Theatre--Audition

This is very last minute, but the Acadia Players of Crowley are holding auditions for a play by Natalie E. White tonight until 8 pm. The cast requires 10 women and one man between the ages of 18-75. The auditions will be at the Rice Theatre (323 N. Parkerson Avenue, Crowley). For more information, call 788-1879.

Theatre--Auditions

The Evangeline Players will produce the Neil Simon comedy The Odd Couple as part of their 2008-2009 season. Performances of this classic will be the first three weekends in August 2008. Vincent P. Barras will be directing and the parts of Felix and Oscar are pre-cast. They are searching for six supporting characters. There are four poker-playing buddies (males from 20s to 60s) who have small scenes in all three acts. There are two females needed to play the Pidgeon sisters from England, so British accents are important. The two females can be any age from 20s-40s.

Tryout dates are Sunday, May 18th from 2-4 pm and Tuesday, May 20th from 6-8 pm. People do not need to be at both audition dates. If you cannot make those dates, please contact Vincent P. Barras at 519-0865 to make other arrangements.

Those cast will be notified and given scripts by May 23rd. Rehearsals will begin on Monday, June 9th, but the poker scenes as well as the Pidgeon sister scenes will rehearse one day a week for the first five weeks with more frequent rehearsals as we near opening night.

Theatre--Article

This is not a newly published article, but the Teche News website has an article written by Ken Grissom on April 4th about the Evangeline Players' production of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Opera--Performance

Herman Fusilier has an article about the upcoming production of Carmen by the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and the UL-Lafayette College of the Arts in the April 29 edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Opera--Performance

Carmen, an opera by Georges Bizet will be performed in French with supertitles on May 1 and 3, 2008 at 7:30PM in the Ducrest-Gilfry Auditorium in Angelle Hall on the campus of UL Lafayette. This is a joint production between the Acadiana Symphony and the UL Lafayette College of the Arts. It tells the story of the ill-fated gypsy girl, Carmen, who through manipulation and sexuality, manages to get herself murdered by a extremely jealous lover. The cast will be made up of professional singers in the leading roles and UL Lafayette students in the secondary parts. The role of Carmen will portrayed by Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Edyta Kulczak of Poland. Tickets are available at the offices of the Acadiana Symphony. For more information, call ASO at 232-4277.

Theatre--Performance

The Lafayette Parish Arts Academy theatre students will demonstrate the versatility of their new back box theatre on Thursday, May 1st by performing Eugene Ionesco's The Lesson and WASP by Steve Martin (one-act plays). A gala is scheduled on Friday, May 2nd to mark the official opening of the facility. Food, beverages, as well as before-and-after photos will be provided that night. Performances on both dates will begin at 8 PM at the N.P. Moss Annex on 801 Mudd Ave. All are welcome to attend as well as donate to the Arts Academy Theatre Arts program (There is no admission fee, but a donation--suggested at $5--would be appreciated.). Please call 212-4471 for further information.

Theatre--Performance

IPAL will present The Queen of Bingo by Jeanne Michels and Phyllis Murphy as the closing production of the 2007-2008 season.

The play focuses on two sisters and their love of bingo. During the course of their regular bingo get together at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, they play, comment on the other players and reminisce about each other and the people in their lives. The two ladies complement each other and support each other in true sisterly fashion and on this one night share something new, confess secrets and find redemption.

The cast features Ava Mingo as Sis and Barbie Delhomme as Babe. Michael Durand directs and plays the part of Father Muldoon. Whether or not the audience members know or care about bingo, everyone should see someone they know in these two sisters.

The show opens on May 2 at 7:30 pm and will run Friday, Saturday and Sunday through May the 18th.

For more information, call IPAL at (337) 364-6114.

Theatre--Performance

Despite the fact that this is the weekend of Festival International de Louisiane and most people think of music, there will be a lot of theatre and dance happening in the area connected to Festival.

PASA and Cite Des Arts are presenting John Bray's Trickster at the Gate, an original show, as part of The Big Read. Special Festival showtimes are 7 pm on both Friday and Saturday.

Acting Up (in Acadiana) is presenting 2 shows at the LUS Pavillon de Cuisine. The first, which will begin on Friday night at 7:15, is a one time production of Sustained Winds, an original show which the company has performed in New York. The second, which will be performed at the same venue on Saturday at 2:30 pm is Avon Lady.

