Theatre Off Jackson

ToJ is small and modest but very cozy and stylish too. I saw Fast Company, a story about Chinese American con artists that was presented wonderfully. I had a whiskey from the bar, and the seats were decently comfortable too so it came out to a nicely polished experience.

Very small, low-​frills theater. I love the ambiance, and the concessions stand never disappoints!

Cute little theatre in the International District. I went to a Sinner Saint Burlesque show there a couple of nights ago; it was my first visit to this theatre. There’s not a lot of room to maneuver in the lobby (it’s more like a hall), which could be a problem if a program were more highly attended (this one was not, for no good reason — it was great). The seats are comfortable and you are allowed to eat and drink in the theatre, as far as I could tell. Not every seat has a great view, and the stage itself is low frills. There is a pretty good snack/​drink bar in the lobby, offering a variety of beer, cider, wine, and well drinks. Street parking is not difficult unless one of our teams is sportsing that night.

Adorable! We’ve been here 2 times now, one for Steampunky thing a while ago and this time for a Doctor Who parody. The layout is perfect, and aside from one support beam allows for a clear view. I love that the seating is not usually assigned so if you show up early you can get a primo spot. Another reviewer mentioned that they have a bar with strong drinks… wow, that is no joke. Good but strong. A very fun experience overall. We’ll be back!

what a dump. the theater is in the basement — claustrophobic and crowded. 140 seats around a teeny tiny stage. location is hard to find when it’s dark and good luck finding the front door! the street level is all covered up and the entrance is to the far left, what i would expect to be a service entrance.
the staff is nice enough. tickets are really inexpensive. if «character» is your thing, then maybe this is the place for you.

Great small theatre. Very intimate and comfortable. Staff was great and engaging.

What a cute little theater tucked away off Jackson.
The outside doesn’t look like much but when you go inside the theater has an intimate neighborhood feel. Parking is pretty easy in the ID so that’s a plus.
The bar is small but pretty adequately stocked and I was impressed with some of the beers they had to offer. Prices weren’t out of sight but drinks were a dollar or two higher than the bar across the street.
Staff was friendly. I wouldn’t hesitate to return for a show! I came for the Lyme Time Six show and had a great time.
21+ only!

Great shows, excellent seating. I love this place.

Comfy, intimate and warm friendly folks. Love this place!!!

If you are not going to shows here you are missing out. Seriously. Sketchfest. A Guide to Visitors (upstairs). Salon of Shame. Crazy little in-​town shows like Entertainment for People. I almost gave 4 stars though because I get scared sometimes walking to my car after a show. And because my friend’s car once got broken into while we were in a show. But that isn’t the theater’s fault. Then again — it’s not Madison Market’s fault that it isn’t the Davis Food Co-​op — and still got docked a star for it. Oh well. My ratings. My rules.

Man, this is a very cool little independent theater. All these years I have meant to take in a performance here and finally I can say I’ve been. And how close did I live to this place for most of those years? Easy walking distance for 6 years, and ridiculously easy walking distance for four more. And only now that I have to be able find parking do I finally make it in. Sigh.
This is not exactly the theater district. It is, in fact, the International District, and the space unfolds down a cattywampus flight of stairs and into a beautifully reclaimed basement auditorium. You don’t see much from the sidewalk to indicate a performance venue. You have to rely on the awning that says «Theater Off Jackson» in foot-​high letters. For some of us, that’s enough. Generally.
On a sultry July evening, the electrifying thrill of new performance coats you like… well, no. Actually, you’re sweaty. It’s an unventilated basement. Nobody’s reading their programs – they’re all fanning themselves with them. But it’s not that bad. They have cold beers and other liquid delights on offer in the lobby at reasonable prices. They even have draft beer. And fresh cookies and candy bars. It’s a pretty great vibe, actually, everybody standing around slugging decent local beers like they’re at a party.
Speaking of the party vibe, we came in last night for the ¹⁴⁄₄₈ Festival. 14 new plays in 48 hours. Our gregarious host for the evening started the show by saying the first step in writing, staging, rehearsing, and premiering all these plays is: «tapping the keg.» So, clearly, I learned something about the theater last night. This new knowledge spoke to my inner dramaturge. Maybe a few other innards at the same time.
It’s actually rather amazing, what they put together in such a short span. They draw themes on scraps of paper from a big plastic ice cream cone, and from there the playwrights embark on a sleepless night of writing 5 – 10 minutes for 2 – 5 characters. From there, stage crews embark on a sleepless day of prepping the facility for 7 performances that night – in two rounds! And the actors and directors read and rehearse all day. Then they do it all again with another double-​feature of 7 additional, even-​newer plays the next night.
This weekend was the men’s half of the proceedings. The women did their ¹⁴⁄₄₈ last weekend. On the boards last night were plays about bickering neighbors, crime scene cleanup crews, aging, government mind control, pending fatherhood, prison exercise yards, and the Three Stooges. Comedies, dramas, thrillers, social commentary. Some great lines, great moments, and sparkling performances, all in the service of the overarching theme of being «fenced in.»
The enthusiasm was unbelievably infectious, from the volunteers in the lobby through the band on stage and especially into the casts and theater administrators. This is the kind of place where the hum of creative output vibrates through everything from the performances to the candy bar wrappers in the concession stand. You just expect to feel the jolts of new ideas here, and you know that people nearby are holding themselves near their creative peaks for an unusually long time.
This kind of thing is more than just why it’s great to come to the theater. It’s why it’s great to be open to what makes other people tick. Can’t wait to see more shows here.

