In Short, A Stark Raving Theatre Brief

Written by Rod Harrel

©1998, 2004 by Rod Harrel, all rights reserved

all photos by Tammy Harrel-Fraley

           Portland, Oregon in the late 1980’s saw the Establishment concerned about the “leftists”. There were groups in the city which had ties ranging all the way from the “evil” Sandanistas in Nicaragua to the “evil” Democrats in Washington, D.C. Whenever Republican leaders like ex-CIA Director, Vice-President and eventually President George Bush or his stalwart Vice-President Dan Quayle came to town, protests naturally greeted their visits. Sometimes these protests were peaceful and sometimes they were not. The Reagan/Bush cabal referred to the city as “Little Beirut”. It kinda gave Portland a reputation.