In this second reading (of three) of the letters of Willa Cather, we find her in Pittsburgh and then New York, doing mostly (to her regret) journalism. But she takes a trip to the southwest, publishes a few short stories and then, to great acclaim, her novel O Pioneers!, and her career as a novelist is truly launched.
Portia Adney is the voice of Willa and Alex Hancock again provides commentary and chronology.
Alex Hancock is a founding member of Fermat’s Last Theater, a board member, actor and writer. Alex wrote the adaptation of Kafka’s The Trial that we performed in 2016.
Portia Adney, an actress/ model/ dancer, is a Madison, WI, and Brooklyn, NY resident, having lived in NYC for over 15 years, and now residing back in the Madison area to be closer to her family as she raises her 13-year old son, Aston.
Portia has been working as an actress since she was 16 years old, landing her first professional job with a local Madison production company, The Attainment Company, making educational videos and audio content. Portia caught the “acting bug” her senior of high school, performing in the school productions of The Little Shop of Horrors and The Murders of 1920 (Sun Prairie Senior High School). Upon graduation, she did more community theater work at The Mitby Theater and The Broom Street. In the spring of 2002, Portia left for Manhattan to study at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, where she honed her artistic craft with other fellow actors colleagues, Nyambi Nyambi (Mike & Molly, The Good Fight), and Vinny Chhibber (The Red Line, God Friended Me).
Portia’s acting resume consists of theatrical work and film/ tv work at The National Black Theatre of Harlem, Lincoln Theater, the NY Fringe Festival, PBS & Sesame Street Workshop productions, NBC, and Viacom.
When not busy auditioning or working on set, she shares her talents as an English, Reading, and Math Tutor and a Teacher at Madison Country Day School. Her son, Aston, also works in the industry as a fashion model and budding actor. They are both represented by The Rock Agency.