StageDirect Cinema 21 Festival

Portland Movie House Presents Theater At The Cinema

Cinema 21 to show StageDirect fringe theater productions-"Poona the Fuckdog," "The Magnificent Welles" and "Straight"-July 30 through August 1

PORTLAND, OR-June 20, 2002- Portland's legendary independent movie house-Cinema 21-has booked the silver screen premieres of Poona the Fuckdog, The Magnificent Welles and Straight this July 30 though August 1. A much sought-after venue for independent filmmakers, Cinema 21 is giving Portland-based StageDirect a new venue for spreading the gospel of fringe theater on video.

Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st Avenue, Portland

"It's the kind of neighborhood collaboration that chain theaters won't touch, so naturally we're going ahead with it," says Cinema 21 Owner Tom Ranieri. "We'll be introducing Portlanders to great entertainment that's being produced in their own backyard. And there's the obvious twist of seeing theater in the cinema, which will be a first for most of us."

"Portlanders equate Cinema 21 with artistic integrity," says StageDirect Founder and CEO Gary Cole. "Seeing our name on the Cinema 21 marquee is a great validation of our shows. The Festival will also help us meet hundreds of likeminded Portlanders, whom I'm hoping will become StageDirect devotees."

The Cinema 21 triple bill starts July 30 with Poona the Fuckdog (2002, 120 minutes), a hilarious collection of adulterated bedtime stories that was an underground hit last year for Portland's Theatre Vertigo. The Stranger hails Poona the Fuckdog as "smart, bold, and insightful, poignant without being preachy and meaningful without being sappy. Not to mention shit-yourself hysterical."

Next up on July 31 is The Magnificent Welles (2002, 86 minutes), a compelling one-man show about the young Orson Welles struggling in the wake of his masterpiece, Citizen Kane. The Seattle Times calls Marcus Wolland's performance as Welles a "genuine tour de force."

StageDirect's August 1finale is gay columnist David Schmader's smash one-man show, Straight (2002, 97 minutes). Shot this spring at Portland's CoHo Theater, Straight features Schmader plunging into the heart of conversion therapy, the movement to convert gays and lesbians to heterosexuality. San Francisco Weekly applauds it as "witty, risky, and important."

Cinema 21 is an independently owned, locally operated movie theater that shows films it wants to see in addition to films that pay the rent. The Northwest Portland icon offers a museum experience for moviegoers who've acquiesced to the multiplex process.

StageDirect captures the best of small-stage, fringe theater for distribution on VHS and DVD. Established in 2001, the Portland-based company scours the Western Hemisphere for high-caliber, offbeat shows that challenge the American stereotype of "theater." Every effort is made during taping and editing to preserve the intimacy and uncommon energy of live performance. StageDirect videos are available through select distributors and video rental shops, and through the company's web site at www.stagedirect.com.