Imago Theatre

First time taking the little one to live theater. We saw ZOO ZOO and it was pretty cool! You could watch the kids just enjoying themselves, giving commentary and enjoying theater.
Seats were comfortable, but I did have the front row. There is another «front row» with little half chairs you’d see on a beach. you couldn’t pay me to watch a performance from there but I guess to each their own. That’s row AA, if you are looking to avoid it.
They have a small parking lot that you’ll have to get a (free) pass from the box office for.
If you went today, you even saw me get involved vs. the Penguin.

I spent four days at Imago Theater assisting a touring show that was performing here. The crew were always on-​hand, friendly, and willing to jump in to help. The theater itself is a bit run-​down but in a very Portlandia, quirky, eclectic way. The stage squeaks as you walk across it. The seats have mis-​matched cushions (although props for giving them cushions! I bet the seats are super-​hard without them.)
I very much appreciated the very large backstage area. We volunteers were able to keep souvenir materials, construct the souvenirs (hello hot glue guns!), etc. The wide wings were wonderful for the many props I would carry onto and off the stage.
The toilets were always clean. And I really appreciated the water they had available. Putting on a show is hard work!
One drawback is that the lobby is very very small. The people queueing for the show had to wait outside. Luckily we had lovely weather, but in the rain or cold or heat that wouldn’t be so fun.
The street parking was tricky for late-​arrivers to the show. Folks would have to drive several blocks’ distance to find a spot.
If you’re looking to stage a production, definitely check Imago Theater out. The staff really are great folks!

Frogz was my son’s first theatre experience… what a blast! We sat on the floor and got «attacked» by orbs. It was unforgettable, a truly surreal fantasy. Support this theatre as much as you can! My five year old loved it and so did we.

Great spot to catch a show!!! I wouldn’t of even known it was here if one of my friends didn’t have a dance performance at Imago.

The Black Lizard is a must-​see production. The best I’ve seen in many years.

I grew up seeing live theater in my small town on a regular basis and continued to see plays while in college in Portland. Since graduating, though, it’s been more challenging for me to stay engaged with the Portland theatre scene. The expense of high-​end shows seems like a gamble and judging whether more affordable options will be worth it can be difficult. Nevertheless, I’ve been keeping my eye open for a good play in my price range.
Lucky for me, I happened upon a review of Imago Theatre’s «The Black Lizard» and instantly knew that I would love the play. I held my breath as I looked up the ticket prices and couldn’t believe my luck to discover that tickets can be purchased on a sliding scale between $ 15 and $ 30, depending on what you can afford to pay. With fees, my husband and I paid just under forty dollars for a pair of tickets.
The Imago Theatre is a nice sized space with plenty of terrific seats (though they may not be the most comfy you’ve ever sat in). The play was, as expected, fabulous. It was well acted with high production values. I look forward to the next opportunity to see a play at Imago Theatre!

Fun kids theater. Big Little Things is definitely worth a show. A few parts were less than stellar, but overall recommended.

Performing arts designed for children on acid might not be the most pc of descriptions, but in reality it is the only way to illustrate the amazing spectacle of lights, music, theater, glow in the dark black light performances, animal costumes and dare I say mime that creates what is known as the Imago Theater’s BigLittleThings. With twisted Donny Darko’esque police rabbits, glow in the dark underwater creatures, glowing bug eyes and polar bears crawling over the aisles and throughout the theater, I must admit that I momentarily thought someone dosed my small plastic glass of red wine…
Yet any sense of my mind’s eye wandering during the evening’s performance was immediately detached by the overactive poster child for ADD roaming the aisle behind us like a caged animal, breathing excitedly over our shoulders, loudly laughing in short mis-​timed staccato bursts between moments of uncertainty when he felt the need for reassurance from his parental units that what he was watching was indeed funny and that it was ok to laugh.
Yes, Saturday nights performance certainly brought out the who’s who of the under 10 Portland community, as SUV’s and Mini Vans rolled up to the curb to expel their cargo of dressed up tikes, outfitted in their best Jon Bonnet Ramsey attire, arriving like midgets for a scaled down version of a Hollywood red carpet premier. Miniature paparazzi were the only things missing in order to truly complete the scene.
The show truly was outstanding, and I highly recommend it for all ages, although I do hope they consider offering a few adult only viewings in the future. Childless and tipsy, the TLB and I felt a bit out of place… although the tipsy part definitely helped when dealing with the plethora of excited rug rats.
The Imago theater itself is a quaint little local stage tucked away right off of East Burnside, with approximately 20 rows of seats, seating roughly 200 nightly… definitely not a bad seat to be had in the house.
BigLittleThings is a must see for any age under any influence.

I love Imago! This theatre is known for its children’s theatre, especially Frogz and Big Little Things. The costumes for Frogz were a combination of Disney and Zoo mascots, but with more emphasis on the movement of the actor. During the Frogz show I sat with several kids who were thrilled by the alligators crawling over the theatre, frogs playing leap frog, and penguins playing musical chairs.
Imago has a good email list to be on, since they frequently give out free tickets for dress rehearsals.