Think Out Loud

Portland comic Ash Allen brings ‘Big Feelings Baby’ to audiences in her first solo show

By Allison Frost (OPB)
March 24, 2026 1 p.m.

Broadcast: Tuesday, March 24

Portland Comic Ash Allen poses for a promotional photo for her first solo storytelling show, "Big Feelings Baby," which opens March 27, 2026.

Portland Comic Ash Allen poses for a promotional photo for her first solo storytelling show, "Big Feelings Baby," which opens March 27, 2026.

Courtesy Ash Allen

Portland storyteller and comic Ash Allen is on something of a roll.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

She’s won the Moth’s StorySLAM multiple times. Willamette Week recently named her one of its Funniest Five, and in 2025, she was a Best of Portland Comedy finalist.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

Allen has headlined festivals including Pickathon, Fire and Story, and Hell Yes Fest.

She says this debut solo storytelling show, “Big Feelings Baby,” is “rooted in queer identity, grief, humor, and the act of reclaiming one’s voice.”

She explores what it means to “grow up different” in the Mississippi woods, “to be asked to quiet that difference, and to eventually choose to live out loud.”

Allen joins us to share more details about her upbringing and her show that premieres this weekend.

“Think Out Loud®” broadcasts live at noon every day and rebroadcasts at 8 p.m.

If you’d like to comment on any of the topics in this show or suggest a topic of your own, please get in touch with us on Facebook, send an email to thinkoutloud@opb.org, or you can leave a voicemail for us at 503-293-1983.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: