![MORE THAN A GAME. With two diving catches in the outfield, the Lions showed up defensively, aiding in their victory over the Pacers. One catch was made by Atwood, and the other by McGraw. Throughout the game, the Lions knew that it wasn’t just about their victory today. “I think [playing for cancer] makes it bigger than just a game,” McGraw said. “Knowing that you have a bigger impact in this world than just who you are as one person.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/I70A1454-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Students in the National Art Honor Society work on the Mount Hood mural on the window of SouthLake Church. The students brought a variety of paints and mixed their own custom colors. “Instead of brushstrokes, we’re doing more dabbing, because it gives [a] better impression of tree foliage, rather than looking like actual brush strokes, because if we’re painting trees, we need it to look like trees,” Crawford said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_2397-1200x900.jpg)
For a city of only 593,820, it’s impressive that Portland has one of the largest and most dynamic comedy scenes of any city in the country outside of Los Angeles and New York City. Portland has it’s own comedy festival, two comedy clubs, two comedy theaters, a monthly showcase series and countless open mic nights, where anyone can try their hand at stand up. Because many of these shows are open to all ages, and most are very inexpensive, if not free, they are a great option for the bored West Linn High School student on break.
The two premiere all-ages comedy venues in Portland are the Curious Comedy Theater, located at 5225 NE Martin Luther King Boulevard, and the Brody Theater, located at 16 NW Broadway. These theaters both offer not only a plethora of live sketch, improv and standup comedy but also a wide variety of classes to learn these same disciplines.
With a few shows each week ranging from free to $10 for admission these two theaters are great options for the avid live comedy fan or someone just looking for something to do. For those looking for a higher caliber of show, the monthly showcase series “Funny Over Everything” at the Hollywood Theatre, located at 4122 Northeast Sandy Boulevard, has hosted some nationally recognized comedians and always features the best in home-grown comics.
The next show in this series, on Dec. 28, will feature Portland natives Matt Braunger and Ron Funches. Braunger, the best known still-active comedian from Portland, has released two stand up albums and his credits include MadTV, The Tonight Show with David Letterman, Conan, Up All Night and many more. Funches’s credits include Conan, Portlandia, and Esquire’s list of the best new comedians of 2012. Funches, truly a comedian of the Portland scene, moved to Los Angeles over the summer to launch the next level of his career. With a price of just $8 for students, this show is well worth a night of winter break.
