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Today, NWTW is an integrated epicenter for the creation, development and production of local new work for the theatre.
Our Story
Our Story
Past Shows & Accomplishments
Past Shows & Accomplishments
2025:
In partnership with Theatre 33, produced a full production of Detours, an original, full length walking theatrical event collaboratively written by six local playwrights. Conceived as a site-specific, mobile theatre piece, the production guided audiences across the Willamette University campus with “tour guides” from the fictional Willamette Historical Society. Along the way, scenes unfolded in unexpected locations- beside historic halls, along the Mill Stream, and on campus lawns- blurring the line between guided tour and spontaneous performance. It mixed comedy, absurdity, and audience interaction, breaking down the fourth wall and inviting participants to become part of the action. It opened Theatre 33’s annual Summer Festival of New Work and stands as an example of NWTW’s commitment to collaborative, innovative approaches to developing and presenting new plays.
Produced an in-person networking events to the local theatre community.
Continue to offer its free weekly online Scene2Scene Workshop
In partnership with Stomping Grounds Art House, we continue to offer On The Rocks, a quarterly public showcase featuring new work developed by playwrights participating in our Scene2Scene Workshop.
2024: Now an artist-driven, artist-run theatre company, NWTW:
Produces two full-scale collaborative productions:
Fragments, a unique, immersive event that blended six devised short plays, music, and visual art in a site-specific setting. Audience members move through different spaces- a porch, garden, yurt, art studio, grassy field, picnic site- and encounter a series of original pieces created by local playwrights, directors, and performers. It was a cross-disciplinary experience that highlighted both the creative process and the natural environment. The piece inspires Oregon Arts Watch to write a feature about NWTW and how Fragments emerged as a creative evolution. NWTW was seeking “more versatile ways of sharing stories and art, building community, and supporting local establishments” in the post‑COVID era, and the project’s collaboration with Hopewell Hub embodied that vision.
Scenes of the Season, a festive, in-the-round performance held inside a cozy neighborhood book pub. Featuring six short vignettes written and composed by local artists, the show brought the audience right into the heart of the action. With live music, seasonal themes, and a relaxed setting filled with books, food, and drinks, it transformed an evening at the theatre into a warm, community-centered celebration. Read the review by BroadwayWorld. Both productions sold out, and the immersive, collaborative nature of Fragments caught the attention of Oregon Arts Watch, which ran a feature on the show.
Continue to offer our free, weekly, online Scene2Scene Workshop
Continue our partnership with Stomping Grounds Art House to offer On The Rocks, a quarterly public showcase featuring new work developed in our Scene2Scene Workshop.
Begin tablework of new full length play, Unmediated, by Brad Bolchunos.
Produced an in-person networking events to the local theatre community.
2023:
Produced private readings of two new plays:
Girl No. 102 by Nancy Campbell
Unmediated by Brad Bolchunos
Continue to offer our free, weekly, online Scene2Scene Workshop
2022:
The company works to rebuild itself post-COVID and undergoes restructuring to become a more versatile, adaptable, and resilient new works company.
Begin to offer free, weekly, online Scene2Scene Workshops for short-form plays and scenes from longer works.
Produced an in-person networking events to the local theatre community.
Begin reaching out to past collaborators to build a company of artists.
2021: Due to COVID, our full productions were performed on ZOOM.
In partnership with Theatre Vertigo, produced full productions of eight short-form plays by local playwrights:
The Exchange by Louise Wynn
Underlings by Brad Bolchunos
Flower Thief by Justine Hanlon
Suffrage by Wayne Harrel
Without a Paddle by Kate Belden
Calling Names by John Servilio
Mortuary Madness by Jonathan Hernandez
Last Survivors of Tonapah by Gabrielle Widman
In partnership with ComedySportz, produced a full production of four short-form new works:
Whose Lion Is It Anyway by Brad Bolchunos
Love At First Bite by Justine Hanlon
Pining For You by Kate Belden
Karma Be With You by Jonathan Hernandez
Showcased script-in-hand performances of three full-length new works:
Mijo, a new play by Jonathan Hernandez
Spellbinders, a new play by Brad Bolchunos
Doctor Bonk and His Panicked Patient, a new musical; book, lyrics and music by Zella Selvoy-Devan.
2020:
Script-in-hand performance of The Thirst, an original full-length play created by a team of eight playwrights.
Three playwrights in Create workshops (Limited number due to COVID)
Mijo, By Jonathan Hernandez
Doctor Bonk and His Panicked Patient, by Zella Selvoy-Devan
Spellbinders, a new play by Brad Bolchunos
In collaboration with Theatre Vertigo, NWTW continues to offer eight free monthly workshops, providing playwrights with the opportunity to workshop their work with professional directors and actors.
NWTW changes its fiscal year to match the calendar year.
