The Porters of Hellsgate presents
Directed and Designed by Drina Durazo
Adapted and performed by Gus Krieger
Meet the Cast
Gus Krieger: Scrooge, et al.
For the Porters:
Lafeu in All’s Well that Ends Well, Richard in Richard III, Henry VI trilogy, The Porter in Macbeth, Benedick in Much Ado About the Nothing, Guildenstern in Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice (Scenie Award – Best Performance by a Lead Actor), Edgar in King Lear, Sir Walter of Albuquerque in Breaking Bard (also wrote – “Spirit of the Fringe” Award for Best Writing, Valley Theatre Award for Best Play), King John in King John, Theseus in The Two Noble Kinsmen.
As Director: Macbeth, Deity Clutch, Romeo and Juliet
Regional: Mr. Marmalade with Theatricians, Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, and A Christmas Carol, the One Man Play at Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre. As playwright: The Armadillo Necktie at The Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman Theatre (Scenie Awards for Best World Premiere Play and Outstanding Production). BFA, Actors Training, The Hartt School.
On Twitter @MrGusK.
Meet the Production Team
Drina Durazo: Director, Designer
Drina Durazo is a Los Angeles-based director, designer and producer. She joined the PHG board in 2022. Drina’s 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). Her design credits for PHG include graphic designer for All’s Well that Ends Well, Venus and Adonis, Cyrano de Bergerac, All Is True (or Henry VIII), Di Lady Di, Romeo and Juliet, Pericles, and Breaking Bard. She was also the scenic designer for Romeo and Juliet and projections designer for Di Lady Di. 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 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 Company Manager for Lower Depth Theatre, and an associate member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society.
All my love to G&G!
A NOTE FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT
“Marley was dead, to begin with...”
Like so many throughout the years, Dickens' A Christmas Carol captured my imagination at an early age. A tale about one's capacity for change (and, incidentally, the first use of time travel in popular fiction!), it's a heartening, evergreen example of Goodness with a capital G, regardless of one's own circumstance.
As the powers working upon Scrooge do so largely from within, it seemed a perfect story for a one-person adaptation. The inner and outer forces influencing this man could be dramatized in such a way that we see his fractured self, conflicted, at war, pulled about the stage quite literally.
It's been a bit of a marathon, as such things inevitably are, but the hope is that our lack of non-figurative pyrotechnics will be supplemented by a very pure storytelling experience, raw and stripped back to its most essential, text-based elements. After all, nobody does Dickens better than Dickens himself.
— Gus Krieger, Adaptor and Star
A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR
A Christmas Carol is a story we see revisited in multiple mediums, year after year. It was published in the 1800s, at a time when the excitement of Christmas was dwindling due to widespread poverty. Christmas, then and now, is often overshadowed by consumerism. Still, Scrooge's journey ignites nostalgia in us all and reminds us that Christmas is "a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely." Christmas is about tradition: traditions that are created and carried on for generations, regardless of societal status... and no story better represents that bridge than A Christmas Carol.
For a long time, Gus Krieger and I discussed producing a one-man rendition of A Christmas Carol. We had collaborated on several shows together and knew our partnership could serve the vision well. His inspiration was drawn from his love of the novel and his fascination with its countless adaptations. My inspiration was drawn from my familiarity with Krieger's talent for accents and character work and, of course, the story's timelessness. We developed the idea for the better part of a year before actually bringing it to fruition in 2018. Since then, we have made it an annual tradition, even recording and streaming the show during the pandemic years not to miss a year of Dickens.
Krieger's adaptation is faithful to the text and transports us to Victorian London not only by way of Scrooge but also by way of Charles Dickens. Dickens was known for being a performer of his own works; his novels were written with such vivid theatricality that they were almost like plays. We aimed to recreate the experience of Dickens' public recitals with A Christmas Carol, The One-Man Play, and it's been a great joy exploring this beloved classic through Krieger's dynamic performance. Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol is a truly special story that revived the meaning of Christmas in the 1800s, and we hope we can likewise revive your love of this classic tale today.
—Drina Durazo, Director and Designer
The Porters of Hellsgate are…
Will Block, Artistic Director
Drina Durazo, Managing Director
Thomas Bigley, Associate Artistic Director
Gus Krieger, Associate Artistic Director and Literary Manager
Nick Neidorf, Co-Technical Director and Resident Sound Designer
Jono Eiland, Co-Technical Director
Sean Faye, Patron Services Manager
Kate Faye, Communications Manager
Kodi Jackman, Social Media and Marketing Manager
Dawn Alden, Treasurer
* * * * * * * * *
Charles Pasternak, Founding Artistic Director
Jack Leahy, Founder
Eddie Castuera, Founder
Donate
Donate
The Porters of Hellsgate thank you for considering a donation to the company. Your generous contribution will allow us to continue producing award-winning, innovative, and accessible theatre for years to come.