#portersofhg

Please introduce yourself! What is your role in Pericles?

My name is Alex Parker, and I am the lead producer on Pericles. I have been producing for The Porters since 2010, and have an undeniable fondness for the romances; the last play I headed the production side for was The Winter's Tale in 2014.

Summarize the play in twenty-five words or less! 25 exactly.

Pericles isn't into incest, so he splits--then wrecks his shit (but wins a heart, AND A BABY!) Another storm!? No no NO ...wait... YES!

Give us some of your history with Shakespeare. Have you worked on his late plays?

The latest of Bill's works I've worked on is The Winter's Tale, though I've done quite a bit of personal work on The Tempest (my favorite romance). I played Malcolm in The Scottish Play in an outdoor, touring summer production in Wyoming shortly after college before moving back to Los Angeles. In 2009 I was cast as Laertes in The Porters' Hamlet, and I've been exploring Shakespeare's work alongside them ever since. Favorite roles include Troilus, Edmund, Lieutenant Cassio, and The Dauphin; playing the swing/understudy for a different role every weekend in Timon of Athens was also one hell of a learning experience.

Pericles concerns itself with strangers in a strange land, with journeys and finding home. What is your heritage? When did your family come to this country?

I'm a mutt, like many; my great grandparents on my mother's side came over from Europe (they were European mutts, you see), and my dad's parents came over from Greece in the 50s (I believe). In my childhood, we moved several times: from Los Angeles we went seeking something small in Arkansas, only to have life force us back towards a city, which brought us to Denver; once we were done with city-life again, we downsized our town size for Salmon, ID where I attended high school and discovered Shakespeare (personally; others knew of him, already). College, and a very fun year of touring states west of The Mississippi, then I came back to LA, where I reacquainted myself with the city that I came from, and finally understood something I struggled with in my youth: pride for where you come from.

What does this play speak to now that’s personally relevant to you?

I hate the news. And it is interesting to see the occasional 'every man for himself' struggle that appears in some of these scenes. This play is incredibly expansive, and I think if I could just put it very simply, it says that shit. happens. A lot. I think we've all been hit by a storm or two.

What is your favorite quote from the play?

Why, man?

Where can people learn more about you and what you’re doing? ActorAlexParker.com PaperBallPictures.com PortersofHellsgate.com

Some action shots on this Monday, halfway through our run!

All photos by Zachary Andrews.

photo by John Bonenberger

Please introduce yourself! Who are you playing in R&J?

I'm Lauren Jean Lee and I play a myriad of roles, including the Narrator, the Prince, the Servant, and the Apothecary.

Please give us a brief summary of the play FROM YOUR CHARACTER'S POINT OF VIEW.

I'll give it to you from the Narrator's perspective. At the top of the show, I give away the ending (which most people know anyway) to the audience. I know how this story will end, yet I am eager to tell it still. Will something change this time 'round? Come to the Whitmore to find out!

Tell us a bit about your history with Shakespeare and the Porters.

I fell in love with Shakespeare in college and he then took me to London where I studied abroad twice! I studied Shakespearean performance and his work and contemporaries. I love him. He is rad.

I also love the Porters. I did my first production with them in early 2019 when they took on The Taming of the Shrew. I played the mad-brained Petruchio and absolutely adored every second of it! R&J may be the most famous play ever written. What surprised you about working on it? Did you have any assumptions about the play or the characters that you discovered were wrong?

It is definitely very famous, but I always find it so invigorating to take on a production that most people think they know everything about. I have never had the opportunity to work on so many characters at once in one production, so that has been a learning experience and something that surprises me every time I hop on stage!

What's your favorite quote (or two)?

I love when Romeo says:

Turn back, dull earth, and find thy center out.

And finally, where can we learn more about you and what you're up to?

www.laurenjeanlee.com

Please introduce yourself! Who are you playing in R&J?

Hey! I'm Dana DeRuyck, and I'm playing Mercutio.

