Story in Motion: Performance as Prototype (Saturday)

What happens when performance is treated as a prototype for futures? Story in Motion invites audiences into the creative process of making a new musical in real time.

The event features in-progress table reads of unbound: a bookish musical, a contemporary story following Jane, a recent divorcee who returns to her hometown and begins working at Bookish, a beloved neighborhood bookstore. There, she meets a unique group of individuals navigating their own challenges, from grief to reinvention. Together, they explore community, creativity, and the possibility of reclaiming what once felt lost.

With book and lyrics by erin rachel and music direction by Daniel Buchanan, unbound explores themes of love and loss, grief and growth, and the profound journey of rediscovering connection.

At this special event, you’ll get:

• A rare chance to see a performance mid-process
• A behind-the-scenes look at how stories evolve through iteration
• Reflections from the creative team on narrative design choices
• An invitation to see performance as a design tool for imagining otherwise

• Theater lovers curious about the rehearsal process
• Designers and creatives interested in storytelling as futures practice
• Community members who want to experience culture-in-the-making

Both the Saturday and Sunday readings will present the same core material, though small variations may emerge as the team continues to refine the piece. Attend one, or both, to experience the evolution in motion.

Sunday, Oct 19, 2025 • 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM • Doors at 1:30 PM

Resound NW (Downtown Portland)

Part of Imagining Otherwise: Storytelling & Narrative Future(s) (Oct 18–20), a three-day exploration of performance and design as methods for cultural futures.

• Story in Motion: Performance as Prototype (Sun, Oct 19) → A public table read that opens a window into the creative process of performance-making
• Narrative Design Lab: A Hands-on Workshop (Sun, Oct 19) → Directly following Sunday's table read, a hands-on lab unpacking the design of story

• Imagining Otherwise: Storytelling, Design & Speculative Imagination (Mon, Oct 20) - A multidisciplinary panel on storytelling as a dynamic tool for imagining otherwise

And be sure to check out the Radical Future(s) Fest (Oct 6 - Oct 8), a three-day celebration of design, systems, and belonging — with panels, showcases, and design jams imagining more just and joyful futures.

Explore these and more at the .

Get ready to be inspired, share your ideas, and connect with others who are shaping what comes next

Agency for Speculative Futures

A civic imagination lab treating the future as a public work, blending design, storytelling, and systems change. We create experiences and invest in spaces where communities can rehearse and reimagine just, joyful futures

Impact x Design

A community of designers, strategists, and change-makers who believe design has the power to shape more equitable futures. We curate conversations, facilitate workshops, and resource projects exploring impact at the intersection of creativity and systems change.

rockcitysea

Produces speculative performance + sound-scapes exploring how storytelling, environment, and imagination alter what we see and what futures we build

Also check out other Arts events in Portland, Workshops in Portland.