NEWBERG, Ore. — On a 90-degree Saturday evening in Newberg, people scurried about setting up what looked like a swap meet in the Chehalem Cultural Center’s forecourt.
However, this is no ordinary farmers’ or makers’ market. It was the latest show from Newberg’s Gather Repertory Theatre, “Pásale Pásale,” an interactive musical production.
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Cast members trickled through the audience to show off their stands and exchange banter with other vendors. Theatergoers saw the struggles of booth workers operating under a greedy manager, “Muchascosas” — played by Phil Amaya — and the joy of community within a swap meet.
With light audience participation, patrons could enjoy a treat courtesy of a vendor, join the DJ for Latin American trivia, and sing along with the cast. “Pásale Pásale” aims to give viewers a chance to connect with their community through the musical experience.
“It would be inauthentic for us to say that we are bringing the people in this community while also ignoring such a large part of our community which is the local latine population,” said JeanneAnn Comiskey, Gather Repertory’s artistic director. “It’s been important for us for a few years now to choose something that might speak a little more towards that experience.”
Gather Repertory’s mission, according to its website, is to “bring the community together through purposeful stories to foster equity, develop curiosity, and celebrate life,” making “Pásale Pásale” an important story to tell in Newberg, Comiskey said.
The production first met audiences in California in 2024, written by Mario Vega and conceived by Maria Patrice Amon. The Newberg staging is directed by Cambria Herrera and serves as the Oregon debut, with flexibility in the script and performance allowing Gather’s artists to embed local references. Mentions of the Willamette River and Edwards Elementary School make the production feel close to home.
The production is an immersive, family-friendly experience complete with pretend spending money, locally made piñatas, and refreshments sold by the Chehalem Cultural Center. The company’s cultural consultant, Ashley Solis, guided Gather on ways to keep the show accurate and locally relevant.
The market element is not an add-on to the performance, according to Gather Repertory’s vendor materials, but a central part of the show itself, with audience members encouraged to shop before and after performances. Comisky said vendor interest was a challenge with a narrow selling window, but at least one vendor, Nickname Press, appears consistently.
Despite having to move two of the first three shows indoors due to wildfire smoke that blanketed northwestern Oregon, the company performed its final show of the weekend outdoors on the Cultural Center forecourt on Saturday. The production continues Aug. 13, 15, and 16, with performances at 6 p.m. each night. Tickets are pay-what-you-will, with a $15 recommended amount.
Gather Repertory is fundraising to produce a community performance in 2027. More information is available at gatherrepertory.org.
Kingston Gottfried is a Dundee resident and 19-year-old second-year student at Portland State University studying English and interested in pursuing journalism. Kingston has been a long-time lover of the arts, participating in music, theater, and photography.
Disclosure: Kingston Gottfried has previously acted in a Gather Repertory Theatre production.
