Shaking the Tree Theatre – Youth & Teen Theatre Programs
823 SE Grant St, Portland, OR 97214
About
Shaking the Tree Theatre – Youth & Teen Theatre Programs takes place within Shaking the Tree Theatre, which melds the boundaries of theatre and visual art by presenting audiences with unconventional theatrical experiences in a non-traditional warehouse space. The programs are part of an organization that uses innovative ways to inhabit space and positions itself at the intersection of innovation, activism, and groundbreaking theatricality.
Shaking the Tree Theatre was founded in 2003. Its mission states that it melds the boundaries of theatre and visual art by presenting audiences with unconventional theatrical experiences in a non-traditional warehouse space, using innovative ways to inhabit space and positioning itself at the intersection of innovation, activism, and groundbreaking theatricality. The founding Artistic Director, Samantha Van Der Merwe (she/her), was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and holds a B.A. in Theatre & English from the University of Portland. The leadership team also includes Rebby Yuer Foster (they/them), Summer Festival & Residencies Coordinator; Kai Hynes (he/him), Box Office Manager, Grant Writer, Accessibility Coordinator & Instructor, who holds a B.A. in Theatre and English from the University of Portland and is a graduate of Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble’s Institute for Contemporary Performance; and Kayla Hanson (she/her), Administrative Associate. Shaking the Tree is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and a member of Theatre Communications Group, and has received multiple Drammy Awards, including Outstanding Devised Work for “Head. Hands. Feet, Devised,” Outstanding Set Design for “We’re All Mad Here, Devised,” Special Achievement as a Producer for “Passion Play” by Sarah Ruhl, Special Achievement as a Producer for “The Tripping Point,” and Outstanding Direction for “Statements After an Arrest...” by Athol Fugard, as well as being a Robert Rauschenberg Foundation SEED grantee. Shaking the Tree receives major funding and support from organizations and foundations including The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Portland Arts and Culture Access Fund, The Ronald W. Naito Foundation, The Rose and David Dortort Foundation (supporting organization of the California Community Foundation), The Oregon Community Foundation, The Roy and Diane Marvin Fund of Oregon Community Foundation, The Jackson Foundation, Ronni Lacroute, Jessie Jonas, Ellyn Bye, Anonymous 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 the city” that “always produces works that must be discussed afterward,” and have noted Artistic Director Samantha Van Der Merwe’s approach to challenging “enshrined notions about what theater can or should be.”
Last updated April 14, 2026.
Shaking the Tree Theatre was founded in 2003. Its mission states that it melds the boundaries of theatre and visual art by presenting audiences with unconventional theatrical experiences in a non-traditional warehouse space, using innovative ways to inhabit space and positioning itself at the intersection of innovation, activism, and groundbreaking theatricality. The founding Artistic Director, Samantha Van Der Merwe (she/her), was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and holds a B.A. in Theatre & English from the University of Portland. The leadership team also includes Rebby Yuer Foster (they/them), Summer Festival & Residencies Coordinator; Kai Hynes (he/him), Box Office Manager, Grant Writer, Accessibility Coordinator & Instructor, who holds a B.A. in Theatre and English from the University of Portland and is a graduate of Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble’s Institute for Contemporary Performance; and Kayla Hanson (she/her), Administrative Associate. Shaking the Tree is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and a member of Theatre Communications Group, and has received multiple Drammy Awards, including Outstanding Devised Work for “Head. Hands. Feet, Devised,” Outstanding Set Design for “We’re All Mad Here, Devised,” Special Achievement as a Producer for “Passion Play” by Sarah Ruhl, Special Achievement as a Producer for “The Tripping Point,” and Outstanding Direction for “Statements After an Arrest...” by Athol Fugard, as well as being a Robert Rauschenberg Foundation SEED grantee. Shaking the Tree receives major funding and support from organizations and foundations including The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Portland Arts and Culture Access Fund, The Ronald W. Naito Foundation, The Rose and David Dortort Foundation (supporting organization of the California Community Foundation), The Oregon Community Foundation, The Roy and Diane Marvin Fund of Oregon Community Foundation, The Jackson Foundation, Ronni Lacroute, Jessie Jonas, Ellyn Bye, Anonymous 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 the city” that “always produces works that must be discussed afterward,” and have noted Artistic Director Samantha Van Der Merwe’s approach to challenging “enshrined notions about what theater can or should be.”
Last updated April 14, 2026.
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