Laura Springer has a list of dry shade plants in her book The Passionate Gardener.

Here is what I planted that are listed as dry shade plants:
Cordylis lutea (only the yellow one)
Astilbe Pumila Chinensis and Peach Blossum (listed as dryer than other astilbes)
Tirella Wherryl-is not invasive like the others
Pulmonaria 'Mrs. Moon'
Lady Fern and Autunm fern (and supposedly others in this genus are dryer than other ferns)
Campanula 'Blue and White Chips', Bavaria, and Persifolia are dry shade
Hosta are lower water use once established-stay away from those that are called water lovers

Istanbuljoy

thank you your information is very helpful.

Check out epimediums and gingers

Dry shade is VERY common in the PNW - fortunately the list of plants we can grow here that will tolerate and even thrive in it is pretty generous:
Shrubs:
Sarcococca (vanilla plant, sweet box)
Japanese aralia - Fatsia japonica
English and Portuguese laurels
camellias
shrub dogwoods
Kerria japonica
Flowering currant - Ribes sanguineum
Japanese holly
Vaccinium ovatum - huckleberry
Salal - Gaultheria shallon
Heavenly bamboo - Nandina domestica
Viburnum davidii
Mahonia
Osmanthus

Perennials & groundcovers:
Dicentra
Iris foetidissima
Hosta
Euphorbia robbiae
Geranium macrorhizum, phaeum and nodosom
foxglove
monkshood
bear's breech - Acanthus
hardy fuchsias
lamium
epimediums
hellebores
Western sword fern, deer fern
vinca
pachysandra

FWIW, most PNW native plants are both shade and drought tolerant. Remember that drought tolerance is not immediate - they will need at least two growing seasons of supplemental irrigation to become established and tolerant of dry conditions.

gardengal - I'm wondering about the monkshood - I've found mine as needing to be kept moist, and it's often listed as needing quite a bit of water. Is there a particular one that is most tolerant of shade?

Thanks!

gardengal, I would like to know what your favorites are. (From the list of plants you mentioned above.) What I plant will mainly be viewed from a window 30' away, so I think Small plants may not have any impact.