About Lawrence
From the heroes of Celtic myth to the wise men and fools of Yiddish folklore,
Lawrence knows how to take listeners on a journey through the rich landscape
of story. One of the original founders of Portland Story Theater, he delivers
stories that resonate with adult audiences. Lawrence draws from his rich
repertoire of adventure, personal, and mythic tales to create narrative programs
for people from all walks of life. He is best known as the creator of the Armchair Adventurer series.
Bob Hicks of Oregon Arts Watch talks about Shackleton's Antarctic Nightmare, "Three hours? You’re not supposed to be able to get away with that sort of thing. The contemporary solo show is a cut-to-the-bone thing – usually 90 minutes max, designed to wrap up before the audience’s patience runs out and the performer keels over in a dead faint.
Yet even with less than luxurious seating, three hours with Shackleton and Howard was just fine, thank you very much. The evidence was clear: put together a good story and a good storyteller in a congenial atmosphere, and you can create compelling theater all night long. As one enthusiastic onlooker exclaimed while heading for the door sometime after 11 p.m., 'That coulda been longer!'"
Since the beginning in 2008, Lawrence Howard's Armchair Adventurer series has focused on the stories of his Antarctic heroes: Shackleton, Mawson, Amundsen and Scott. 2017 marked the first year that Lawrence Howard turned his attention northward to bring to life Nansen of the North, the story of Fridtjof Nansen, the father of polar travel, the one who showed them all how it could be done. Nansen, who famously said, “It is better to go skiing and to think about God than it is to go to church and think about skiing.” Nansen of Norway. Nansen of the North.
Lawrence is originally from New York but has lived in the Pacific Northwest most of his adult life. He has a keen fascination for Antarctica, is a lover of limericks, and enjoys homemade ginger ale. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon.
Bob Hicks of Oregon Arts Watch talks about Shackleton's Antarctic Nightmare, "Three hours? You’re not supposed to be able to get away with that sort of thing. The contemporary solo show is a cut-to-the-bone thing – usually 90 minutes max, designed to wrap up before the audience’s patience runs out and the performer keels over in a dead faint.
Yet even with less than luxurious seating, three hours with Shackleton and Howard was just fine, thank you very much. The evidence was clear: put together a good story and a good storyteller in a congenial atmosphere, and you can create compelling theater all night long. As one enthusiastic onlooker exclaimed while heading for the door sometime after 11 p.m., 'That coulda been longer!'"
Since the beginning in 2008, Lawrence Howard's Armchair Adventurer series has focused on the stories of his Antarctic heroes: Shackleton, Mawson, Amundsen and Scott. 2017 marked the first year that Lawrence Howard turned his attention northward to bring to life Nansen of the North, the story of Fridtjof Nansen, the father of polar travel, the one who showed them all how it could be done. Nansen, who famously said, “It is better to go skiing and to think about God than it is to go to church and think about skiing.” Nansen of Norway. Nansen of the North.
Lawrence is originally from New York but has lived in the Pacific Northwest most of his adult life. He has a keen fascination for Antarctica, is a lover of limericks, and enjoys homemade ginger ale. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon.