Oct. 17: Alela Diane & Ryan Francesconi, Portland Building, Disjecta, Greg Robinson & More

Published: Oct. 16, 2015, 7:55 p.m.

This week we tackle the big subjects: the future of the Portland Building, the humor (or lack thereof) of rape jokes, the history of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival & more. Join us!

The Future Of Portland's Most Loved/Hated Building
This week the Portland City Council will consider legislation to start renovating one of the city\u2019s most recognizable works of architecture: The Portland Building. It's both Portland's most famous building (it's the text book case for postmodern architect) and perhaps its most reviled. First up, we take a look at what's wrong with the building. Hint: the problems run deeper than a color scheme that feels drawn from your grandma's kitchen.

Then we listen to an excerpt of the building's architect, Michael Graves, before hearing the case for remodeling the building smartly from Randy Gragg, the director of the University of Oregon's John Yeon Center for Architecture and the Landscape.

Adrienne Truscott's "Asking For It"
There\u2019s been a lot of talk in the comedy world over the last several years about rape jokes: are they funny, or seriously unfunny? Now there\u2019s a show that tackles the issue head-on. The politically-minded theater presenters Boom Arts are bringing performer Adrienne Truscott to town for a show the New York Times called \u201cas upsetting as it is hilarious." Truscott sports a blonde wig, jean jacket, and little else. Literally, she\u2019s naked from the waist down. The show\u2019s called \u201cAdrienne Truscott\u2019s Asking For It" (actually, the name\u2019s quite a bit longer, but we\u2019ll let Truscott explain it to producer Aaron Scott), and it runs through Oct. 24 at the Headwaters Theater.

opbmusic Session: Alela Diane and Ryan Francesconi
Musicians Alela Diane and Ryan Francesconi didn\u2019t set out to make an album, but they did. It\u2019s called \u201cCold Moon,\u201d and it came out Oct. 23. You can see videos of their opbmusic Session here, or catch them live at Revolution Hall on Oct. 17.

Oregon Experience: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Oregon Experience opens its season on Monday with a special about one of the brightest jewels in Oregon\u2019s arts crown: the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Sure, you might know that it's the biggest regional theater in the country with the biggest resident acting company. Sure, you know that it attracts folks from around the world. But did you know it has a mammoth costume warehouse for rentals to everyone from Justin Timberlake on "Saturday Night Live" to Al Pacino in "Richard III."

Disjecta Brings On The Noise
Chiara Giovando, the new curator-in-residence at the north Portland contemporary art center Disjecta, gives us a tour of her first show, "The Book Of Scores." It's all about sound art.

Oregon Art Beat: Artist Greg Robinson
This weekend the Portland Art Museum opens a brand new Center for Contemporary Native Arts with an exhibition featuring the work of three Oregon Native artists. One of those artists is Greg Robinson, who taught himself to produce pieces in the traditional style of his tribe, the Chinook. If you have a picture in your mind right now of what his pieces look like, think again. Chinook art isn\u2019t anything like the popular stereotypes of Pacific Northwest native art.

The music for today came from the local band Black Prairie\u2019s album \u201cWild Ones,\u201d who did the album in tandem with a book by Jon Mooallem about the strange and wonderful relationship between humans and animals. Mooallem will be one of several public radio personalities sharing stories at the singular Pop-up Magazine on Oct. 20 at the Aladdin Theater. It\u2019s a touring show that\u2019s like watching a magazine get performed live, with journalists and writers doing everything from reading short humorous essays to telling feature length stories with documentary footage and photographs.