The Porters of Hellsgate Theatre Company Announces Return to Production After Two Years

The Porters of Hellsgate Theatre Company has announced their return to production after the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. At a fundraiser event held on May 28 in Los Angeles, a number of important announcements were made regarding the company's future.

First, Founding Artistic Director Charles Pasternak will be stepping down from the role after ?fteen years. Mr. Pasternak has accepted the job of Artistic Director of Santa Cruz Shakespeare, located in Santa Cruz, CA, where he will be taking over the job full time in 2023. Replacing Mr. Pasternak as Artistic Director of the Porters is Will Block. Mr. Block joined the Porters as an actor in 2017, and the Artistic Board in 2018. He was the Founding Artistic Director of Method & Madness Theatre Company. Mr. Block's tenure as Artistic Director begins immediately.

Second, the Artistic Board of the Porters is expanding to welcome the talents of three exciting women: Drina Durazo, formerly of The Group Repertory Theatre's Artistic Council and Board Vice President; Jennifer Adler, former co-founder and Director of Development for Little Candle Productions; and, returning to the board, longtime company member Kate Faye.

Third, the announcement of the Porters' 2022 season: Di Lady Di, a one-woman musical about Lady Diana, has just premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, running through June 25 at the Broadwater in Hollywood. Created by and starring Charlotte Munson, and directed by Pasternak and Alicia Gibson. Up next, Henry VIII, or All is True by Shakespeare & Fletcher will be produced in the fall. Closing out the year, Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, The One-Man Play will be remounted over the holidays. Adapted by and starring Gus Krieger, directed by Mrs. Durazo.

***

 

 

New Artists and Staff:  

 

Charlotte Munson, writer and star of Di Lady Di

As an actress and singer, Charlotte has worked professionally across the country for 20 years. She is also an accomplished playwright whose work has been produced in New York City at the famous Drama Book Shop’s Arthur Seelen Theatre and in Los Angeles, where she won at the Blank Theatre’s National Young Playwrights Festival. Charlotte has a BFA in musical theatre. For more information, visit CharlotteMunson.com or follow her on Instagram: @charlights. 

 Will Block, newly appointed artistic director

Will Block is thrilled and honored to be named the Porters' second Artistic Director. He joined the company for the first time with 2017's Pericles and fell in love with the Porters' unique blend of discipline, camaraderie and scrappiness. Since then, he has spent more time in the bowels of the Whitmore Lindley Theatre than he would care to admit. 

He was previously the founding Artistic Director of Method and Madness, for whom he appeared as the title character in Richard II and directed productions of Henry IV and Macbeth. During the pandemic, he produced and directed 18 Zoom productions for the company. Other directing credits include Our Town for the Sacramento Theatre Company's Young Professionals Conservatory, The Two Noble Kinsmen for the Porters, plus Pericles and Macbeth for the NorCal School of the Arts. 

Regional acting credits include roles with Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara, Sacramento Theatre Company, A Noise Within, La Mirada Theatre and the Kingsman Shakespeare Co. Digital work during the pandemic includes collaborations with The Show Must Go Online, Coachella Valley Repertory and the R/18 Collective. TV credits include two whole words on the Season 6 premiere of This is Us. 

As a director and producer, Will is deeply committed to creating vibrant, lucid productions that interrogate and illuminate classic texts. He is deeply honored to be given the opportunity to do so through the Porters, who have always been exemplary in their pursuit of and dedication to excellent work. He looks forward to expanding the company's outreach and creating new education initiatives while honoring and deepening the company's commitment to nurturing artists. 

He so looks forward to welcoming you all back to the theatre!

Jennifer Adler, associate director

Jennifer Adler is a Los Angeles native and a graduate of the SMU Meadows School for the Arts. She is thrilled to be joining the Porters of Hellsgate Artistic Board. Previous acting roles with the Porters include Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Isabella in Measure for Measure, Lillian in Sherlock Through the Looking Glass and Silvia in The Two Gentleman of Verona. Previously, Jennifer served as the Director of Development for Little Candle Productions, which she also co-founded in 2012.

 Drina Durazo, associate director

Drina Durazo is a Los Angeles-based director, designer and producer. Her contributions to Porters productions have included directing for Breaking Bard (Spirit of the Fringe Award winner), Breaking Bard Redux (Valley Theater Award winner) and A Christmas Carol, The One Man Play (Valley Theater Award nominated). She also served as graphic designer for Romeo and Juliet, Pericles and Breaking Bard.  She was also the scenic designer for Romeo and Juliet.

Drina previously served as a member of the Artistic Council and board vice president at The Group Repertory Theatre. There she directed many shows, including two written by Porters of Hellsgate Associate Artistic Director Gus Krieger: The Armadillo Necktie (winner of seven Scenie Awards) and an adaptation of George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Drina has also directed for the Morgan-Wixson Theatre, Mammoth Lakes Rep. and Woodcraft Rangers. She is an associate member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society. For more information, visit DrinaDurazo.com.

Kate Faye, associate director

Kate has been with the Porters since the 2010 premiere of Gus Krieger’s original play, Deity Clutch. Favorite roles with the Porters include Goneril in King Lear, Jocasta in Oedipus Rex and Skyler in Breaking Bard. Favorite regional theater roles include Cinderella in Into the Woods, Lainie in Two Rooms and Rachel in Reckless. Kate is trained and experienced in improvisation and dance and is a classically trained singer. In her free time, she enjoys writing fiction, essays and poetry. She really needs to improve her online presence. Many thanks to the Porters and much love to Sean.

 

We pray you, remember the Porters… 

Please direct press inquiries to Sean Faye at porterslapress@gmail.com

 

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.