ABOUT US
OUR MISSIONTo create space for collaboration, empowerment and the joyful celebration of community using movement and ensemble theater traditions, imaginative play, and aerial arts to help people of all abilities discover their potential, encourage perseverance and embrace their humanity.
The ETC School encourages physical confidence, freedom, and grace in a creative, non-competitive atmosphere. Students of all ages and abilities develop strength, balance, flexibility, and creativity while working with others to explore the intersection of circus, movement, and storytelling. We support a faculty of teaching artists, who cultivate their students’ abilities, model through performance and are life-long learners themselves. Our faculty and youth performance groups create unique, professional performances aimed at bridging generational and cultural gaps while celebrating the collective potential of all people.
ECHO'S HISTORYIn 2013, Echo Theater Company assumed management of the historic Echo Theater from DoJump, maintaining what has become an important hub of arts and culture in the iconic Hawthorne District of Portland. Executive Director, Wendy Cohen, and Creative Manager, Aaron Wheeler-Kay, are former Do Jump! Performers and have worked in this unique hybrid of performance styles for a combined 40 years.
Photo by Casey Campbell
THE BUTTEYESThe ButtEyes emerged in a youth company rehearsal in 2012-13. We brought out a selection of skirts for students to explore spinning on trapeze. One of the students, a 10 year old named Clara Hogan, got into a downward facing dog shape with the skirt over her and just her rear end poking through the top of the skirt. As she scuttled around the theater, Wendy and I realized how funny this costume could be with a couple of google eyes affixed to the buns of the operator. In this moment of playful, silly exploration, entirely disconnected from the curriculum at hand, the now familiar ButtEye was born.
The ButtEye costume was completed by the addition of eyes supplied by the Portland Juggling Festival, which donated two large boxes of diabolos to Echo. Almost all of the diabolos were broken, so we began disassembling them and realized how ideal the two cups would be as eyes.
The ButtEyes premiered that Spring in a show titled Into Books, which included three short stories. One of these, “Tess On An Alien Planet” featured the ButtEyes in their stage premier.
The ButtEyes represent how innovation, looking at things differently , and providing space for silliness and exploration, and upcycling can all come together to make the world more magical and quirky.
Photo by Jaidin @mosspaw_photography
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENTThis land has a story, and holds the stories of all who have lived on it. We recognize we are on the stolen land of the Cowlitz, Clackamas, Kathlamet, Multnomah, Tualatin, and the other Tribal Nations who were the original stewards of this land.
Despite centuries of colonial theft and violence, we are fortunate that this area is rich with descendants, who preserve cultural practices and continue to demonstrate talents and gifts amidst the backdrop of systemic oppression.
Meet the Team
LEADERSHIPWendy Cohen
Executive Director
BOARD OF DIRECTORSHelen Kalk
President
Marnie Glickman
Director
Tyne Morrell-Wilson
Vice President
Joe Eichenauer
Treasurer
Brianna Kalk
Secretary
Liv Allison
Youth Representative
PRODUCTION & CREATIVEAaron Wheeler-Kay
Creative Director
Hannah Raschke
House Manager
Emme Worthy
Technical Coordinator
Nelly Pitts
Production Coordinator
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Sequoia Allen
Program Manager,
Echo West
Destiny Thompson
Program Manager,
Echo Theater
Emma Christensen
Human Resources Manager
Josie Mae
Outreach Manager
Nico Ransdell
Front Office Coordinator,
Echo Theater
Hannah Raschke
Front Office Coordinator,
Echo West
Clare Hill
Front Office Coordinator,
Echo Theater
Amy Stewart
Marketing Coordinator
Our Teachers
TESTIMONIALS