Laura Jeanne Portera is a New York City local who began performing before she began pre-school. Every day, at the age of 3, she would call any family member that would answer the phone, and perform her hit renditions of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" & "Row Row Row Your Boat." From there, she followed in her older siblings' footsteps by joining their acting camp and dance classes.
Laura appeared in her first professional production at the age of 10 with the Edgerton Center at Sacred Heart University. In her freshman year of high school, Laura began four years of acting and dance classes at the Connecticut Regional Center for the Arts, which prompted her to continue pursuing a life in musical theater. Laura worked her way to performing on the beautiful Visual and Performing Arts’ main stage while studying at Western Connecticut State University, where she went on to earn her BFA in Musical Theater. In her sophomore year, she was nominated as an alternate for the Irene Ryan Award by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for her role as Betty in The Stepmother. While studying at the university, Laura consistently worked with incredible industry talents such as Elizabeth Parkinson, Scott Wise, Mary Ann Lamb, and Tim Howard.
Being diverse in her field, Laura has spent time doing both background and featured work in a wide range of media - from TV, film, music videos, commercials, and theater productions, and is known for working hard both on stage and behind the scenes. Two days after graduating, Laura made her way to the prolific Goodspeed Opera House, where she worked as a carpentry apprentice for seven months. While there, she had the opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals such as John Schere, John Rapson, Laith Nakli, and Peter Dinklage.
Laura's most recent work includes: Swing in The Polar Express Whippany for her second year in a row, Molly Aster in Peter and the Starcatcher at Ridgefield Theater Barn, as well as, the Impractical Jokers, Polyviou Dental Commercial, The Events with New York Theater Workshop, and the New Kids on the Block Music Video for their song “Boys in the Band.” You may also catch her as a Detective in The Dinner Detective Saturday evenings in New York City. She is constantly working on progressing as a performer in all regards and is currently looking for exciting new work on the stage, screen, or behind the scenes.
(In 2020 Laura was cast as Molly in Peter and the Starcatcher at Shelton Center Stage. Due to COVID-19 the production was canceled)