About BUMP

Bump In the Road Theatre was founded in March, 2002 in Portland, Oregon after the successful production of The Time Between, an original play about grief and healing developed through a community-inspired process. The success of The Time Between attracted the attention of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Last Acts Campaign, and the process was selected as one of four national model programs. BUMP was born to carry on the work of exploring difficult issues through theatre.

In its first season, BUMP created I Think About Life, a play inspired by stories from people facing terminal illness, their caregivers, and the grieving. Since then, BUMP has created and produced several projects exploring a variety of themes including aging and caregiving, the healthcare system, and, more recently, domestic violence and challenges facing at-risk youth. BUMP co-produced, with Towson University, a workshop production of Bury the Hatchet (a play about forgiveness) in February 2009. Plans to remount this well-received play are currently in the works.

The work of BUMP continues on the East Coast with the mission of the company—to stimulate discussion about challenging issues (the bumps in the road of life) through theater and education—remaining the same. Encouraging conversation about and compassion for those facing life's dilemmas, and supporting individuals who face difficult events by having their stories told, remain our goals. For more details, visit our Baltimore Projects page.

In 2010, BUMP launches the Playwrights Project, an initiative to nurture and develop new plays. Based in Portland, Oregon and produced by long-time BUMP playwright, Ellen West, the Playwrights Project will provide three playwrights workshop opportunities in the spring followed by publicized readings in June 2010. Visit our Portland Playwrights Project page for more details.