2026 has been packed with theatre-making, as I have expanded my role as Director of the New Play Lab at The Players Ring, while also directing, teaching, and working with acting and playwriting clients one-on-one.
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The cast of ENID’S MILL at our recent designer run. Photo: Ben Bagley Hi! I recently gave leslie pasternack.com a refresh and lost a couple of blog posts in the process. So I’m here to share some news of my current directing projects, and toss in a few pictures of my recent mischief! As I write, I’m in the thick of directing ENID’S MILL, by Martha Douglas-Osmundson, at The Players’ Ring, and it runs March 6 -22. I have worked with Martha as a dramaturg on this play on and off since 2020, so it’s a dream come true for both of…
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I’m delighted to announce that group classes are beginning Thursday, November 14th at the new Lab in Durham, NH! Since we moved in last December, I have hosted several clients for one-on-one coaching and held rehearsals for a new project in the new space, as well as continuing to work with my playwrights on script brainstorms and revisions via Zoom. But now I’ll be hosting a class of 5 students for Scene Study! Our beautiful, sunny studio is cool in the summer, cozy in the winter and now has pretty acoustic tiles and an area rug to really ready it…
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On Monday, I was so fortunate to travel to the NH Talk Radio (WXKL) studio to talk with Ray Dudley, a longtime actor and the hilarious host of NH Unscripted, “where the arts chat.” As Ray describes on the WKXL site, the show was created “to give local residents richer insight into the lives of the performers, directors, and backstage people whose work they’ve enjoyed over the years.” How did I go so long without knowing these conversations were happening, and available online for free? In a rather rollicking conversation, we dug into many aspects of the acting craft, as well as various…
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Hello, friends. I hope this message finds you well as summer turns into autumn. I’m crushed to share the news that last Wednesday we put Boris to sleep. Many of you know that Boris was suffering from neurological degeneration in his spine, so that walking and other activities were becoming increasingly difficult. But he was still very interested in being outside, interacting with us, and eating all of his food and his beloved treats (especially the cheese that looks like caramel but smells like feet). He was still very much Boris. So it was extremely hard for us to decide…
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I’m delighted to once again be leading the Dead-Lines Creative Obituary & Ode Writing Workshop for the Pre-Dead Social Club! The PDSC was founded by artist and end-of-life doula Laura Cleminson, and hosts a variety of events to help us have more open conversations around the tender issues of death and dying. Last fall, I had the privilege of developing the Dead-Lines workshop with Laura and we had a blast, so we’re bringing it to Exeter, NH on June 6th & 13th, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Our hosts will be the Art Up Front Street gallery. Space is limited, so reserve your spot ASAP HERE!…
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I came across this great video produced by the Oyster River High School media department, whose students gave me loads of time to play and demonstrate my masks in front of the camera. Remember what masks meant to us pre-COVID? Hopefully we’ll return to that type of play soon. Enjoy watching! Leslie Pasternack from ORTV on Vimeo.
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Happy September, all! I’ve had the great fortune this summer to begin a new collaboration with Laura Cleminson, founder of the Pre-Dead Social Club, a Seacoast, NH-based organization whose mission is “to make having compassionate conversations about death and dying a bit easier, less burdensome and more tenderhearted before it’s too late.” It’s a fascinating group, and I suggest you check out the site to see all the events in store. But, for the next two weeks, I’ll be on deck leading the PDSC’s DEAD-LINES, a Creative Obituary-Writing Workshop! I’m sure I’ll have more to share with you about this…
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By request, I’m bringing back my Zoom Playwriting Workshop for four weeks this fall, and it’s already fully enrolled! I’m delighted to keep Lemon Punch Theatre Lab arrive via internet, especially as Zoom helps us stay connected to artists outside the NH Seacoast. In this case, I’ll have two Providence playwrights and three from Massachusetts, woo! My plans are afoot to also bring some in-person workshops to various venues in the greater Portsmouth area, so so please stay tuned. Also, I’ve got a new collaboration brewing with the Pre-Dead Social Club. Creativity marches on, in forms both familiar and totally…
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After a glorious final month of classes, we’ve closed the door to the Cedar Street studio. Many thanks to our students, theatre collaborators & audience members for your support over the past four years! Stay tuned for news of workshops and events later in the year,as Lemon Punch Theatre Lab continues to make space for play. Here are some of the many memories we’ve made over the past four years . . . Carol Raiche sported her hoodie for Escaped Alone rehearsal,and James Grillo surprised me by showing up to perform in ourStory/Creature/Scene showcase in his LPTL tee! I confess that one reason for starting…