This month Echo Theater (ETC) presents a modern re-telling of an age-old fairy tale about greed, bridge ownership, and, in this case, aerial arts, original music and tap-dancing billy goats with “Gruff.” The performance is a collaboration between Creative Manager Aaron Wheeler-Kay and Bevin Victoria. For the past two decades, Wheeler-Kay has been an instructor at ETC, leading the theater’s youth performance groups. In February, he moved into the new Creative Manager position. Victoria is a Portland/LA based actor, filmmaker, musician and award-winning martial artist and dancer.
ETC, located just off Hawthorne Blvd. at 1515 SE 37th Ave., has been home to a lively circus arts school, hosting hundreds of classes in dance, trapeze and aerial arts each year. The original aerial arts and tap dance performance, “Gruff,” kicks off their Spring Season and will run for two weekends. Friday and Saturday performances (April 7, 8, 14 and 15) take place at 7:30 pm; Sunday performances (April 9 and 16) are at 3:30 pm. Tickets ($20) available at EchoTheaterPDX.org.
