Image credit: Archival promotional image from Stage Fright’s 2025 press collection. Photo by Anthony Arnista.PORTLAND, Ore. — Stage Fright Festival returns to CoHo Theatre October 8–18, 2026, for its fifth edition, bringing together independent performers working at the intersection of horror and queer theatre.
The program announced by producer Jeff Desautels includes local and touring acts, with productions ranging from folkloric fantasy to science-fiction horror and physical comedy. Basement Stair Collective’s Bones and Teeth: A Dental Fairyhorror explores vulnerability and aging through a dark fairy-tale premise. Ingrid Garner’s A Hollywood Horror Story examines the legacy of television horror host Vampira.
Other announced works include The Cohort’s Disaster Fantasy and Sean Kirkpatrick’s My Gay Grandfather Was Abducted by Aliens, and Other True Stories. Late-night programming brings drag, burlesque and clown performance into the festival’s horror setting.
Special events include an October 8 preview and queer-horror trivia evening, an October 10 storytelling showcase, Scrypt Lab staged readings on October 13, and the closing Macabre Cabaret on October 18. Interactive installations extend the program beyond conventional seated performances.
Stage Fright centers queer and trans creators and audiences, presenting horror as a way to build community as well as unsettle it. CoHo Theatre is at 2257 NW Raleigh Street. Tickets start at $25, with discounts available; individual performance dates and current availability are listed at StageFrightFestival.com.