Portland Center Stage Nov/Dec 2014 | Page 30

A LETTER FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR WELCOME TO THE HOLIDAYS AT THE ARMORY! WHAT ARE YOUR TRADITIONS AROUND THE HOLIDAYS? DO YOU GATHER? WHO DO YOU GATHER WITH? I I’D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO GIVE THANKS TO YOU, OUR AUDIENCE, FOR GATHERING WITH US HERE IN THE ARMORY remember my Mom whipping up this amazing storm of activity come late December that centered around a collective march to church (we were always there anyway, but as we grew older we seemed to resist her more); presents (my favorite year was when I lived in New York and first had money to buy cool stuff for everyone, including my sister’s favorite perfume and a pink feather boa for my 4-year-old niece); and food (could a meal be prepared with more sturm und drang, really?). And I remember vividly, the first Christmas after I had started my theater company in Atlanta (I was working seven days a week non- stop), my grandfather pulling me to the side and saying, “don’t put all your Y