56Darleen Ortega has been a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals since 2003 and is the first woman of color to serve in that capacity. She sees two to three films a week and has been writing about movies for well over a decade, including blogging two film festivals and publishing a list of the year's best films. You can find her movie blog at www.opinionatedjudge.blogspot.com.
Recent Stories
Confronting the Erasure of Women in Juarez
New play bears witness to heartache
Since 1993, the women of Juárez, Mexico have been disappearing and no one has solved the mystery
Race and Truths Unfold in ‘Redwood’
Play looks at deep questions about race
Dramatic action punctuated with hip-hop dance moves
Play Inspired by AIDS Chaos
Profile Theatre makes the writers of original plays its focus
This production will keep you laughing and leave you with lots to chew on
Something for Every Taste
Oregon Shakespeare Festival season near complete
As the long season of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival nears it close, I don’t want to miss the opportunity to offer five more reasons to head to Ashland
Road Trips of Cultural Connections
Ashland plays brings richness of Latinx experience
One diverse and largely Latin American cast performs two plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival this season, offering opportunities for them, and us, to explore the complexity and richness of Latinx experience.
Black Voices Ring with Clarity, Integrity
It's a play about black people apart from the white gaze; they suffer but the play is not about black suffering. It's about love.
Diverse Play Explores Jewish Identity
In an age when synagogues face a resurgence of deadly violence, Paula Vogel’s beautiful play about Jewish identity, “Indecent,” grapples with themes of outsiders facing threats to their freedoms and basic human rights.
Inspiring Homage to a Destroyed Culture, History
I had no idea about the exciting pop rock scene that flourished in Cambodia just before its magic was utterly destroyed during the Khmer Rouge genocide in 1975 to 1979, a topic explored in the marvelous new play, "Cambodian Rock Band," now playing at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.
Native Comedy Packs Hard Hitting Truths
“Between Two Knees” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland is a feat of theater magic so satisfying that, after seeing it three times, I am determined to savor it at least twice more before it closes in October.
Diverse Films Stand Out
Seeing so many films together functioned as a sort of world tour of cinematic language, style, and culture that set my brain humming.