I saw «3 Screams» here tonight, and who would have thought that that small door 2 doors from Phở Bac is actually a wonderful underground theater. Not only that I loved the show, I loved the theater’s ambiance. The seating arrangement is great, staff is nice, and they really feature some great shows here. Overall experience is awesome! Keep on top of what’s showing here… support our local, independent, artsy scene!

The seating within the theater doesn’t make much sense, as you have a lot of seats way out to the side. But overall, the theater serves its function. th e atmosphere is great, amazing staff, etc. We were from out of town, and while waiting outside for it to open, we were offered to buy drugs (twice), had some scary looking guys yelling at passing cars… so yeah, not the best neighborhood. But once inside, it was the complete opposite, very warm and inviting. So you can tell that the staff tries and owner cares. The production we saw, 3 Screams (yawn), was a little pretentious and annoying (at least to me), but my hubby liked it (for the most part). It was opening night, so the actors need to settle in to their roles a little more (they were overly acting). The worst part of the play was the severely RUDE and DRUNK crowd. Seriously, the entire row behind us talked throughout the performance. I’ve never been to a theater in portland that had this issue with a rude audience. Oh well.

Great small theatre space, funkified by the giant wooden beams, the cocktail bar/​box office combo, and the underground location.

I love this place, of course I’ve only been at TOJ for Salon of Shame (4 or 5 of them now. can’t remember), but it’s awesome here. The setting makes Salon even more intimate and hilarious.
It is 21+, fyi…
The ‘bar’ is cool, they were out of Malibu last time I went, and the lady told me they never have had it, but all 4 or so times I’ve came before they made my drink with it. Sad day. So basically, you get a beer or rum & coke… It would make my day if they expanded their bar a bit :)
Ladies restroom is quite tiny, two stalls I believe.
It is suuuuuppppeeerrr hard to find, especially at night. Literally on the corner of Jackson and 7^th. One day I’ll remember to take a picture of the front of the place so people can find it :)

Intimate, cozy, great space to see a performance or play. Convenient location.
Strong cocktails. WOOHOO!
And they don’t mind when we’re extra obnoxious during Salon of Shame. Who doesn’t like that?

I came here for the most recent Salon of Shame and realized I had seen a play here once a long time ago. Anyways it’s a great intimate theatre and perfect for Salon of Shame. There’s a small bar in the lobby if you need a cocktail or two and the ladies room was clean and fully stocked. The seats inside the theatre were comfortable, the sound was clear, the lights were bright and for being standing room only the temperature was fine.
Salon of Shame found a nice new home, I like it better than the CHAC, and parking is easier and cheaper and less hipsters out and about.

I wish more of the seats were the trendy shabby chic couches that some lucky folk get now, but other than that the space is pretty fantastic. I’ve seen two puppet shows here: both of which were greatly enhanced by the intimate setting. I guess Unilocal doesn’t have theater reviews, so I can’t exactly use this to let off steam about one and rave about the others. It’s a shame, really.