Back in college, I was assigned a scene from The Glass Menagerie by my acting professor Leslie Brott. Being a naive 19 year old, I was initially bummed that I didn’t get something with more…how shall I say, gusto? Boy was I wrong to underestimate Laura. Laura is TEEMING with gusto inside; her inner world is rich with imagination and beauty in ways people hope to obtain even a sliver of in their own lives. Laura is everything I strive to be: content, passionate, and giving zero f*cks about what society expects her to be.
We open The Glass Menagerie tonight at Shaking the Tree. It’s a real privilege to share the stage with this creative team, with our fearless Sam at the helm.
We run until May 16th. I hope you can make it :) But more importantly, if there is a harmless niche interest you have that others try to make you feel ashamed of, you can tell them to go suck an egg, and resume nerding out on your joy.
Photo by @rickliuphotograpy !
Bringing you social anxieties and incredibly specific interests is Sammy Rat Rios as Laura Wingfield 🦄
Sammy, a lover of all flora and fauna, believes in no rules. They are delighted for another opportunity to work on Shaking the Tree’s stage! Select stage credits: Dancing on the Sabbath; The Brother and the Bird; Blood Wedding (Shaking the Tree), Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really (Portland Center Stage), Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (PCS, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Chekhov! Three Farces (21Ten Theatre), Young Americans (PCS, Pittsburgh Public Theater), Amélie; A Christmas Carol (Portland Playhouse), We’re Gonna Die (AT&T Performing Arts Center, Amphibian Stage, Shaking the Tree), In the Next Room...or the Vibrator Play (River & Rail Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Dallas Theater Center). Rios portrayed Myrna in The Cold Plunge, a radio play available on all podcast platforms, and have had staged readings of their plays performed with Theatre Diaspora. They compose and produce music under Rat Rios, and perform with their band Koallaby. Education: B.F.A. in Playwriting and Directing from Southern Methodist University, Conservatory Acting graduate from British American Drama Academy in London, UK. FLAWLESS VICTORY!
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Samantha Van Der Merwe
April 18th - May 16th 2026
Thursday - Saturday Evenings at 7:30pm
Sundays at 5pm
#shakingthetreetheatre #pdxtheatre #portlandtheatre #tennesseewilliams #theglassmenagerie
Hi, I’m Sammy Rat Rios. I am an artist of many mediums. I make the art I want to make, when I want to make it, on no one’s agenda but my own. Swooners of success and status may solemnly shake their heads, but when my body returns to the earth, I will feel content; there will be no doubts lingering in my soul if the art did what it needed to. Because I nourish my inner ecosystem of imagination and create from a place of sincerity, it can only encourage others to make their truest of true art, thus doing what it needs to do.
Do not edit yourself to fit others’ perceptions, and just be. All the rules of art of completely, utterly, hopelessly arbitrary.
On our 67th and final performance of Little Women, I documented the shenanigans of backstage: a love letter to my wonderful cast and crew across two theatres soundtracked to my club remix of Kennst du Das Land. Such happy times 💗
#littlewomen #louisamayalcott
I have some news to share that I’m very excited about: The Cold Plunge, a radio play written and directed by Sunny Bleckinger IS OUT IN THE WORLD!
I invite you to listen to this absurdist comedy drama that is so deeply human and heartwarming/breaking, so utterly strange at times you’re like, “Wait, come again?” but with it all so purposeful and CORRECT and fitting nicely like a favorite sweater.
Voicing Myrna was a highlight of my artistic career. (I seriously had so much fun, I wish I could do things like this everyday.) This was one of the projects that got me through a very tough year, and I’d like to think I helped get Myrna get through the murkiness as she did with me. Thank you Sunny for entrusting me to portray her.
You can find all four episodes on any podcast platforms! Also can we get three cheers for radio plays? MORE OF EM PLEASE!
Original artwork by Dan Gluibizzi
KOALLABY’S PLAYING A SHOW AND YOU’RE INVITED!
One of the musical projects I’m a part of ✨KOALLABY✨ is throwing a show at Framework Saturday, Jan 10th! We have the very cool Brites joining us on the bill, and a very, very special guest Sudie flying in all the way from ATLANTA to grace us with their musical artistry. I have known Sudie since 2009 and we haven’t played a show together in far too long. I personally guarantee your socks will be blown off. (Peep these photos of us from 10ish years ago 😭)
There is a $10 suggested donation, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Come hang out!!!! Doors open 7:30pm with music starting at 8pm. BYOB!!!! Flyer by me!!!!