Please give us a brief summary of the play FROM YOUR CHARACTER'S POINT OF VIEW.

So I got invited to this big fancy party (because, what, is someone NOT going to invite me to a party?), and this girl (Rosaline) that my friend (Romeo) was obsessed with was gonna be there. Benvolio found out and was like, "We should all go, that way we can show Ro that Rosaline is not even that hot compared with all the other babes bound to be in attendance." It was a solid plan, and even though Romeo dragged his feet every step of the way and kept trying to bail, we got him there... and it worked! Like, freaky well -- we never even saw Rosaline, but I swear, my boy disappeared completely -- fully abandoned us. Now, I figured he'd ghosted or found Ros, but no -- apparently he met some new girl, total stranger, and IMMEDIATELY bailed on us for her. Typical. So we find him the next morning, and he's all bright eyed and bushy tailed over this new chick, when... I think her nanny showed up? And they had some big secret discussion? I don't really know. I was pretty hung over from the party, so Benny 'n I bounced to Romeo's dad's place for brunch. Smash cut to later -- me 'n Ben are hanging out, everything seems chill, and then this self-serious prick Tybalt comes strolling up. He's looking for Romeo, and being a real chode about it. I give him the runaround for a bit, but he wants to fight, and I'm down. Then Romeo shows up -- where the hell has he been? -- and I think that's that, we can just go. But Tybbie Baby just won't leave it alone. He's being a super douche, calling out Romeo and challenging him to fight. (Why? I don't know. Because he's an asshole. Why do assholes do anything?) Despite the massive disrespect, Romeo keeps walking away... and what can I say, I frickin' snapped. I couldn't let this smug-ass rich kid treat my boy like that, so I decided to show him a lesson, take him down a few pegs, and fight him myself. SPOILER ALERT: That sweet dumb-dumb Romeo jumped in to try to stop the fight, nearly got himself killed, and ended up getting ME killed. That's about all I know. Hope things turned out alright with him and that new girl, though.

Tell us a bit about your history with Shakespeare and the Porters.

I've been working with the Porters since 2010 (ACK!) when I landed in the world premiere of Gus Krieger's Deity Clutch. "Gus Krieger, you mean the Gus Krieger who directed this?" Yes, Gus has been putting up with my antics for nine years. In those 9 years, I've been in *counts* TWELVE shows with the Porters, including several Gus Krieger originals. This is my 13th show working with them. WOW.

R&J may be the most famous play ever written. What surprised you about working on it? Did you have any assumptions about the play or the characters that you discovered were wrong?

I always felt like Romeo was a bit of a sweet romantic dumb-dumb, but I don't think I really zeroed in until this production on how very savvy and proactive Juliet is. Her mom floats the idea of marrying her off to a guy she doesn't know; that very night, she happens to meet a guy who seems lovely and sweet and cute and... you know what, if your folks are hell-bent on getting you married ASAP, why not take some initiative, marry the dude who actually seems really great, and sort out the rest with your folks later. Good plan? Good plan. Too bad some people had to get all stabby and ruin everything. *whistles* What's your favorite quote (or two)?

I talk of dreams, which are the children of an idle brain, begot of nothing but vain fantasy, which are as thin of substance as the air...

And finally, where can we learn more about you and what you're up to?

DanaDeRuyck.com, on Instagram and Twitter at @dana_what, or really, you could just Google me, because I am the only Dana DeRuyck out there.

Please introduce yourself! Who are you playing in R&J?

Capulet.

Please give us a brief summary of the play FROM YOUR CHARACTER'S POINT OF VIEW.

Although initially reluctant to see my daughter married so young, the prospect of a highly advantageous match with the County Paris proves irresistible. If only there were more hours in the day! I must, in rapid succession, meet with the Prince ( to be bound, along with my enemy Montague, to keep the peace ), host "an old accustom'd feast", discipline my hotheaded nephew Tybalt, deal with his murder, and arrange my daughter's wedding sooner than anticipated. Imagine my hurt and anger when, after so much effort on my part, she refuses to marry Paris!

