HENRY IV, PARTS 1 AND 2

[NoHo Arts District, CA] –  The Porters of Hellsgate has been enjoying their successful, ongoing repertory production of HENRY IV, PARTS 1 AND 2, by William Shakespeare, directed by Margaret Shigeko Starbuck, current Associate Artistic Director of Boston Court Pasadena.

About the Show

King Henry IV’s reign has not been going well. In the decade since she took the throne from her cousin, the powerful Percy family–led by the charismatic warrior Henry “Hotspur” Percy–have been stirring the seeds of rebellion. Her conscience is plagued by the murder of her predecessor, King Richard II. Worst of all her son and heir, Prince Hal, has disappeared from court, and spends his days in the company of the drunken knight and criminal Sir John Falstaff. As the political pressures mount, and as the threat of civil war looms ever larger, Hal must choose whether or not to accept a royal mantle, and burden, that he never asked for.

Shakespeare’s kaleidoscopic portrait of a society at the crossroads is brought to visceral, hilarious, and haunting life by the Porters of Hellsgate in a production directed by Margaret Shigeko Starbuck.

With sold-out shows and engaged audiences, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 has been an artistic boon and high watermark for the cast and company in politically uncertain times. It shows how Porters of Hellsgate is the company at the forefront of illuminating the political relevance of Shakespeare’s works.

Director Margaret Starbuck on diving into the process –  “I’m thrilled to get to direct these two epic plays for the Porters. I love the way the Henry IVs dynamically intercut uproarious comedic scenes with Scandal-esque court intrigue and intense battle scenes. Their exploration of how power is gained, maintained, enforced and sacrificed for is a topic that is ripe for discussion in this election year.”

Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 will be the Porters’ 33rd and 34th productions in their journey towards finishing the canon.

The Cast

Thomas Bigley as Sir John Falstaff
*Will Block as Hal
Dawn Alden as King Henry IV
Blanca Isabella as Hotspur, Falstaff’s Page, Mouldy, and Coleville
Jono Eiland as Poins, the Douglas, Hastings, and Bullcalf
*Dennis Gersten as Worcester, Lord Chief Justice, Silence
Howard Leder as Northumberland, Glendower, Shallow, Fang
Sara Gorsky as Mortimer, Sir Walter Blunt, Archbishop of York, and Davy
Renée Torchio Macdonald as Lady Percy, Prince John, and Doll Tearsheet
Hadiyyah Smith as Westmoreland, Peto, Lord Randolph, and Beadle
Erik Dylan Matibag as Bardolph and Mowbray
Kate Faye as Mistress Quickly, Traveler, and Lady Mortimer
Jacob Athyal as Vernon, Warwick, Snare, and Pistol

The Team

Costume Designer Meg Hartung
Lighting Designer Justin Kelley-Cahill
Projection Designer Brian Carroll
Sound Designer Nick Neidorf
Assistant Director/Dramaturg Jasmine Vigil
Stage Manager Yaesol Jeong
Produced by L. Stephanie Tait