• Acting - Directing

    Catching up on news in 2026!

    February 17, 2026 - By 

    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…

  • Acting - Lemon Punch Theatre Lab - Teaching

    Group Classes Begin in the New Lab!

    November 12, 2024 - By 

    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…

  • Acting - Lemon Punch Theatre Lab - Teaching

    Listen to my interview on NH UNSCRIPTED!

    November 12, 2024 - By 

    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…

  • Acting

    Fun Video About Leslie’s Solo Work!

    February 22, 2024 - By 

    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.

  • Acting - Lemon Punch Theatre Lab - Teaching

    BLUE: An Obituary

    September 21, 2023 - By 

    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…

  • Acting

    A rapid expertly run!

    December 3, 2018 - By 

    Sadly, we bid adieu to New Hampshire Theatre Project‘s MEN ON BOATS, which enjoyed numerous sold out performances and engaging Saturday night talkbacks.  We also helped NHTP overshoot its 30th anniversary fundraising goal for the fall!  Thanks to Gen Aichele for her direction, Kate Kirkwood for crucial assistant direction in the crunch period right before tech week, Quentin Stockwell, Fran Bechtold, Robin Fowler and Catherine Stewart for their design work and Brennan Donnell for running crew.  My enduring admiration and gratitude to my onstage colleagues: Helen Brock, Sandi Clark, Becky Fowler, Monique Peaslee Foote, Kathy-Ann Hart, Kolby Hume, Ollie Lane, Mary…

  • Acting

    how the West was won (at WEST!)

    November 24, 2018 - By 

    This fall I’ve been part of a marvelous crew bringing to the stage the story of John Wesley Powell’s first (disastrous) expedition down the Green and Colorado Rivers through the Grand Canyon.  Powell’s 1869 adventure is the subject of MEN ON BOATS by Jaclyn Backhaus.  The show, directed by Genevieve Aichele and staged at WEST, is part of New Hampshire Theatre Project’s historic 30th season producing in Portsmouth. (Read more about NHTP’s season and about our show here.)  Backhaus’s play intrigues on several levels–she includes seven scenes of the men riding the rapids, including plunging down waterfalls and capsizing with…

  • "Clean Room" - Acting - HAVEN

    “old friends” meeting new friends

    April 27, 2018 - By 

    Well, I did it! I successfully self-produced CLEAN ROOM at WEST, with all ticket sales and a few on-the-spot or after-the fact donations turned over to HAVEN to support their mission. I had great houses and a marvelous team to help: Tomer Oz designed my lights; Kate Quisumbing helped me rehearse, ran my boards, and shared my house management duties; HAVEN staff and board members helped with ticketing and box office, secured food donations, and made lovely curtain speeches; and my husband came every night and did all the glamorous work like taking out the garbage and–before I could stop…

  • Acting - Teaching

    clowning around Dartmouth

    March 27, 2018 - By 

    I had a delightful visit with Dr. Laura Edmondson’s Theatre History class in late February to demonstrate mask work and how the tools of commedia dell’arte can serve us as theatre makers today.  I was joined in the masks by a couple of Laura’s fearless students, Holden and Ellie. Enjoy!    

  • "Make Sure It's Me" - Acting - Directing - HAVEN - PTSD - TBI

    MSIM returns–and much more!

    September 1, 2016 - By 

    2016 has been a busy year, so busy that I haven’t been writing on this blog too much.  Most of the work I have been doing involves upcoming events supporting veterans and their families.  I’m thrilled to say that my traveling version of MAKE SURE IT’S ME will return to the Manchester Vet Center on September 29th.  I will be joined there by a cast of 5 veterans to read dramatic scenes from Kate Wenner’s play, as well as VA Manchester clinicians to help me address questions about Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD.  Then, on October 20th I will take…