Who We Are

In 1991, George Taylor was partner and creative director of a Portland marketing communications agency. Over 14 years, he’d built the creative department into a 10-person team with a reputation for strategically smart work. He had been around long enough to know a thing or two about a whole lot of things, but not so long that he thought there was nothing left to learn. The time had come to explore new challenges.

In 1992, he launched his own strategic communications firm. Cyrano, he stated, would commit itself to doing work that shows integrity and a sense of responsibility, while maintaining high quality standards at all budget levels.

A few years later, he dusted off an old dream and began writing seriously for the theatre. In 2009, he was awarded a playwriting fellowship by the Oregon Arts Commission. His play Renaissance was recognized with a 2005 Literary Arts Fellowship, and was a finalist for the 2008 Oregon Book Awards. Earlier it had been a semifinalist in the national Julie Harris Playwright Award competition and the Next Generation New Play Festival in New York. His new play Next Train to Moscow had its first developmental reading in April 2009. A new play, Good Citizen, was completed in summer 2009 and two others are in progress.

Under a contract with the Oregon Health Division from 1993 through 2008, Taylor collaborated with public health staff on more than 300 writing and editing projects.

He has put his ability to speak fluent business to work for the Oregon Economic and Community Development Commission and other business clients on projects ranging from website consultation and content, to research and writing of marketing brochures, reports, white papers, and training materials.

Taylor’s lifelong involvement in the arts manifested itself in acting and stage directing when he was younger. More recently, he has worked with the Oregon Arts Commission as consultant and writer. He has provided fundraising and marketing and consultation services for numerous arts organizations, including Seattle Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage, and Pacific Youth Choir.

He currently serves on the advisory committee of Portland Center for the Performing Arts and the community outreach committee of All-Classical KQAC (formerly KBPS). From 2000 through 2005, he was on the board of Chamber Music Northwest, and he was president of the board of Profile Theatre from 1999 through 2001. A past co-chair of the Portland City Club’s Arts and Culture Committee, he has also served on grant panels for the Oregon Cultural Trust and the Oregon Arts Commission.

He’s also an accomplished interpretive planner/writer who has worked with museums and visitor centers nationwide, including the Oregon Trail education center at Three Island Crossing in Idaho and the museum on Hoover Dam in Boulder City, Nevada.

Prior to Portland, Taylor honed his skills in Los Angeles, where he worked as a copywriter on national consumer accounts, a communications specialist for an international corporation, and a contributing editor for an arts and leisure magazine. He was extremely successful at not breaking into the film industry (not that he really tried), but did have a character in a TV show named after him by a screenwriter friend. (Okay, he was that week’s villain. That’s how friends treat you in Hollywood.)

In 1978, he realized a long-standing dream by moving to Portland, where he lives today with his wife, Edie.

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In 1991, George Taylor was partner and creative director of a Portland marketing communications agency. Over 14 years, he’d built the creative department into a 10-person team with a reputation for strategically smart work. He had been around long enough to know a thing or two about a whole lot of things, but not so long that he thought there was nothing left to learn. The time had come to explore new challenges. In 1992, he launched his own strategic communications firm. Cyrano, he stated, would commit itself to doing work that shows integrity and a sense of responsibility, while maintaining high quality standards at all budget levels. A few years later, he dusted off an old dream and began writing seriously for the theatre. In 2009, he was awarded a playwriting fellowship by the Oregon Arts Commission. His play Renaissance was recognized with a 2005 Literary Arts Fellowship, and was a finalist for the 2008 Oregon Book Awards. Earlier it had been a semifinalist in the national Julie Harris Playwright Award competition and the Next Generation New Play Festival in New York. His new play Next Train to Moscow had its first developmental reading in April 2009. A new play, Good Citizen, was completed in summer 2009 and two others are in progress. Under a contract with the Oregon Health Division from 1993 through 2008, Taylor collaborated with public health staff on more than 300 writing and editing projects. He has put his ability to speak fluent business to work for the Oregon Economic and Community Development Commission and other business clients on projects ranging from website consultation and content, to research and writing of marketing brochures, reports, white papers, and training materials. Taylor’s lifelong involvement in the arts manifested itself in acting and stage directing when he was younger. More recently, he has worked with the Oregon Arts Commission as consultant and writer. He has provided fundraising and marketing and consultation services for numerous arts organizations, including Seattle Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage, and Pacific Youth Choir. He currently serves on the advisory committee of Portland Center for the Performing Arts and the community outreach committee of All-Classical KQAC (formerly KBPS). From 2000 through 2005, he was on the board of Chamber Music Northwest, and he was president of the board of Profile Theatre from 1999 through 2001. A past co-chair of the Portland City Club’s Arts and Culture Committee, he has also served on grant panels for the Oregon Cultural Trust and the Oregon Arts Commission. He’s also an accomplished interpretive planner/writer who has worked with museums and visitor centers nationwide, including the Oregon Trail education center at Three Island Crossing in Idaho and the museum on Hoover Dam in Boulder City, Nevada. Prior to Portland, Taylor honed his skills in Los Angeles, where he worked as a copywriter on national consumer accounts, a communications specialist for an international corporation, and a contributing editor for an arts and leisure magazine. He was extremely successful at not breaking into the film industry (not that he really tried), but did have a character in a TV show named after him by a screenwriter friend. (Okay, he was that week’s villain. That’s how friends treat you in Hollywood.) In 1978, he realized a long-standing dream by moving to Portland, where he lives today with his wife, Edie. Return to top
CYRANO Communications	cyrano@europa.com