News from the Porters of Hellsgate

These are the brilliant young ladies and gents with whom I've been privileged to do some acting in Shakespeare. Here's their/our latest announcement:

Dear Supporters of the Porters,

Happy 2009! We are very excited to be getting underway with our third season. Below are our season updates and sneak peeks along with some updates as to our core repertoire...

Firstly, the opening show of our 2009 season will be William Shakespeare's Richard II. The show will star Thomas Bigley in the title role, under the direction of Charles Pasternak. Exact dates and location are being worked out now, but a fuller update should be out within the month.

As to the rest of our third season, nothing else is set in stone, but here's a sneak peek of the other shows we currently have under consideration... Comedy of Errors, Hamlet, Measure for Measure, Merchant of Venice, Othello... believe it or not, some non-Shakespeares are also on the table, including Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard, Oedipus the Tyrant by Sophocles, translated by Jamey Hecht, and perhaps an original work by one of our company's own... a final possibility to hint at is a larger scale summer production which would either be A Midsummer Night's Dream or Romeo and Juliet.

Next, we are proud to announce the expansion and updating of our core production team. We would officially like to welcome Thomas Bigley and Gus Krieger to mix! Our full production team now stands as follows...

Artistic Director, Charles Pasternak
Managing Directors, Eddie Castuera and Jack Leahy
Associate Artistic Directors, Thomas Bigley and Gus Krieger
Production Manager, Jack Leahy
Press Secretaries, Eddie Castuera and Charles Pasternak

And finally, a bit of a brag sheet as to what else our core company is up to...

The Killing Room, a film written by our very own Gus Krieger (who also plays a small role in it), directed by Jonathan Liebesman, has been accepted to the 2009 Sundance Film Festival! It will be screening four times over the course of the festival.

Charles Pasternak will be playing Lucentio in the upcoming production of The Taming of the Shrew at the Odyssey Theatre in a co-production by the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Circus Theatricals. Directed by Jack Stehlin. The show will be opening on February 14 (Valentine's Day). More info can be found at www.circustheatricals.com

Amanda Marquardt's burlesque group is finding more and more success around the LA area and beyond! Their most recent offering, A Tasty Fair will be premiering on January 18 at the El Cid. More info can be found at www.dollhouseproductions.com

[...insert reference to my new book here]

More updates as to Richard II and the company itself will be coming out soon over the next month. We hope everyone out there had a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. Thank you again for your continued support. The Porters genuinely feel that what we're doing is important, but without you it wouldn't be possible. Feel free to write us back with comments, questions, or suggestions. We look forward to seeing everyone this year!

Sincerely,

The Porters of Hellsgate
"Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were a porter of hellsgate, he should have old turning the key... Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter."
-The Scottish Play, Act 2, Scene 3