Program portrayal is one way of addressing the need for increased descriptive capability in evaluation research. Portrayal supplements traditional reporting by utilizing subjective, anecdotal, or impressionistic information, in an appropriately communicable form, to enrich the description of program transactions, settings, and outcomes. It is distinguished by a sensitivity to unusual effects and atypical results and is primarily concerned with program transactions. Portrayal is more than description; it is expected to be dynamic, creating a new reality or surrogate experience which allows audiences to obtain exposure to and understanding of program transactions. In this paper, excerpts from recent examples of program portrayals are used to illustrate the characteristics of this technique: participation of the evaluator; expectations; unobtrusive design; use of contextural description to stimulate reflection, empathy, and understanding; and attention to action, chronology, and stage setting. The implications of portrayal as a personal reporting style are also discussed. (BW)