Content Guide for Season 18 Productions
Fat Ham - April 19 - May 17, 2026*
*Performances take place at Portland Center Stage at the Armory
This production contains moments of flashing lights and atmospheric haze.
This play includes:
- strong profanity
- the “n-word” (spoken by characters of color)
- language that may be considered culturally derogatory, fatphobic, or homophobic
The play also includes candid sexual content, including:
- discussion of oral sex
- simulated sexual acts
- comic gestures
- sounds of pornography from a phone
Physical violence is depicted, along with alcohol use and references to drug use.
Recommended for high school audiences and older. Parents and guardians know their children best and are encouraged to review this advisory when deciding if the production is appropriate for younger viewers. At its core, Fat Ham is a joyful, comic reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet about love and family.
Please contact the Portland Center Stage Box Office for more details – 503-445-3700 or [email protected]
The SpongeBob Musical - April 29 - June 7, 2026
This production contains:
- Loud and jarring percussion sounds
- Cacophonous noises
- A CO2 cannon which sprays a puff of edible grade carbon dioxide (same as what is used in carbonated drinks), which makes a large whooshing sound
- Many moments of flashing lights, some of which may last for more than a minute
- A few moments of strobe effects, not longer than 10 seconds
- A bubble machine that uses soapy bubbles made “from ingredients commonly utilized by the food and fragrance industries”
- A small amount of haze and smoke, contained in the downstage-right corner of the stage
- A confetti cannon shooting strips of flame retardant treated paper (a very small amount of which may fall in the audience first row of the audience)
- An object falling from the ceiling that lands on stage
- Actors that swing out on ropes over the first three rows of the audience
You may also experience
- A renewed sense of hope
- Unexpected joy
- Spontaneous moments of chanting along with actors
- Sore facial muscles from excessive smiling
Paradise Blue - September 24 – November 2, 2025
The following elements are part of this production of Paradise Blue:
- Mention of suicide
- Depiction of: domestic violence; person in an active PTSD episode, including flashbacks and other reactivity symptoms
- Acts of: kissing and other sexual contact (both consensual and non-consensual)
- Description of intimate partner violence and murder
- Simulated physical violence, including the use of a knife and a gun
- A gunshot; simulated onstage death by gunshot
- Multiple uses of the N-word as both a term of affection between Black characters and as a racial epithet
- Fake cigarette smoking (E-cigarette usage with non-nicotine content)
We recognize that some of the language above may also be harmful to some, and we aim to be as transparent as possible in the interest of caring for our audiences and our community.
This production does not contain any haze or strobe/harsh lighting effects.
Recommended for ages 13+
A Christmas Carol - November 25 – December 28, 2025
The following elements and effects appear in this production:
- Haze effects used throughout the show.
- Moments with strobe effects.
- Loud and startling noises.
- Discussion of death.
- Ghost characters who bring fear with their appearance.
- Representations of bullying.
Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous - February 11 – March 15, 2026
This production includes instances of suggestive dialogue and coarse language, and explores themes that may be emotionally impactful for some audience members, including:
- Conversations about race, gender, body image, and class
- Personal and intergenerational trauma
- Discussions of depression
- Self-soothing behaviors, including alcoholism
- Discussions about the adult entertainment industry
Recommended for ages 13+
Audience members are welcome to exit and rejoin the theatre space, and our Front of House staff are all ready to assist.
