Happy New Year 2026! A Look Back On This Season (So Far)

Happy New Year! It has been a wild year here at Bag&Baggage, but we are so thrilled to have had audiences back in the theater with us for the first five months of our 25/26 season! Let’s take a look back, starting with this summer, and see all the fabulous things we’ve been up to!

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• The Artistic Leadership Committee was formed, and made some big decisions for the company’s future.
• The community showed up for The Big Clean and helped us get our theater ship shape for the upcoming season.
• Many students had a great time at our Vault Academy improv classes with teacher Mandy!
• We hosted STAGES Performing Arts Youth Academy with their Newsies summer camp.

 

 

 

 

 

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• Rehearsals began for The Glass Menagerie!
• Menagerie cast members Kymberli Colbourne, Samuel Scott Campbell, Taya Dixon, and Nick Medina (pictured) set in for first read of the script.
• Jim Ricks-White (pictured) returned to work his magic on the lights, working around the amazing floating set by Kyra Sanford.
• Promo photo session turned out some stunning first photos for our production of the season by the incomparable Casey Campbell!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• The Glass Menagerie opened to larger houses than we have seen of late, which was a great inspiration!
• Patrons were thrilled by the exciting set design, and the caliber of the acting.
• Read the Oregon Artswatch Interview with Company Member Taya Dixon here!
• We launched Bridge The Gap, and hosted our first 100 Cases fundraiser which was a HUGE success, smashing our goal and raising $27,000 in one night.
• We also launched our new pre-show lecture series, B&B PreCheck!

 

 

 

 

 

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• We had STAGES back for their amazing production of Six Teen Edition! Those girls ate it up!
• Our costume rack (always changing seasonally) helped create some Halloween costumes this year, and we handed out candy to all the children of Hillsboro for the downtown Trick or Treating.
• We amazingly hit 60% of our fundraising goal in just about a month and a half!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• A Tuna Christmas went into rehearsals at the beginning of the month.
• First read and designer presentations are always a great time. If you sponsor a show, you and a guest can also attend this kick-off rehearsal!
• Promo photos and press releases went out, and the show immediately started selling like gangbusters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• A Tuna Christmas opened, and immediately sold out the entire run, leading to us extending the show! Tuna is officially our most successful show since Pre-Covid!
• We got some awesome press for the show. Read The Hillsboro Herald’s Interview with Director Mandana Khoshnevisan, and Oregon Arts Watch review!
• We beat our fundraising goal with weeks to go, and extended our goal to $75,000 by the end of December!
• B&B Company Members serenaded the town with our annual Christmas Caroling Party! Catch us next year up and down Main Street.

 

 

 

 

 

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We are so grateful to all our audience patrons, sponsors, donors, fundraiser attendees, survey takers, response givers, production teams, volunteers, and EVERYONE else who helped us make the first half of our season a huge success. We cannot wait to share with you what we have planned for next year! Stay tuned for an exciting update in the new year with Season Announcement date, fabulous fundraising events, and more!

Thank you, and all of us here at Bag&Baggage hope you have a wonderful holiday season. We will see you in the new year!

Sincerely,
The Bag&Baggage Staff