Tell us a bit about your history with Shakespeare and the Porters.

I grew up in Detroit, and saw my first Shakespeare play, The Comedy of Errors, at The Stratford Festival, in Ontario, Canada, when I was in 4th grade. As an actor, I've been privileged to play Shakespeare festivals in Colorado, Arizona, and California, at one of which, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, I met Charles Pasternak, which led to my playing Exeter in Henry V for the Porters.

R&J may be the most famous play ever written. What surprised you about working on it? Did you have any assumptions about the play or the characters that you discovered were wrong?

I've played Capulet previously as a straight heavy, which is how he's often portrayed. This time, I was surprised by how sympathetic I found him. I think he's a victim of the rush of events as much as our "star-cross'd lovers". He genuinely loves his daughter, but he's severely limited in his outlook, and can't conceive of her as an autonomous individual.

What's your favorite quote (or two)?

The earth hath swallow'd all my hopes but she, She is the hopeful lady of my earth.

And finally, where can we learn more about you and what you're up to?

I'm pretty slipshod in this regard, but I guess my Facebook page would be a start!

Please introduce yourself! Who are you playing in R&J?

Hi, I’m Jordann Zbylski and I’m playing Lady Capulet.

Please give us a brief summary of the play FROM YOUR CHARACTER'S POINT OF VIEW.

Romeo and Juliet takes place amid an ancient feud between two similar families: ours the Capulet Family, and the Montagues.  My husband has arranged a wonderful choice for our daughter Juliet to marry in the County Paris!  I think it's the perfect time for Juliet to settle down, and the County Paris is really a catch!  However, as the feud between us and the Montagues escalates, and some horrific losses are endured, Juliet becomes more and more difficult and suddenly decides she won't marry Paris!  I've never understood her thinking, and she causes a major rift between herself and her father and me with this selfish refusal of our choice for her. 

Tell us a bit about your history with Shakespeare and the Porters.

I studied theatre in college but had limited exposure to Shakespeare.  Then I took a class at Antaeus Academy with Scott Ferrara and was really inspired to audition for some classical theatre in town.  I did the internship program at Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum (a wonderful outdoor theatre in Topanga Canyon) and have since had many performance opportunities with them in their repertory seasons and education programs.  This will be my first show with the Porters, and I'm already loving the community and mutual appreciation for Shakespeare's language.

R&J may be the most famous play ever written. What surprised you about working on it? Did you have any assumptions about the play or the characters that you discovered were wrong?

It has been a fun challenge so far playing Lady Capulet.  Before getting to step into her shoes I had thought she was relatively unsympathetic and not very developed in terms of character.  I've been surprised to find her actually very deep and complicated, and I found it quite easy to see the world from her point of view. I've also felt more empathy towards Capulet than I ever had before. I guess we're a family, even if it's a somewhat dysfunctional one!

What's your favorite quote (or two)?

God’s bread, it makes me mad.  

-Capulet

My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep. The more I give to thee the more I have, for both are infinite.

-Juliet

And finally, where can we learn more about you and what you're up to?

I'm Jordann Zbylski on IMDb and all of the acting things :) I perform the most with Theatricum Botanicum and The Shakespeare Club of Pasadena. Thanks!

Please introduce yourself! Who are you playing in R&J?

Hi! I'm Amanda, and I play Benvolio.

Please give us a brief summary of the play FROM YOUR CHARACTER'S POINT OF VIEW.

I've been only half-joking that this play, from my point of view, should be called Benvolio and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Or by the end of the play, it's that book with the dinosaur, All My Friends Are Dead. Every choice Benvolio makes is to cheer up or protect his friends, and everything just goes very very wrong.

Tell us a bit about your history with Shakespeare and the Porters.

