The Gerding Theater at Armory Building

My wife and I saw the play «Sex With Strangers.» I was capitivated from the get-​go! Delightful, entertaining pace, excellent entertainment. It’s provocative (a little skin tastefully done), funny and heartwarming. Two characters connect on the smaller, very intimate, Ellyn Bye studio. 2 character profiles (he and she) gave awesome performances and encourage each in pursuit of passion for writing and love. Beware, the «F» word zings along during the performance, making the story-​line more plausible. I gave the actors, the director, the set and stage crew a standing ovation. I loved it! Like the cliff hanger ending, «do they» or «don’t they?» … Do What (not the sex thing either)? Find out! Get your tickets now. Come and check it out!
Gerding Armory is my «fav» PDX theatre! And you can find a good pub or eatery close by! Want to know almost everyting about the Gerding theatre? Read my previous review.

This review will be short and sweet because I don’t have much to say other than I really liked this space. We spent New Year’s Eve here and really liked the layout. There was plenty of room for everyone in attendance, bar areas, a place for the band and DJ, dancing, and space for the silent auction items. This place was the perfect location for a lovely evening.

The show was great and the theater was packed. We’ve been waiting since we moved here 3 years ago to come see this place. Last time we looked to sneak a peek there was a wedding going on, and we didn’t want to intrude.
So when a david sedaris «one man» play was in town and on yipit, we knew we should finally go.
What a great way to close out the holiday season. My wife has read all his books and is a huge fan. Well the show didn’t disappoint. 70 min was just enough, and I wish it would of kept going.
Great fun.

We had our wedding at the Armory and it was better than we could have ever imagined. The event staff went out of their way to make it the smoothest and best day ever. All of the guests had an amazing time and commented on the beauty of the venue. Jessica was an amazing event coordinator. We can’t praise or thank the armory enough for making our big day amazing!!!

I came here for a conference last week. It’s a gorgeous theater, with comfortable seating, great lighting, and decent acoustics. I sat near the front, in the center.
Bathrooms are down a staircase and were clean and well lit. The lobby was big, open, and had plenty of couches and tables.
I enjoyed this theater and would come back here for performances or other events!

We recently had my daughters wedding here! The staff was perfection at it’s finest, the venue was breathtaking! Could have not asked for better! Jessica Metteer and her staff — LOVE

Stopped in here to watch the play «Chinglish», which by the way was quite funny and is totally worth your time if you can catch it. But since this review is for the theater, I’ll talk about that.
The venue is very clean and bright. The lobby has a fair amount of seating for you as you wait for your show. You can even grab a bite or a beverage while you wait. Staff was very polite and helpful. Bathrooms were clean.
The theater itself was not huge, which likely means there’s probably not a bad seat in the house. We were in about the middle of the theater, and we thought the view was great. Seats were comfy enough and adequately wide. It did tend to get a little warm inside, but it was a full house.
Would definitely recommend seeing a show here.

A GORGEOUS, historic building, and home to Portland’s own top-​notch theater company, «Portland Center Stage”– an institution that holds it own amidst the very, very best!
Tip: If your plans are ever open and your low on funds, come to the theater prior to a performance and wait for some «Pay What You Will/​Can» tickets and enjoy a truly fabulous production!

What a beautiful building. Also, the seats are comfortable and well laid out. I don’t think there was a bad seat in the house.

Great, modern place. Not many seats appear to be bad. Perfect to watch the arts! Get unsold rush tickets for a steal on adults! $ 20!!!

I saw my first play here recently… yes, that’s right, I’m 30 something and just saw my first play! gasp!
I love to eat was awesome! I learned a few things about the culinary man Mr Beard that I had not know!
The set was done really nice, and the seating was very comfortable. Not a bad seat in the house, this theatre is nicely done with friendly staff too. The sound was great, all in all a great show with not one complaint…
I don’t have to much to compare on being this was my first play to see, but this theatre is beautiful. I would definitely see another play here in the future.

I went to a wedding here recently. It was absolutely lovely. Its a beautiful space for any type of event. When I go back to Portland I will definitely try and see a show or production here. Kudos to the architects that redesigned the Armory. I don’t think they could have done a better job.

