Bits & Pieces: 'Forum Theatre Convergence

Housing and livability will be addressed in the theater group Living Stages’ “Forum Theatre Convergence,” featuring teams from community organizations OPAL Environmental Justice, Bus Riders Unite, Right 2 Survive and Root Shock, Dec. 4 through 6 at various venues. Audience members are invited to offer suggestions and ideas for changing the course of the play and, thus, offering suggestions/ideas of how to change things in Portland.

The schedule:

7 p.m. Dec. 4 — OPAL and Bus Riders Unite take on racial profiling at the Center for Intercultural Organizing, 700 N. Killingsworth St.

7 p.m. Dec. 5 — Right 2 Survive does a play on housing and houselessness at Headwaters Theatre, 55 N.E Farragut St., No. 49.

7 p.m. Dec. 6 — Root Shock present a forum play about gentrification and displacement in the African-American community at Headwaters.

In a news release, Living Stages creative director Tamara Lynne says: “As long as social injustice exists, we present our questions and our struggles — and then rely on our audiences to come up with ideas to transform the outcome of our play. Our hope is that the theater inspires action not only on the stage, but also in real life.”

Admission is a suggested donation; for advance tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com.

For more, see Living Stages’ website, www.teatrocambio.org.

‘The Spin’

The 18th season of BodyVox dance company begins with “The Spin,” by artistic directors Jamey Hampton and Ashley Roland, Dec. 3 through 19 at BodyVox Dance Center, 1201 N.W. 17th Ave. ($25, www.bodyvox.com).

The show blends dance and the spontaneity of improvisation with a game show wheel — audience members take the stage to spin the wheel throughout the show to determine what comes next. There will be 25 possible dances with costumes and dancers ready to go. Funny, theatrical and creative, it’s inspired by the 1986 “Spectacular Spinning Songbook” tour by Elvis Costello.

“With ‘The Spin,’ BodyVox turns off the GPS and flies blindly into an evening of wild abandon. Get a ticket on the BodyVox flight and have an opportunity to sit in the pilot seat. The rules are: no wings, no backstage, no program order, and no seat belts. You and fates will guide the show from lift off to landing, whatever happens will happen. After all, that’s the beauty of live theater,” Roland says in a news release.

Perfect timing

Adding to our story about Oregon Ballet Theatre and its expansion and changes: The move of OBT to a new South Waterfront facility in December will come at a time when the company will be rehearsing for and putting on its signature show, “The Nutcracker.”

Dennis Buehler, OBT executive director, actually says it’s perfect timing, as “The Nutcracker” production draws the box office people, employees, leaders and dancers to the Keller Auditorium nearly every day for rehearsing and performances and away from “818,” OBT’s soon-to-be former home at 818 S.E. Sixth Ave., and the OBT school shuts down.

So moving to South Waterfront will be an easy transition through the holiday season “with no disruption in programming,” Buehler says.

‘Night of Ashes’

Company of Warriors, the Cleveland High School theater group, will go in the direction of Dungeons and Dragons style with the sword-and-sorcery play “Night of Ashes, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27 and 28 at the Winningstad Theatre, 1111 S.W. Broadway ($20 adults, $10 students, www.portland5.com).

The company is working with Paizo Inc., which publishes Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and, especially, the adventure “Hell’s Rebels.” It’s about a group of young people becoming something more than themselves in the fantasy city of Kintargo, which has been ruled by the Grand Inquisitor and his sadistic ways.