This is my first Porters show, but I've been Porters-adjacent for a while now! I studied Shakespeare in London for my study abroad in college, and have loved performing it since then. I've been in many productions of Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Macbeth, and other plays with various companies throughout the years.

R&J may be the most famous play ever written. What surprised you about working on it? Did you have any assumptions about the play or the characters that you discovered were wrong?

This may sound self-centered, but my biggest discovery is just about Benvolio. I actually never realized how bad things fell out for him. In a single day, one of his best friends is killed, and his other best friend is sent away from Verona forever. It feels very Remus Lupin losing Sirius Black and James Potter in a single night in Harry Potter. Or more accurately, Remus Lupin feels very Benvolio, since, you know…R&J happened first.

What's your favorite quote (or two)?

Obviously, the entire play is full of stunning imagery and iconic lines. Mercutio's "Queen Mab" speech and Juliet's "Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds…" have been longtime favorites of mine. For just a little moment, I love Juliet's line:

How art thou out of breath when thou hast breath To say to me that thou art out of breath?

It's just such a smart retort, and it always makes me laugh.

And finally, where can we learn more about you and what you're up to?

My instagram is amanda_noriko, yay!

Please introduce yourself! Who are you playing in R&J?

Hello! My name is Will Block. I’m a Resident Artist and Board member with the Porters of Hellsgate, and I’m playing Romeo. 

Please give us a brief summary of the play FROM YOUR CHARACTER'S POINT OF VIEW.

Because I like a challenge, and I’m a bit of a masochist, I’ve spent the last few weeks pining over Rosaline, who is a straight up nun. My buddy Benvolio convinces me to go to a party thrown by my family’s worst enemy, where I meet their only daughter, Juliet, who is easily the most charming, beautiful, kind hearted person you could ever hope to clap eyes on. 

I think we’re in a pretty good place. Onwards and upwards, amiright?!?

Tell us a bit about your history with Shakespeare and the Porters.

I’ve had a lifelong love affair with Shakespeare. My mum was an English teacher, and made sure I was introduced to the stories when I was very young. As a result, I had a comfort with the material, which turned into a passion for the material, which led me to seek it out when I became an actor. This production of Romeo and Juliet will be my 32nd Shakespeare. I first joined the Porters in 2017, playing Lysimachus and various other sundry characters in Pericles. I then proceeded to work my way through the remaining romances with them, playing Ferdinand in The Tempest, Posthumus in Cymbeline, and directing The Two Noble Kinsmen earlier this year. 

R&J may be the most famous play ever written. What surprised you about working on it? Did you have any assumptions about the play or the characters that you discovered were wrong?

*takes a sharp, cynical inhale of a cigarette* I’ve played a few leading characters before, and Romeo scares me more than any of them put together. More than Iago. More than Richard II. More than Brutus or Posthumus. The massive leaps that have to be made are insane. He’s in love with Rosaline—wait! He’s in love with Juliet! Now they’re married! Now he’s depressed again! And we have to be with him every step of the way! 

The fact that it is the most famous play ever written doesn’t help. This is the first time that I’ve felt the echo of history when speaking the words of the play, and it can be disconcerting. 

The answer always lies in your partners, and I’ve really got the best. Rachel Seiferth as Juliet is worth the price of admission alone—as she is in everything she does. She’s the kind of actor you can’t escape from onstage. She just puts you in it. Playing with her is like breathing. Dana DeRuyck is gonna be a fiery and unconventional Mercutio. Again, one of those actors who just brings you back down to earth and makes you address what’s in front of you. 

Listening is the key to acting (derrr), but also I think the key to this character. Like all teenagers who have an affinity for poetry and high fallutin romance, Romeo is a reactionary creature. So the key to not getting caught up in yourself is to—wait for it—react. Like a human being. 

What's your favorite quote (or two)?

My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.

Scurvy knave...

And finally, where can we learn more about you and what you're up to?

My website is www.thewillblock.com My insta is willblock4food