The UL-Lafayette Department of Performing Arts will present a number of dance pieces at the LUS Pavillon de Cuisine. On Saturday, April 26th, the dancers will present Their Tongue, She Held a Sign in the Heir, and Windowpain at 1 pm. At 8 pm the same day, they will perform Manic. On Sunday, April 27th, the dancers will perform VIM and Get Over It at the same venue at 1 pm. That evening, they will perform Dissolve and Breaking the Mold at 4:00 pm and Transforming Embrace at 5:45 pm.

Fianlly, completely unconnected to Festival, the Opelousas Little Theatre is presenting the final weekend on You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Theatre--Review

Ray Blum reviews Lafayette High School's production of Guys and Dolls in the April 25th edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Theatre--Workshop

Dana Reed’s Summer Theatre Camp is back again this year and the Opelousas Little Theatre campers will produce the hit production Charlotte’s Web. Unlike the OLT season show, which is a musical, this production will only use the campers to produce, act and work the non-musical show of Charlotte’s Web. Campers ages range from 7 – 17 and will start camp Wednesday, May 16th at 6pm and Saturday, May 19th from 10am – 12noon. Our regular camp schedule starting June 4 & 7, will be Mondays and Thursdays 1pm – 5pm at the Opelousas Little Theatre. The production will be held August 2, 3, 4 at 7pm and August 5th as a 2pm matinee. For more information, call 351-2591

Theatre--Review

The newest reviewer for the blog is Cody Daigle. Cody is a playwright and former Lafayette Parish Arts Academy theatre instructor. His plays The Last Night of the World, Life/Play, and Providence have been produced in New York, and many of his plays have been seen locally. He is currently a reporter for The Daily Advertiser.

The Eunice Players' production of Alfred Uhry's The Last Night of Ballyhoo is awash in a quality often missing these days in the theatre – charm. From its opening moments, this production works hard to win us over, and it does so without feeling forced or pushy. It's an ingratiating production that never becomes grating, and by evening's end we're glad to have made its acquaintance.

The Last Night of Ballyhoo, the 1997 Tony-winner for Best Play, takes place in the Atlanta home of Adolph Freitag (Wesley Saunders), who lives with his two sisters, Reba (Deborah Ardoin) and Boo (Jody Powell). Boo's daughter Lala (Claire Anding) has returned home after a disastrous semester at college, and Boo is determined to set her back on track in Atlanta's social circles. Her plan centers around getting Lala the perfect date for Ballyhoo, an annual dance for the wealthiest of Atlanta's Jewish population. Complicating matters is the visit of Reba's daughter Sunny (Abby Deger) from Wellesley and the appearance of Joe Farkas (Gabe Ortego), a Jewish boy from New York recently employed by Adolph's bedding company.

From there, the play follows typical romantic comedy plot turns. Lala falls for Joe, while Joe falls for Sunny. Boo contrives to get a good Jewish boy from Lake Charles named Peachy (Ryan Buxton) in for Ballyhoo. Adolph tries to dodge the romantic entanglements brewing under his roof, and Reba spouts a seemingly endless supply of priceless Uhry one-liners.

The best acting on stage comes from the trio of Saunders, Powell, and Ardoin. These three ground the production and do an excellent job capturing the buoyant spirit of the play. The time these three spend on stage together is a delight, and I was always eager for their return. Ardoin in particular delivers the goods, giving Reba a warmth and poignancy that elevated her above just being comic relief.

Among the younger cast members, Ortego turns in a confident performance as Joe, and Buxton makes an impression with the show's smallest role. Anding and Deger both do nice work in the show's ingénue roles, but their footing falters when the play hits its more somber notes.

And it is in those moments when the production itself fails to impress. The beauty of Ballyhoo lies in Uhry's ability to puncture the comedy with moments of real emotional force – the bitter confrontation between cousins at the close of Act One, a deeply moving recollection by Sunny in Act Two – without which the play loses an important texture. These moments are never fully realized in this production, and one wishes for the opportunity to peek past the charming exteriors of the characters into their darker, less comfortable spaces.

Because, while the bulk of the narrative traffics in "Who will ask who to Ballyhoo?" romantic comedy, Uhry's real focus is deeper -- the assimilation of American Jews in the South prior to WWII. Beneath the fuss over dresses, dates, and Ballyhoos past, the play lays bare the systematic peeling away of the family's Jewish identity and the brutal prejudices that surface once that identity is taken away.