Perfect venue for Oregon Active’s NYE party! Not only is the place beautiful, but there is a ton of space to mull about. Who knew there were 2 floors below street level?
I also loved that they have an vendor who sells delicious deli food and sandwiches.
I’d been here for a fashion show, but didn’t realize the extent of it’s size.
Upstairs you only had 2 stalls in the ladies bathroom, but the other floors had quite a few more.
The wood floors are great for dancing and the wrap around balcony is fantastic for people watching. The only downside is parking, or lack thereof. While street parking is optimal, it isn’t always possible to find any spots close by (a few blocks walk can feel especially long in the winter).

LOVE LOVE LOVE
This place is right up this little princess’ alley!!! Amazing customer service. Maybe one snooty Red haired fella! ;)
My GF had an extra ticket to see Sweeney Todd!!! I jumped at it. It’s in the Pearl. The place was packed. You are able to order drinks and snacks to enjoy while you watch this amazing show. All drinks must have a lid. I gladly drank my Syrah with a Straw! So much fun. You can pre-​order your intermission drinks before the show!!! They have them waiting for you with your name written in Calligraphy. The lobby architecture is beautiful. Looks like an airplane hanger. The interior theater is super nice as well. The actual show was exceptional. The performers were amazing actors and singers. The costumes were amazing.
I really can’t recommend this place more!!! Super amazing.

The Gerding Theater at Armory Building is a very nice theater. It’s intimate (as far as theaters go), modern and green. A solid place to attend an event in the lobby or see a presentation or similar in the actual theater. Most of my visits have focused on the lobby area, but I’ve had the opportunity to sit in on a theater session or two.
This renovated historic building is now LEED certified and boasts all sorts of cool design features. From the outside it resembles an old stone castle, but one look at the interior and it could be any next-​generation building. Home to events ranging from conferences to wine tastings, it’s super versatile.
Definitely a solid part of Portland’s performing arts scene.

What a great place to see a show! We got some cheap tickets to The Santaland Diaries and were very please with the venue, the cocktails and the atmosphere. Oh! And the parking! Portland has some of the cheapest parking. $ 5 for all night? Really? And right across the street! All the more reason to return!

The First Regiment Armory Annex, commonly known as the Portland Armory, was built in 1891 by Multnomah County to house the Oregon National Guard. While soldiers mustered at the Armory in 1898 for the Spanish American War, no urban unrest has ever been quelled here. In 1968, after years as an event space, it became a beer warehouse, owned by Blitz Weinhard Brewery. In 1999, the building was purchased by Gerding Edlen as part of the redevelopment of the Brewery Blocks. In 2000, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Following a renovation project that lasted from 2002 to 2006, the building now houses Gerding Theater, used primarily by the Theater group Portland Center Stage.
The Armory is a stunning facility both inside and out. I walked around the block to see it at various angles, after earlier watching a Portland Center Stage Production in the Gerdling Theater. What I enjoyed most was the cavernous space accented by the the steps of the Joanne Lilley Grand Staircase, which are cantilevered off a second floor balcony. And perfect for a special event.

Course having just reviewed Deschutes, must mention the Armory!!! An historic armory that is now the venue for Portland’s Center Stage theater, it opened oh… i’d say 2007? as the next best venue for the city and fine arts.
I recently was in Providence, RI visiting its own armory (very very memorable too. in a wholly different way) hanging on the west side of Brown U’s campus (close to RISD), and that memory jogs this one. Same kind of deal===the storage closet for all of that munition has now found great usage in the 21^st century. Much like why i admire McMenamins, history preserved and honored, and a useful and appreciative use of space.
Came when they opened their first week — -back when the queues were so long, they had to pass out staggered tour tickets in order to view the facility. Small, but very awesome design and feeling of depth, height. even a bit macabre.
Smack dab in the Pearl!

The theater is a 5, The plays are of the quality similar to OSF (Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland) so also a 5. Must see A Christmas Carol at Christmas time! I loved the Receptionist it was in the smaller theater on the lower level. I enjoy the smaller theater only because of the proximity to the stage, much more cozy.
If you want to just show up to see a play at a discount price, You can wait in line til they open up remaining seats and get in a little cheaper! No guarantees though, just have to take a chance! I have done it a couple of times and been able to get in!
Downside-​parking is a headache. So I park in the parking garage next to Powells and Art Institute. Also, eat before you go unless you want to pay a little more for restaurants, they are always expensive in the Pearl and the food in the theater is not cheap.

Not too shabby Portland. Be prepared to be greeted by lofty ceilings and beautiful modern lines. This place is a delightful surprise in the Pearl. The seats are comfortable and the facilities feel like brand new. Only the exterior shell of the Armory building hints you at its previous life.