1989-present

triangle productions!

Donald Horn is the founder and Executive Director of the company in 1989. As a pseudonym, Donnie wrote After the Rain. a play about the survivors left behind after dealing with the loss of someone with AIDS. There had been plays about AIDS such as One, by Jeff Hagedorn in 1983; Warren by Rebecca Ranson in 1984; and others around this time, AS IS, Normal Heart, The AIDS Show, Eastern Standard, Night Sweat: A Romantic Comedy in Two Acts, Jerker, but there wasn’t one at least known to Donnie about the people left behind. He shopped it around to the eight theaters in Portland at the time and he received 100% rejection. One said though, “If you believe in it so much, produce it yourself.” And he did.

During the run of After the Rain a woman came up and slugged him in the gut, “Why are all plays, movies, even books – in fact, all media concentrate on men and AIDS. Doesn't anyone realize that women and children suffer from this disease as well? Look at me, I’m HIV positive and pregnant.” He became friendly with her, Nancy, and wrote another play “…tell momma, goodbye…” which is believed to be the first produced play about women and AIDS. Premiering in 1990 at the Women, Children, and HIV Conference in Portland Oregon with approximately 500 people in attendance, the play was Nominated for Oregon Book Award – Best New Play. Below is the ad in the Just Out newspaper for After the Rain, March 1990.

For additional history of triangle, check out their website: www.trianglepro.org.

Other articles: Live theater's back in town | Oregon ArtsWatch (orartswatch.org) this deals with theater during the pandemic of 2020.

2004 Equity Foundation brochure. It says “Adieu to triangle productions!; this was partly true. Don (Horn) and Myra Donnelley sold the Theater! Theatre! building and had no home. The board was searching for a space and at that time had no prospects.