In one of the play's pivotal scenes, Sunny tells Joe, "There's a hole in me where Judaism should be." That hole exists in each of the central characters, and without experiencing the wreckage that absence leaves behind, the audience never feels the full impact of Uhry's message. Without rough edges, Ballyhoo never gets under our skin, which is where it aims to be.

That aside, the production remains a delight. Ortego (doing double-duty as director with Angie LaCalle) has put together a good-looking and entertaining evening of theatre. The Eunice Players have done a commendable job with a difficult play, and I left the theatre eager to see what they'd do next.

Long on charm, this Ballyhoo will leave you smiling.
--Cody Daigle

Dance--Performance

In connection with Festival International de Louisiane, the UL-Lafayette Department of Performing Arts will present a number of dance pieces at the LUS Pavillon de Cuisine.

On Saturday, April 26th, the dancers will present Their Tongue, She Held a Sign in the Heir, and Windowpain at 1 pm. At 8 pm the same day, they will perform Manic.

On Sunday, April 27th, the dancers will perform VIM and Get Over It at the same venue at 1 pm. That evening, they will perform Dissolve and Breaking the Mold at 4:00 pm and Transforming Embrace at 5:45 pm.

For the full Festival International schedule, see here.

Theatre--Performance

In connection with Festival International de Louisiane, Acting Up will present Sustained Winds, an original work, at the LUS Pavillon de Cuisine at 7:15 pm on Friday, April 25th.

Acting Up will also present Avon Lady at the same venue on Sunday, April 27th at 2:30pm.

For the full Festival schedule, see here.

Theatre--Performance

In connection with Festival International de Louisiane, PASA and Cite Des Arts are presenting John Patrick Bray's original Trickster at the Gate. Performances will be Friday, April 25th and Saturday, April 26th at 7:00 pm. For more information, tickets or reservations, call Cite Des Arts at 291-1122.

For the full Festival schedule, see here.

Opera--Article

There is a short article about the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra/UL College of the Arts production of Carmen in the April 21st edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Opera--Article

Lifestyle magazine has an article about Carmen, (the opera to be produced in collaboration by the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and the UL-Lafayette College of the Arts) in the April-May edition.

Theatre--Review

Ray Blum of the Daily Advertiser reviews Searching for Eden: Adam and Eve in the April 18th edition of the paper.

Theatre--Summer Camp

Firelight Children's Theatre announces its schedule for Summer Camps 2008. The T'Lights Camp (ages 4-8) will present The Three Piggy Opera. This camp will run from June 16-26 at 2p.m.-3:30p.m.

Firelight Children's Theatre Camp (9 and up) will work on a production of Peter Pan from June 9-26, 2008 at 9a.m.-1p.m.

Performances of both shows will be at Cite' des Arts beginning on June 27 and running through the 29th.

For more information,see Firelight Children's Theatre online or call (337) 856-0595.

Theatre--Review

This is the first review by Donald "Doc" Voorhies. Doc has been active as a player and director with both Evangeline Players and IPAL since 2006. He most recently directed Little Shop of Horrors in New Iberia and is presently in To Kill a Mockingbird in St. Martinville.

Guys and Dolls, the legendary Frank Loesser musical, is fifty-eight. But as presented by Lafayette High School as its spring musical, it has a vitality, excitement, and quality that makes every moment a joy! Guys and Dolls tells the story of Nathan Detroit, a New York City Gambler, and his fiancée (for 14 years) Adelaide. The plot centers on Nathan’s efforts to find a place for “the game” and Adelaide’s efforts to get Nathan to actually marry her. Filled with great musical numbers, including at least five songs that became (what used to be called) hits, it provides great humor, great dance, and great song.

The large cast of students at Lafayette High certainly lived up to the potential of the show. Leading the cast was Josh Coen as Nathan and Alex Hollerman as Adelaide. Coen’s singing and acting brought out the schemer in Nathan, and entertained the audience throughout. Hollerman was simply sensational as Adelaide – whether belting out songs like “Bushel and a Peck” or enthralling the audience with the humor and melodies of “Adelaide’s Lament,” her accent (remarkable), stage presence (formidable) and abilities (numerous) brought down the house. These leads were ably assisted by Jared Price as Sky Masterson and Alicia Neto as Sarah Brown who gave a most realistic interpretation of the secondary love story and by Phillip Boudreaux, Josef Rowe, and Johnny Johnson as sidekicks and co-conspirators with Detroit. Seth Minix was perfect as the serious Arvide.

