SLABTOWN STOP THEATRE - SLABTOWN

Per obituary of JOHN QUENTIN John Quentin ''Tin'' Welch In 1969, he founded Slabtown Stop Theatre, in the Friendly House Community Center located at 26th and NW Savier. The 84-seat theater was named after the Willamette Heights streetcar's stop then located a few blocks away. The company was founded to provide an outlet for the fine theatrical talent existing in Portland at that time and to promote quality community theater. Tin's innovations for his theatre company included money back if not satisified; bad plays (in the opinion of the directors) will close in one week; and net profits that would be distributed to actors, not the producers or directors of the theatre. Throughout its five-year history, Slabtown Stop presented a variety of important and often controversial plays, including Of Mice and Men, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, Sweet Bird Youth, The Boys in the Band, The Death of Bessie Smith, Candida, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Waiting for Godot, and Slabtown's most commercially successful production, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Tin closed Slabtown Stop in 1974 because, although critically successful, the theater was not able to support itself financially. He then auditioned and won the part in the movie version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest which was filmed in Salem. Tin played the part of ''Ronald Ruckley,'' a mute mental patient, in the film. After filming, due to popular demand, Tin received special permission to launch a final production of Cuckoo's Nest for Portland theatergoers at the Portland Art Museum's BergSwann Auditorium. John Welch Obituary (2004) - Portland, OR - The Oregonian (oregonlive.com)

What appears to be the only out-gay production by this company was“Boys In The Band”. It was produced three times by three different theatres; PSU Theater Department in 1971, Slabtown Stop in 1974, and then Portland Civic Theatre in 1981. Below is the article from The Oregon Journal March 26, 1974.

Cast: John Zagone, Steve Knox, Bob Neilson, Arthur DeBow

Bob Neilson in front; behind him Big Steve Knox, Arthur DeBow next to Steve.

For reference check out: https://libmedia.willamette.edu/archives/as/repositories/2/archival_objects/40149

A retrospective of Slabtown Stop Theatre’s posters was held in 2014 at the Friendly House.