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The Porters of Hellsgate Present: William Shakespeare's TROILUS & CRESSIDA

The most recent edition of Arden Shakespeare, beautifully introduced and edited by David Bevington, states that Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida is "hard to fit into the usual Shakespearean categories comedy, history, tragedy, romance 'because it has so many elements of all four' an experimental play, characterized throughout by an intermingling of mode, tone, genre and style." The Porters of Hellsgate have chosen this rarely produced and beautifully diverse "problem" play as the opener of their sixth season, running a full six weeks in the winter of 2012, directed by Artistic Director Charles Pasternak.

Troilus and Cressida is the story of the romance between a young, Trojan prince and a high-born girl at the height of the Trojan War. It is also the story of that war; The Greeks, in a quest to regain what they believe is rightfully theirs (the beautiful Helen, "a pearl, whose price hath launched above a thousand ships") have been encamped on the beach of Troy for seven years with no exit strategy, and no plan to form one. Amongst their camp discontent and disunity rages, while Hector, eldest prince of Troy and commander of its armies, continues to defeat them in the field and hold them to the beach. Tragedy and romance set amidst the seemingly endless warscape, The Porters focus on the cyclical nature of possession and lust, centering on an exploration of value, the endeavor for honor and eternal canonization, and the furious discussion that rages within even the warring nations of todaywhat is worth fighting for? What is worth dying for? In the war for answers, the question remains: "What's aught but as 'tis valued?"