While this “micro-festival,” created by interim festival director James Mapes, is similar to the annual Risk/Reward fest in its adventurous nature and packed weekend format, the programming feels like an assortment of what Risk/Reward delivers in total, but with an overarching theme: the 2024 election and how we’re going to stay mentally healthy and engaged as the clusterfuck continues to unfold. The opening night of the festival, presents the Fig Tree Committee’s An Iliad—based on the epic Greek poem by Homer—performed by Paul Susi, with live accompaniment by cellist Anna Fritz. The duo have toured this show to 13 Oregon prisons, and played it for more than 3,000 people. On the second night, the Anti-Party features a double-header event, starting with the Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater who’ll perform a selection from their show Afrolitical called “Uprising” about the history of Black protest (casting a particular eye on the racial justice marches of 2020). Discussion on the intersection of activism and contemporary politics follows the performance. There’s also a screening of Tipping Point, the recent documentary that dives into Portland’s Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, interviewing participants, police, and activists, while providing a far more nuanced lens designed to counter the often hysteric reaction of local politicians and national media. The fest reaches its conclusion with a Saturday-evening showcase of 20 very-short, original performances—most staged for the first time. It’s a dynamic bill, boasting drag artists Carla Rossi and Pepper Pepper, an allegedly “very angry” piece from Tracy Cameron Francis of Boom Arts, first time voters from PSU and Hand2Mouth theater, and lots more (including a mysterious and intriguing appearance from “a sentient karaoke machine.”) by Wm. Steven Humphrey