Shaking the Tree Theatre – Teen Ensemble & Youth Theatre Programs
Shaking the Tree Theatre (Big Blue Warehouse), 823 SE Grant St, Portland, OR 97214
About
Shaking the Tree Theatre – Teen Ensemble & Youth Theatre Programs takes place in a non-traditional warehouse space and presents unconventional theatrical experiences that meld theatre and visual art. The program uses innovative ways to inhabit space and positions itself at the intersection of innovation, activism, and groundbreaking theatricality. Audiences are invited into experiences that encourage a deeper, more active connection to the work being presented.
Founded in 2003, Shaking the Tree Theatre has developed its approach to combining theatre and visual art over many years. The founding Artistic Director, Samantha Van Der Merwe, is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and a Member of Theatre Communications Group, and she has received multiple Drammy Awards, including for Outstanding Devised Work, Outstanding Set Design, Special Achievement as a Producer, and Outstanding Direction, as well as being a Robert Rauschenberg Foundation SEED Grantee. The leadership team includes Samantha Van Der Merwe (Founding Artistic Director), Rebby Yuer Foster (Summer Festival & Residencies Coordinator), Kai Hynes (Box Office Manager, Grant Writer, Accessibility Coordinator & Instructor), and Kayla Hanson (Administrative Associate). Staff members Rebby Yuer Foster and Kai Hynes each hold B.A. degrees in Theatre and English from the University of Portland, and Foster is a former Acting Apprentice at the Actors Theatre of Louisville (2018–2019). Shaking the Tree receives major funding and support from multiple foundations, individual donors, the Oregon Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Oregon Cultural Trust through the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition.
Reviewers have described Shaking the Tree as one of the most thoughtful and constantly inventive theater spaces in Portland and have noted its focus on challenging conventional ideas about what theater can or should be. Critics have also highlighted productions that demolish ideas of conventional theatre, including work that combines movement, immersive multimedia art installation, and nontraditional storytelling, and have described the theatre as a place where audiences are engaged from the moment they enter the space.
Last updated July 14, 2026.
Founded in 2003, Shaking the Tree Theatre has developed its approach to combining theatre and visual art over many years. The founding Artistic Director, Samantha Van Der Merwe, is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and a Member of Theatre Communications Group, and she has received multiple Drammy Awards, including for Outstanding Devised Work, Outstanding Set Design, Special Achievement as a Producer, and Outstanding Direction, as well as being a Robert Rauschenberg Foundation SEED Grantee. The leadership team includes Samantha Van Der Merwe (Founding Artistic Director), Rebby Yuer Foster (Summer Festival & Residencies Coordinator), Kai Hynes (Box Office Manager, Grant Writer, Accessibility Coordinator & Instructor), and Kayla Hanson (Administrative Associate). Staff members Rebby Yuer Foster and Kai Hynes each hold B.A. degrees in Theatre and English from the University of Portland, and Foster is a former Acting Apprentice at the Actors Theatre of Louisville (2018–2019). Shaking the Tree receives major funding and support from multiple foundations, individual donors, the Oregon Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Oregon Cultural Trust through the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition.
Reviewers have described Shaking the Tree as one of the most thoughtful and constantly inventive theater spaces in Portland and have noted its focus on challenging conventional ideas about what theater can or should be. Critics have also highlighted productions that demolish ideas of conventional theatre, including work that combines movement, immersive multimedia art installation, and nontraditional storytelling, and have described the theatre as a place where audiences are engaged from the moment they enter the space.
Last updated July 14, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.