portlandfridge
oregon shakespeare festival's
I Where did you grow Up?-In LA. but Mom ~ h'Om
Mide a bouae perched high above Aahland. Chn.topher
Ace.bo, buded 858OCl.lle artistIC:: director and ICCIlIC
dCllgner II the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. thrill.
(nend. and ramily whh bnght IWllla on traditional Mexican
rare. AI. the aun warm. the hilla around him. he yearns for
summenime treatl.like hi, 'amouacilrus com salsa.
Is your house always this tidy? WI aetu.allylJve IJke
Ihl" he .",.. walkil1l inlO an open dining and Idtcbe.n area
W
thai', all hght earth lones.",ood and metal. enlivened by 00",1.
and Ira,.. or colorful. careJulllunnged fruit. WI larned "'cry
early on tim I can't get any work done until everythmg I' clean
and calm. 1IO ii" best to Just k«p it1hi. wly.-
The ac.lr-desc.nbed -food Network addict- hCJld. to tbe
lIove-top. where a broken-In enamel pol conlains. bubbling
.ource of savory Iteam. lie Iii,..
-(learned to makealbondlpl80up-Meslcan meatball IOU
from my mother Ind grandmother. My partnlll ny in 10nighl.
10 we'U hAve lb,. ror dinner. W
Maudan. '" bu.'b baa .101 or aearood, ahnmp. teYlehc:, «"Ucd
nah. Wecooltd rood rromaJl over MUlco.though, common
fare like laeoa aDd enebJ.1.adu, pork carnltaa, ebile Colondo.
1ltal WI. olle of my mom'. best dithe•. and I loved thellmoky.
deep tallie oftM ~ cbtle.l re.memberlhinking a.a kid that
those deeper, amolaer Wtes are my comfort roodll.-
OJri topher &batet tht teem ~btnd hia tmck·ycl
refreshulI' IOllUll0· YtouPI Make the meatball. from lcan
grouDd bee(, \I..DCOOkrd Bamao nee. one eg, ult, pepper and
chopped (rub au.al Droptht malbalJs raw IntO the slock.od
let them .Iow coo
w
-I'll make my corn CJU'UIulu,lOO. AI' lhecook. grabblIl8.1
an o( bluk beans (tom the tantaJ.lIin&Iy weU·.locked pantry.
-I've gollen land o(f&mO for it.round here. It', rt.J.lly more
or a Alad.1 gu~-there'.oolalomalO anywhere ne.ar III-
From the rridge, Christopher produtel rinsed carl orwhllt:
com: red. yellow and ora. . be:U peppers:.I bunch or cilanll'O;
a .angle JaJlpt.60 and a ~ OIUOD Cnpefn.ul.onnp.
IUlgennea.l.tmet and avocadoean: procured rrom ncarbJ
bowls. 11u. mtLanre lOOn (orms a ramboworcheltn at"OUJld
• cultingboard. With CuulOpber. tht conductor, npel't1:f
plyang h~ knife as the ulsa sympbony tUeiahapt..
 opher attacks the fnan with b1l wooden rumer. add the
JUIce: 10 the diced avocado and pounme other fruit JU.lces
"r me chopped veg'lQ. He deant .. he pee. rudJUllw
.uUeeI for tbe next IUIt..
l!Ueu becau.se I'm a deaigner, 1have 10 have rvtrytbln« kind
J look good, be SII)" a little thyl),.
M

Was that what brought you to theater? -, tIunk

II wu mo~ because I ~all)' needed a aocW oudrt ngtu wben I
tuned college. One day I ended up audJuoDllll fur a and
1801 the pan. I continued to act uDtd I dndoped . . . fnpl
and II wa n't fUDanymo~. But I wanled to auy In lbrtheater.
10 Imougbl aboUI set design-I wu atn,.. a doodler-and I
JUs, diaeovereti I WIIa reall)' good II rcadmg a pta)' and I could
tee "hal the world of the play should look like_-

By DO"'. O1ru:lopberhudralned the beansa.nd baa l"OMled

pttled and seeded me Jalapeftoo He.ddtlt all to lbr ea
and folcb lhe hme-mannaled ilVoado mto the m.u:t1lno
Do others at the theater cook like this?
"Theater people"lChedute. . ~ aln,. m nw:, to u bani
O

10 have a plan,- he sa,.,ecoopinglOmeul.. mto. tqUaft'

nUl descrlplion caplures JtJ.8t
"'hal Christopher Acebo ia all
bowl. opeDlllla b.lg of tonilla chlpl and laytrtA' a fe- anfuIl~
alonplde the colorful concoction. MileDd 10 do a bas mol that aboul; bringing new penpttllvesand colorful navor 10 me raw
I can haw: for the entl~ we«. And I uytoeal out oD ......hrxb mgredlcnta of hfe.
with tbeart1lU. lbat', a ~alIy fun pan of the fe5um-
He Dudp Ihe bowl m my duectlon.
~ su.nge ... WOUII. pnmogr.pher ~ m.rteung cora.Itlll"lt
This looks amazing!-Veah,-heAY'_ -lfureaU «up ~"'"9 '" _ ~ l,festy4l;l. food ~ lrawl She " - WIth '*
and fresh take on salsa. CUllomatoelgel walery and muahy ~ ,".JKllIonvi1e _ hnQclin comfmfjlslr~

Everything here 11 JI1II very fresh With a lillie 'Pice and a reaJJy
~t lWeetnesl. And it', JU61 so beauuful ,,-uhall the colo,.. ..