2018-2019: (18 month period due to change in fiscal year)
Co-production with Whink Productions, new musical Just This One by Wayne Harrel; music and lyrics by Paul deLay, to 300 patrons at the Alberta Rose Theatre.
Full Productions of ten short-work plays
Thank You For My First Suitcase by Jonathan Hernandez
Cracking Rulers by Brad Bolchunos
Unidentified Flying Objects by Redmond Reams
Think About It by Kate Belden
Jesus and Hitler Sing a Lullaby by John Servilio
Home Sweet Home by Wayne Harrel.
Grounded by Kate Belden
Run, Salmon, Run by Brad Bolchunos,
Shed by John Servilio
Club Sports by Wayne Harrel.
Playwrights and plays in Create Workshops
Candide by Jonathan Servilio
Just This One by Wayne Harrel
Spellbinders by Brad Bolchunos
They’re Afraid of You Shawn by Kate Belden
My Mother’s Shoes by Yasmin Ruvalcaba
Mijo by Jonathan hernandez
Six local playwrights begin collaborate to write a new full-length play, The Thirst.
In collaboration with Theatre Vertigo, we continue to offer eight free monthly workshops, providing playwrights with the opportunity to workshop their work with professional directors and actors.
Producing Artistic Director Ciji Guerin is invited back to Milagro Theatre’s 2019 New Works Project, Ingenio, to lead a three-day playwriting workshop.
2017-2018:
In partnership with Literary Arts, we produce two script-in-hand performances of new plays:
Spellbinders by Brad Bolchunos
Voodoo Snowball by Gary Corbin
Five playwrights begin workshopping their new plays in NWTW’s Create program, a thematic-based new play development program created by Producing Artistic Director Ciji Guerin.
Candide, John Servilio
March, Kate Belden
Spellbinders, Brad Bolchunos
Do That Dance, Wayne Harrel
Shadows by Redmond Reams
In partnership with University of Portland, we host eight free monthly workshops, providing community playwrights with the opportunity to workshop their work with professional directors and actors.
Producing Artistic Director Ciji Guerin is invited to lead a three-day playwriting workshop at Milagro Theatre‘s 2018 New Works Project, Ingenio.
2016-2017:
Full productions of two new plays at Shaking the Tree. Both productions were highlighted by The Oregonian as Arts Picks and named Best Bets, the weekly column where the arts desk features standout theater.
Noisemaker by Ciji Guerin
Jaffa Gate by Wayne Harrel
Two new playwrights begin a theme-based table workshop being developed by Producing Artstic Director, Ciji Gueirn.
Spellbinder, by Brad Bolchunos
Voodoo Snowball, by Gary Corbin
2015-2016:
Northwest Theatre Workshop established as a DBA of Bump in the Road theatre
Hosts five playwrights in weekly workshops to develop their scripts with professional directors and actors:
Noisemaker by Ciji Guerin
Miserere by Wayne Harrel
Ghost In The Canvas by George Taylor
Perspective by Redmond Reams
Eighteen Days of the Butterfly, by Kathleen Tomko
2014-2015:
The company appoints Ciji Guerin as its new Producing Artistic Director, succeeding Carmela Lanza-Weil after her twelve-year tenure.
Under Guerin’s leadership, the company:
Produces four script-in-hand performances of new works at Blackbird Gallery:
Noisemaker by Ciji Guerin
Miserere by Wayne Harrel
Renaissance by George Taylor;
Nobody’s Business– a work-in-progress performance of a devised piece, developed and performed by Vivien Lyon.
Building on what we learned in the script-in-hand performances, Noisemaker, Miserere and Renaissance undergo an analysis process in a group workshop and a series of privates tablework sessions with their directors.
2013-2014: Workshop production of Tenders of the Feet by Ciji Guerin with music by Hal Logan
2010-2011: The Playwrights’ Project: A workshop and script-in-hand performance of seven plays by playwrights John A. Donnelly, Gretchen O’Halloran, Molly Best Tinsley, Rich Rubin, Derya Ruggles, Ellen West, and Ciji Guerin.
2009-2010: Full production of a new work entitled Losing Things by Ellen West.
2008-2009: Full production of a new work entitled Bury the Hatchet by Carmela Lanza-Weil.
2004-2005: Full production of a new work entitled The Waiting Room by Lisa Loomer.
2003-2004: Elderfest by Ellen West, Teresa Celsi, John Donnelly, Patrick Wohlmut, and Sharon Whitney; music by Barry Glick (Full production)
2002-2003: Full production of a collaborative new work entitled, I Think About Life, by Ellen West, Joe Fisher, Francesca Sanders Piantadosi , and Sharon Whitney; music by Barry Glick (Full production)
2001-2002: Founders appoint Carmela Lanza-Weil as Producing Artistic Director. She leads a full production of a new collaborative work entitled The Time Between by Ellen West, Dmae Roberts, Sharon Whitney, and Vicente Guzman-Orozco.
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