GUMBO by Shelley Tate

From bayou kitchens to front porches, this captivating play celebrates the heart, humor, and resilience of Louisiana's women. Pull up a chair and savor a celebration of the remarkable women whose strength and spirit have always been the secret ingredient in Louisiana’s gumbo.

This show is for you if you’ve ever wondered…
Where do I belong? Where is home?
What is a Cajun? What’s a Creole? Are they more than just styles of cooking?
How different are Southerners from Northwesterners?
How do you make a roux?
What’s Mardi Gras all about anyway?
What’s the deal with New Orleans and voodoo, vampires, and above ground graves?
How do you “laissez les bon temps rouler”?
Can you be both proud and ashamed of where you come from?
How do you pronounce geaux, lagniappe, Ouachita, Tchoupitoulas, or couillon?
Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?

REVIEWS
“Gumbo, like its signature namesake, is a rich and complex mixture of history, heritage, and personal stories. Playwright Shelley Tate employs the metaphor of food to provide a satisfying evening of entertainment. Through well-researched and riveting characters, as well as a charming and warm direct address, she layers tragedy and triumph with just the right amount of “laissez les bon temps rouler”!  - Eleanor O.

“The warmth and verve and bonhomie with which Shelley Tate delivers her  show Gumbo is an exemplar of why there’s nothing like a live performance. By bridging her very different lives in Louisiana and Oregon, she made me hunger to visit the former and proud that I’m from the latter.”  - Mead H.

"This show, brought to life on stage, will blow you away. I’ve had her Gumbo—and I’ll be back for more.”  -Angela H.

“I loved the Portland connections and getting the audience involved. You have great presence and energy - I was engaged and really learned a lot!” - Becky F.

“Each woman’s story stands separately - they are giving us their story. We’re in their skin as the history affects them.” - Lisa Cron (author of Wired for Story and Story Genius)

“If the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was from the South, she’d be Shelley Tate!” - Matt F.
 

PLAYWRIGHT SHELLEY TATE
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Shelley Tate is an actor/ writer/ director who has called the Northwest home for the last twenty years. She is also a public school teacher who is passionate about using theatre to educate, to entertain, and to foster empathy and connection. In addition to writing and performing her own work, she has been seen on Portland and Vancouver area stages in a variety of roles such as Margaret in Murdered to Death, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Truvy in Steel Magnolias, and Karen in Dinner with Friends, as well as Mary in The Memory of Water, Debbie/Jill in The Heidi Chronicles, and the Female Greek Chorus in How I Learned to Drive.

She is thrilled to partner with Magenta Theatre to bring Gumbo to Vancouver, Washington!