diretora
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Rachel has always sought to highlight the interconnectedness of the modern world from a multi-disciplinary and intersectional approach. She loves to start with the details and expand outwards, finding inspiration in directors like Greta Gerwig, Wes Anderson, Fernando Meirelles, and Stella Adler. Before arriving at UCLA, she studied at Los Angeles City College's Theater Academy where she began her journey as a director, translating the Brazilian play String of Endless Love into English and directing its American debut. Growing up watching telenovelas, Rachel now uses her fond childhood memories as inspiration for her foray into Latine theater, exploring magical realism whilst also finding a through line with the new and ever changing American theatrical canon. Using her long list of acting courses and varied methods, Rachel takes an actor’s approach to directing, following her instincts whilst collaborating with everyone on the production from pieces as small as a scene in class to a large scale production. Rachel graduated Magna Cum Laude from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television with a degree in Theater focusing on Acting and Directing, and while there was a member of the highly competitive Directing Continuum. She most recently directed her translation and adaptation of the Brazilian play Lisbela and the Prisoner at Pacific Resident Theatre.
what rachel has been up to...
Lisbela and the Prisoner
based on the play & film by the same name
play by: Osman Lins
script by: Guel Arraes, Pedro Cardoso, & Jorge Furtado
translation & adaptation: Rachel Frost
Capstone Project 2024
Unifying my two years of Theater and Brazilian Studies, I translated and adapted the play Lisbela and the Prisoner under the guidance of Professor José Passos in the Winter Quarter and subsequently directed it in the Spring at Pacific Resident Theatre as part of their Youth Conservatory Playwright Series under the guidance of Professor Judith Moreland. Lisbela and the Prisoner displayed a unique challenge, a play filled with regionalisms and often outdated concepts. To fix this, I combined both the film script from 2003 and the original 1964 play to adapt it in a way to reach American audiences.
Being dramaturg to my own work became useful when I then translated it on the stage with my incredible cast. We were able to collaborate on making the piece exciting and understandable for the audience in a 90 minute time span. Using telenovelas as a large source of inspiration, actors were able to truly play to the extremes of human emotion with their characters making a raucous and impactful story come to life.
String of Endless Love
(Cordel do Amor Sem Fim)
by: Claudia Barral
translation: Rachel Frost & Guisela Rischard
My first foray into text translation, this piece was selected to participate in the Los Angeles City College One Act Festival, being part of the Blue Bill.
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Life is running its course for sisters Madalena, Carminha, and Teresa, but the day José is to propose to Teresa, she meets the love of her life, Antonio, who says he'll come back for her. When she turns José down and plans to wait, it causes a butterfly effect that will change their lives forever.
