Beyond Boom & Bust

Beyond Boom & Bust is a performance production company cultivating economic and social resilience in rural southwestern Oregon.

The initiative launched with a documentary dance theatre piece called The (w)HOLE in 2019, which was based on stories about the changing economy in the Illinois Valley since cannabis legalization.

Our second project, Shelter-in-Plays, took place in April 2020 and developed a dozen original works by local writers, performed by household pods in quarantine. Shelter-in-Plays raised over $3000 for regional COVID relief initiatives and brought together over 40 artists from across Southern Oregon in collaboration.

OUT Dance Project took place in March of 2021 and was aimed at intervening in rural LGBTQ+ isolation and mental health crises by connecting rural queers from across Oregon through story and dance. The performances took place on the Howlround.com livestream platform, and raised funds for regional queer advocacy groups across the state. Audiences from around the world tuned in to the performances and took part in post-show community discussions. Beyond Boom & Bust has been invited to present about OUT Dance Project at the Rural Organizing Project’s 2021 caucus, at the Safe States 2021 Conference, and at the AllCare Traditional Health Workers monthly meeting. Videos of the performances can be viewed on our website, and the lead artists are available for screenings and presentations ongoingly.