Of all the acts performed daily at hospitals, none are done for laughs.
But one repeated several times Tuesday in Room 426 at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center was all in the name of sketch comedy, as the cast and crew of “Portlandia” filmed in the south wing of the fourth floor. The hospital closes the section when it’s not needed for medical patients, said spokeswoman Michelle Halfhill, but it has to be kept in a ready state.
That worked well for “Portlandia,” which does all of its filming on location and, per union contract, must stay within 30 miles of the Rose City.
David Cress, a producer for the IFC show, said filming was also done Tuesday at nearby Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School.
Filming resumes today at PeaceHealth.
The sketch at the medical center featured stars Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen, along with Ed Begley, Jr., a recurring “Portlandia” guest star. (Begley was playing a doctor, a familiar role given he spent much of the 1980s on “St. Elsewhere.”)
Cress said it takes approximately 4 1/2 days of filming for each 22-minute, 30-second episode.
Janet Weiss, when not performing — she and Brownstein were Sleater-Kinney bandmates — secures locations for the show to film.
A hospital ranks among the more difficult locales, she said, but a scout for the show was born at the hospital and called to see if it had a closed wing where they could film for two days.
“This is a huge score,” Weiss said.
Once the 60-member crew was set up, filming was relatively easy. Unlike when the show films at businesses, there weren’t concerns about being too disruptive, Weiss said. Since the wing was closed, it was quiet. Or at least as quiet as a hospital can be.
At approximately 12:45 p.m., for example, the baby chimes could be heard over the P.A. system.
“What was that?” a crew member asked after the harp sounds played.
“That means a baby was just born,” answered Halfhill.
“That baby just ruined our shot,” the crew member replied.
Halfhill said it was fun having the show film at the medical center and it didn’t impact daily operations.
The crew members “swoop in and they swoop out,” Halfhill said. “You hardly even know they are there.”
PeaceHealth employees were notified of the filming and Halfhill said she was amused overhearing people attempt to describe the show to those who haven’t seen it. For those unfamiliar with the catch phrases “Put a bird on it!” or “Is it local?” co-creators Brownstein and Armisen play multiple characters as they skewer urban hipster trends.
The show, which started in 2011, received several nominations for the Aug. 25 Emmy Awards. Armisen, a former “Saturday Night Live” cast member, is nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy. Brownstein, Armisen and other writers are nominated for outstanding writing for a variety series, and the show also picked up nominations for directing, editing and art direction. The show has won two Emmy Awards for its costumes.
