presented as part of the 10th Vanport Mosaic Festival (5/16-6/1) — A Decade of Memory Activism.
Location: CoHo Theatre - 2257 NW Raleigh St, Portland, OR 97210
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Run Time: Approximately 85 minutes
Click here for Content Advisory Notes
This production contains references to moments within Oregon history that negatively impacted Black and indigenous communities in Oregon in service of white supremacy.
Special Events
May 17 – Post show talkback with director Olivia Mathews
May 18 – Post show talkback with Artistic Director Maureen Porter
May 22 – Post show discussion with Mariah Rocker from Oregon Black Pioneers. Join a conversation about the history of Black displacement in Portland as it relates to and extends beyond the production.
LGBTQIA2S+ Affinity Night – May 24 – Featuring a post-show conversation between performer and creator Damaris Webb, writer Chris Gonzalez, and director Olivia Mathews
BIPOC Affinity Night – May 29 – Featuring a post-show discussion with Pamela Slaughter from People of Color Outdoors.
ASL Interpreted Performance – May 30 – With a post show talkback with Artistic Director Maureen Porter.
Production photos credited to Owen Carey