The new works theater festival takes audiences to the furthest bounds of space. by Andrew Jankowski Spring has sprung, and playwrights spent the winter ensuring that this year’s crop of plays for the Fertile Ground Festival of New Works would have Portland’s theater world buzzing. Nearly 100 productions and readings criss-cross the fest’s schedule—17 days for the 17th year—unfolding at theaters across the Portland area between April 10–26.  Outer space is an early programming trend, with several works taking audiences to the furthest bounds of space. Identity is another significant recurring theme, with playwrights who focus not only on performing compelling stories for people like them, but educating people who aren’t. Here are a few of our can’t-miss picks: Tethered Are you into agoraphobic space thrillers like Gravity (2013)? Experience that tension in person with Stefan Feuerherdt’s Tethered, a 60-minute interactive multimedia play about an astronaut stranded in space trying to coordinate her own rescue to terra firma. (21ten Theatre, 2110 SE 10th, April 10 at 9 pm, April 11, April 18 at 8 pm, April 12, April 20 at 7:30 pm, $5-$25, tickets at fertilegroundpdx.org, all ages) Jonathan Hernandez in The Mask I Wear. Photo by Andrea Markowski The Mask I Wear Jonathan Hernandez’s semi-autobiographical one-man show explores a series of personas he balances at casting auditions. In fact, even the story’s central character— a Mexican actor named J—is a mask Hernandez wears to share this realistic look at the commercial expectations Latino people face in a culture that may or may not be interested in updating their imaginations. Last year, an earlier version of The Mask I Wear sold out three planned shows and an added-on one. So snap up your chance to see it slightly more explored—now 70-minutes—in a bigger auditorium. (Boiler Room Studio, Portland State University Lincoln Hall, 1620 SW Park, April 10 at 5:30 pm, April 11 at 3 pm, April 12 at 5 pm. $5-20, tickets at fertilegroundpdx.org, 18+) Unfit Lani Jo Leigh returns to Fertile Ground with a fully-fleshed out, 70-minute version of the one woman show she debuted at the fest last year. Unfit tells a terrifyingly timely story, even as it’s based on Leigh’s life; as a teen in 1971 Oklahoma, she was forced to give her baby up for adoption. She’s put her story down to the page before in her 2019 memoir—also titled Unfit—but hearing everything onstage makes for a wholly different experience. (21ten Theatre, 2110 SE 10th, April 11 at noon, April 12, 14, and 16 at 7:30 pm, $5-$20 tickets at fertilegroundpdx.org, 12+) Cretins Part live John Waters film, part road warrior exploitation story, Cretins is “a dangerous new play” from George Corrin and L Stevens that carries a content warning of “political and sexual violence.” It’s flying in the face of the Trump administration’s oppression with a campy, no holds barred (are they serious about this X rating?), 90-minute ride of empowered violence as killer queers on motorbikes go looking to vent their barely-bridled rage. (High Water Mark, 6800 NE MLK, April 12 at 5 pm, 8 pm, $5-$25, fertilegroundpdx.org 21+) My Gay Grandfather Was Abducted by Aliens Other True Stories Sean Kirkpatrick’s sci-fi comedy centers on Sam, who finds her way to an alien abduction support group looking for clues about her homosexual papaw’s disappearance. What she learns from an evening with five abductees’ tales—which includes at least one music number over the course of the 75-minute show—might get her closer to finding her grandpa, or it might get her closer to the cosmic unknown. It might also be a totally silly send-up of shows, like The X-Files or extraterrestrial TV shows on the History Channel. (Back Door Theater, 4319 SE Hawthorne, April 23-24 at 7:30 pm, April 25 at noon, $5-$20, fertilegroundpdx.org, 16+) The Diary of an Oregon Trail Spinster  Anyone who died of dysentery in school while learning Oregon Trail's one-sided history lesson in computer class should find something to laugh with in Brenan Dwyer’s 60-minute, bonnet-clad look at America’s failed promises—from Manifest Destiny to our modern moment. (21ten Theatre, 2110 SE 10th, April 24 at 6 pm, April 25 at noon, April 26 at 3 pm, $5-$20, tickets at fertilegroundpdx.org, 18+) Online Now  In Niels Truman’s 90-minute erotic thriller, a codependent gay “love” triangle gets real messy, real quick. Dizzy is happy with his IRL boyfriend Brendan and his online sugar daddy. He keeps them separated and everyone’s fine with the arrangement, until financial necessity forces Dizzy to seek enough sugar for him and Brendan. Online Now appears to be an authentic look at gay dating in a world where OnlyFans and a polycule still might not be enough to make rent affordable. (Boiler Room Studio in Portland State University’s Lincoln Hall, 1620 SW Park, April 24 at 7:30 pm, April 26 at 6 pm, $5-20, tickets at fertilegroundpdx.org, 16+) Blue Quarantine  Fans of Kathryn Claire’s multimedia piece, Again and Again, at last year’s festival will be pleased to hear she’s returned with a new work. Blue Quarantine weaves Claire’s multiple disciplines—music, dance, spoken word, poetry, and video—into 25-minute performance that considers artistic legacy. (Harmonic Heart Music, 3332 S Corbett, April 24 at 8 pm, April 25 at 4 pm and 7:30 pm, $5-$15, tickets at fertilegroundpdx.org, 10+) ...read more read less