The Porters of Hellsgate Present MEASURE FOR MEASURE, Now thru 10/28

Capping off their highly successful 2012 Season, The Porters of Hellsgate have announced their next production, Shakespeare's dark comedy, Measure for Measure-the Bard's deft exploration of the arrogance of power. Setting the production in 1890's Vienna, The Porters intend to take a hard look at the way we often confuse lust with love, goodness with self-righteousness, and power with purpose.

In a play whose characters include dukes and murderers, politicians and pimps, nuns and whores, spotting the worst sinner may be more difficult than it seems. Duke Vincentio transfers power of Vienna to his deputy Angelo, whom he charges to implement a strict moral code in his absence (purporting to leave on business). The Duke, however, disguises himself as a friar to see how Angelo fares in his new seat of power (and fare well, he does not). When the Duke overhears that Angelo has insisted that a young nun give him her virginity in exchange for her brother's life, he must reclaim his seat and set things right.

The show stars: Thomas Bigley, Jennifer Bronstein, Matt Calloway, Dana DeRuyck, Sean Faye, Jacques Freydont, Sterling Hall, Jamey Hecht, Michael Hoag, Gus Krieger, Lauren Lograsso, Nick Neidorf, Tim Portnoy, Kate O'Toole and Justin Michael Terry .

The Porters of HellsGate Theatre Company was founded in 2006 by Edward Castuera, Jack Leahy and Charles Pasternak. Their inaugural production of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar opened at the end of that year. Since then, The Porters have produced twelve more of Shakespeare's plays: Twelfth Night ('07), King Richard III ('07), Titus Andronicus('07), Two Gentlemen of Verona ('07/'08), Much Ado About Nothing ('08), Macbeth ('08), Love's Labour's Lost ('08),King Richard II ('09), Hamlet ('10), The Comedy of Errors ('10), The Merchant of Venice ('11), and Troilus & Cressida('12), as well as Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead ('10, in rep. With Hamlet), an original work, Deity Clutch (originally produced in '10, then remounted for the 2011 Hollywood Fringe Festival), penned by Associate Artistic Director Gus Krieger, and last season, the world premiere of a new translation of Oedipus the Tyrant ('11), translated by resident artist Jamey Hecht, Ph.D.

In 2010, Artistic Director Charles Pasternak was awarded "Shakespeare Performance of the Year" by StageSceneLA for his performance in the title role of Hamlet in The Porters' production of The Bard's timeless tragedy (which also received a "GO!" from the LA Weekly). Also awarded, Founding Director Edward Castuera, in the role of Horacio, earning "Best Performance by a Featured Actor/Drama" and Associate Artistic Director Thomas Bigley, earning "Best Director." In 2011, StageSceneLA honored both Associate Artistic Director Gus Krieger and resident artist Liza de Weerd with "Best Leading Actor in a Comedy/Drama" awards for their work as Shylock and Portia in The Porters' production of The Merchant of Venice. It is The Porters' continuing intent to bring powerful productions of classical work to the Los Angeles community.

Measure for Measure opens tonight, September 21st, 2012, at 8pm. The production will run Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm, with Sunday matinees at 2pm, through Sunday, October 28th, 2012, closing the six-week run. The show plays The Whitmore Theatre, 11006 Magnolia Blvd North Hollywood, Calif.

Tickets are $20, $15 for students/seniors 60+/AEA. Reservations are available online via BrownPaperTickets.com. Reservations can also be made via our e-mail or voice mail. Information line/voice mail: 818-325-2055. E-mail questions/comments/reservations to: PortersofHellsgate@gmail.com.

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