TICKETS $20

Doors 6:30 p.m.; Event 7:30 p.m.
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THE EXPERIENCE

7 Deadly Sins: CHURCH is a seven-part interactive live storytelling series that explores each of the Seven Deadly Sins, what they mean in this particular moment in history, and how we might choose to think of them in these turbulent times.

Despite being an entirely secular show created by a group of outlandishly sinful heathens, 7 Deadly Sins: CHURCH will have all the trappings and spirit of an old-school gospel tent revival — albeit with less religion and more access to cocktails. (Also, if anyone is somehow miraculously healed of anything it will surprise us way more than you.)

In this first show, Part One, the stories will focus on the Sin Of Wrath, a sin which — let’s be honest — feels pretty 2025.

Wrath is the most frightening of all the sins; the one most of us associate with violence, fury, or revenge. But wrath can also be a call for justice. Wraith is John Brown. Wrath is Stonewall, and Black Lives Matter, and 438 coordinated women’s “p**sy-hat” marches in 2017. Wrath, in other words, is like all of the other deadly sins: for better and worse, it is part of what makes us human.

Plus there will be laughs! And music! And poetry! And readings! And singalongs! And still more laughs! Because more than anything, 7 Deadly Sins: CHURCH is going to be a kick-ass, howl-at-the-moon evening of fun as we all celebrate what it means to be human, and keep the darkness at bay just one night longer.

The CHURCH series is a collaborative production conceived, created, and directed by writer, journalist, and 7 Deadly Sins Executive & Artistic Director R. Tod Kelly; actor, writer, and filmmaker Travis Abels; storyteller and stand-up comedian Star Dell’Era; PICA performance artist and creator of Life Coach Andrew Dickson; comedian, host, and story coach Meg Ferrill; and longtime teacher and raconteur Pat McCreery, with the help of Wrath’s Musical Director John Shipe and Art & Media Director Mark Noland.

ON STAGE: Travis Abels, John Shipe, Alina Aliyar, Bradford Jordan, Alex Dang 

Travis Abels: Host – Travis is a writer, actor, storyteller, filmmaker, and producer. His touring one-man show Things I Hide From My Dad drew praise from audiences and critics alike. The Orlando Weekly called it a “masterclass in capturing an audience’s attention… An engrossing and entertaining journey that buzzes with cathartic moments of self-discovery.” The Tiniest Party, his monthly experimental storytelling show held in his basement or backyard depending on weather, was recently praised by Willamette Week as being “an exclusive highbrow performance space masquerading as a lowbrow house party.”

John Shipe: Resonator Guitar, Band Leader – Once a frontman for the iconic northwest rock band Renegade Saints, John’s career as a genre-defying singer-songwriter has spawned no less than eleven critically-acclaimed studio albums. John’s latest album, Water So Dark, made a slew of 2024 Top Ten Indie Album lists in the US and Europe. The UK’s Fatea Magazine declared the album a masterpiece that “paid in full” any debts of sin he might have acquired in the past, while Italy’s Planet Country called the album proof of “an artist and a man with a poetic and sensitive approach whose songs deal with sobriety and excellent melodic skills all the emotions of life, dreams, aspirations, suffering and disappointments.” And no less than Bee Delores observed that John “weaves his emotional threads into a warm tapestry, faded with time yet still somehow carries with it the richness of life itself, with darkness caked into his performance.”

Alina Aliyar: Storyteller – In addition to being a broker for Living Room Realty, Alina is one of  Portland’s most respected storytellers. She has told stories for The Moth Grand Slam, Roar, Pickathon, FreeSpeech, Planned Parenthood’s It’s Not Me, It’s You, and Backfence PDX, where she also worked as a producer and story coach. In 2017 Alina produced 7 Deadly Sins: PRIDE!, our all-LGBTQA storytelling show, and from 2018 through 2023 she was an Executive Producer and host for 7 Deadly Sins.  She is also a trained pastry chef, chocolatier, and all-round gluttony enabler.

Bradford Jordan: Storyteller – Bradford Jordan is a Moth GrandSLAM winner and a five-time Moth StorySLAM champion, known for weaving tales that capture both heart and humor. A seasoned teacher and performer, he has shared his craft around the globe, including as part of the award-winning improv duo Tim and Bradford. He currently hosts The Do-Over at Kickstand Comedy, a monthly improv show that spins real-life regrets into comedy gold. Bradford has been featured on The Moth Radio Hour on NPR, as well as on various podcasts and interview shows. He’s also a longtime performer, teaching artist, and director with the nationally acclaimed Story Pirates. Based in Portland, Oregon, Bradford lives with his wife, Ora, a puppeteer and co-founder of the Feeble Flame Puppet Theater Company. In his spare time, he’s a passionate transportation and bicycling advocate.

Alex Dang : Poet – Alex Dang is a poet from Portland, Oregon. A former TEDx speaker, Dang competed at the National Poetry Slam, is both a Portland Poetry Slam and Eugene Poetry Slam Champion, and has performed in seven countries. His written work can has been published in Rising Phoenix Review, The Westchester Review, Lammergeier, Moonchild Magazine, and other poetry journals and magazines. He has strong opinions about burgers. He wants to know what your favorite song is.

7 Deadly Sins –  7 Deadly Sins has built a reputation as one of the most innovative live storytelling collectives in the country. Each of our shows blend comedy, tragedy, inspiration, and redemption into riveting stories from real people that remind us all what it means to be human. Over the years 7DS has expanded into a full storytelling production company. Our original bare-bones stage show, titled simply 7 Deadly Sins, eventually added scored music and became 7 Deadly Sins: MainStage. Other regular shows were added, including 7DS: Pants On Fire, The Absolute Worst Show, Rough Draft, Daria’s Confessional Cabaret, and 7 Deadly Sins: Saturnalia. We also began working with artists to commission one-off shows, such as Spoken, Andrew Dickson’s Kids These Days, and Swimming Like Frankenstein’s Monster. In addition to Moth-style personal-narrative storytelling, our shows have also incorporated music, performance art, spoken word poetry, readings, improv, dance, and even various visual arts. The through line with all of them is that everything on our stage, regardless of genre or medium, tells a story. That, and we work to ensure that every story we produce creates two seemingly paradoxical responses with the audience: “Wow, I’ve never experienced anything quite like what that person has,” and “wow, I have so been there — I know exactly what they’re talking about.”