Magazine Lecture: It’s Carpentry, my dear Watson!

If you’re a longtime Bag&Baggage patron, you may have noticed that we’ve given that ampersand in our company name more and more attention throughout the years — our current branding prominently features the “&” logo with very little other text, there’s a huge ampersand projected onto the wall behind our bar, and you can even buy a trendy B&B ampersand tote bag in the lobby while you’re at the show today. In some ways, it’s simply a catchy symbol to co-opt. But just like you’ve come to expect of the shows we produce, even with our logo, there’s more than meets the eye.

That little word “and” is a pretty important one when it comes to theatre-making: for us, that ampersand bears the hallmark of collaboration. In acting school, we are always challenged to say “yes, and…” — not only affirming an idea or a note, but building on it, as we take it and run into new territory. As theatrical designers, we bounce ideas off of each other as we create the world of a production, each brainstorm sparking a new one that begins with an enthusiastic “and”. In our performance spaces, we bring together complete strangers to have a shared experience as audience members, begging your imaginative collaboration with us and with the person down the row from you.

And while it looks pretty cool on a t-shirt, this ampersand is more importantly an invitation to you: to affirm and dive in; to engage and question; to enjoy and walk out of the theater with something new.

Thanks for being here today. We’re excited to collaborate with you!

Cassie Greer, Artistic Director

Bag&Baggage’s mission is to crack open and explore the classics of world literature through innovative and provocative theatrical productions, connecting these great works to the people in our diverse community in a way that affirms our shared humanity. As the only professional performing arts organization in Hillsboro, we believe we have a responsibility to connect our work to the lives and experiences of the people who call our community home.

While we ask you to turn off your phones during the show, we’re happy to have you taking photos before or after the performance! If you post photos on social media or elsewhere, please credit the designers who have brought this show to life:

• Scenic Designer
• Lighting Designer
• Projection Designer
• Props Master

Please note that photos are prohibited during the performance, and photos of the stage are not permitted if an actor is present.

We ask all visitors to The Vault Theater to take a personal moment to acknowledge and honor the Atfalati band of the Kalapuya tribe, upon whose ancestral lands this building stands. We pay our respects to elders both past and present.