When and Where
Sunday, June 30 at 7:30 P.M.
Gresham Center for the Arts Little Theatre
333 N Main Ave (enter on 3rd & Miller)
FREE - Donations Kindly Accepted
In late 18th-century New Haven, an unlikely friendship strikes up between Missy, a slip of a lass from the wrong side of the docks, and Danforth, the governor’s son. Follow them through the years, in a tale of pirate queens and mermaids, sword fights and sea shanties, love and friendship, as our beloved Missy and Danforth grow - along with their ambitions.
“There was a lass called Missy who dreamed of open sea...”
FAQs
WHO ARE YOU WEIRDOS?
We come to you from the Original Practice Shakespeare Festival, which brings free Shakespeare to parks across Portland. This is not an OPS show, but Riley needed actors who know the style and who are fun to work with, so that’s where she went! For more info about what we do and for our season schedule, visit opsfest.org
How do I get tickets?
There are no official tickets, but you can RSVP above to guarantee yourself a seat!
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Nothing! This show is being run entirely on donations, so if you only have a few bucks in your pocket, come and be welcome! However, if you have the means and like supporting local artists, we certainly wouldn’t say no to more.
How can I donate?
We will have a cash box for donations available at the beginning, intermission, and end of the show. We will also have QR codes for Venmo and Paypal. Our donation information is also below.
Where is my donation going?
90% of the proceeds of the night will be split among the actors, with the remaining 10% going to the Original Practice Shakespeare Festival as a thank-you for their support (and their swords!)
How long does the show run?
The expected run time is 2 hours and 15 minutes with a 10 minute intermission.
What age is The Misadventures of Missy Black appropriate for?
The Misadventures of Missy Black features mild language, alcohol, and a hearty amount of swashbuckling. The playwright recommends the show for children 12 and over. If you have questions about the content or any triggers, contact us below.
Where can I park?
There’s a parking lot in front of the entrance on 3rd and Miller, as well as one across the street and street parking all around.
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Yes! There is a ramp to the theater entrance, and no steps or stairs inside.
Will there be food and drink for sale at the show?
Yes! We will have some cheap concessions available (cash or Venmo/Paypal).
Is this a new play?
Yes and no! I (Riley) have been working on this idea off and on since 2018. We did a Zoom reading among friends in January 2021, followed by a filmed production for Portland’s Fertile Ground Festival in January 2022. (That production was filmed at Cafe Delirium, so this play has lived most of its life in downtown Gresham!) However, this will be the first time The Misadventures of Missy Black has played in a theater to an audience!
Was Missy Black a real person?
Although Missy Black is inspired by historical female pirates like Anne Bonny and Mary Read, Missy and Jericho and their crew are works of fiction, as are Danforth, Cornelius Sharpe, and (of course) the mermaids. However, most political figures mentioned in the play were real! Hamilton and Jefferson you may recognize, but Ben Tallmadge, Senator Wadsworth, and Tobias Lear were also historical figures Danforth would have interacted with in the political scenes of the time. Many thanks to Pat Johnson for his research and help bringing this aspect of the story to life.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Riley Anna is an alumna of the University of Portland theater program currently working on her MA in Theological Studies at Southern Seminary in Louisville, which has been a blast of an educational journey and gotten her very excited about faith, ethics, and church history in theater.
Her first full-length play, A Murder by Any Other Name, was performed by Gresham High School in 2016, who also produced her radio play The Search for the Christmas Spirit. She co-founded the UP Theater Club’s Half-Assed Half-Act Play Festival and filled it with 10-minute plays about fangirls, delivery girls, and skeleton mobsters who live at the bottom of a well. Her short play Marin at the Bottom of the Sea was anthologized in NorthNorthWest in 2019.
The Misadventures of Missy Black is her favorite child, and she had the honor to film it with Do It for Mead Productions for the 2022 Fertile Ground Festival, for which it was a GROW Light selection (honoring work that “expresses significant representation of underrepresented communities in an artistically notable manner”). That show is available on YouTube, and she’ll love it forever, but she’s also psyched about the next steps for Missy and her crew.
(The playwright has included a second, less drowned photo at her sister’s request, who wanted her to have it in case an eligible bachelor in want of a wife came to this website.)
Want to donate?
Venmo: @RileyAnna720
Paypal Fundraiser: https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/95LTU5KsqG
Questions? Email us!