Production values were high. Particularly well executed in this production were the large (very large) production numbers like “Bushel and a Peck” and “Take Back Your Mink” (doll night club numbers) and “Luck Be a Lady” (guy dance number) and “Havana” (a night club number). These were done with humor, originality, and dancing skill remarkable for high school students. The set and costumes were evocative of the 50’s era, and transitions between the many and varied scenes were virtually instantaneous. The rather large band was “right on” and did not overwhelm and singers on stage. Both the overture and exit music were an enjoyable concert in their own right. Bravo!

Director Paula Horn is to be congratulated for such an ambitious undertaking, done with such fidelity to the original. The discipline and coordination of the cast, stage crew, and musicians was remarkable. Choreographer Allison Barron, musical directors Holly Grefe and Marcus McCullough, and band director Scotty Walker brought the kids in the show up to a standard not always reached in a High School Musical. In the finale the entire cast (I believe over 70) was on stage and it was a remarkable sight to see! Luck was a lady to me and other theatergoers that night!
--Donald "Doc" Voorhies

Theatre--Black Box Opening

With the help of the students, the Theatre Arts classroom (formerly an old band and storage room) has been transformed into a fully-functional “black box” performance facility ideal for intimate pro-ductions. The students will demonstrate the versatility of their new theatre on Thursday, May 1st as they perform one-act plays by Eugene Ionesco and Steve Martin. A gala is scheduled on Friday, May 2nd to mark the official opening of the facility. Food, beverages, as well as before-and-after photos will be provided that night. Performances on both dates will begin at 8 PM at the N.P. Moss Annex on 801 Mudd Ave. All are welcome to attend as well as donate to the Arts Academy Theatre Arts program (There is no admission fee, but a donation--suggested at $5--would be appreciated.). Please call 212-4471 for further information.

Theatre--Performance

Lafayette High School will present Guys and Dolls, beginning with two school performances on April 16th and 17th at 9:15 am at Lafayette High. Tickets for those performances will be $5.00.

The evening opening performance will be on Thursday, April 17th and run through Saturday the 19th. The shows will start at 7 pm. Tickets will be $10.

For more information, call (337)984-4327.

Theatre--Performance

Cite des Arts is proud to host the world premier of John P. Bray’s Trickster at the Gate, an original play based on the work of Zora Neal Hurston. Commissioned by PASA to coincide with The Big Read Acadiana, Trickster has the feel of African folk tales set in Louisiana and takes the audience on a journey through theater, poetry, art and dance.

Trickster runs April 17,18,19 at 7:30 and during Festivals International. COST: $15.00 for adults; $10.00 for senior citizens 65+ and students of any age. For additional information or reservations, please call 337-291-1122.

Please check www.pasa-online.org for additional information about The Big Read Acadiana and the events associated with it.

Theatre--Review

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird presents a host of challenges to any theater company willing to take it on. The script calls for at least twenty characters and more, if the courtroom and other scenes are fleshed out with spectators; crucial roles must be handled by children actors, and the play is rife with the difficult subject matters of Jim Crow racism, and sexual content and multiple tableaus of a whole community, with scene shifts to a courtroom interior, a jailhouse exterior, woodlands on a stormy night and more, must somehow be conveyed to support the dramatic action.

The Evangeline Players, under the direction of Mac Stearns and his assistant Steven “Smitty” Smith, Jr. took on all of these challenges and won, presenting a compelling and entertaining show at the DuChamp Opera House in St. Martinville.

Fine acting was evident from the get-go: Katherine Caffery’s narration as the reminiscing adult Jean Louise Finch was spot on; Carmen Nicholson’s rip-roaring take on the eccentric Mrs. Henry Lafayette DuBose was an absolute delight to watch, Vincent Barras’ composed and controlled Atticus Finch, especially in the monumental summation to the jury, was powerful without being showy. Most of all, and most startling because of her young age, the absolutely amazing performance by Anne Caffery as the young “Scout” was a tour-de-force. Her control, her sense of the character, her range, her in-the-moment realness throughout was stunning. The play more or less rests on the young shoulders of any actress cast in that role, and Anne Caffery shouldered that load with the aplomb and finesse of someone way past her years. Bravo!

The set was efficient and the limited space of the DuChamp stage was well used. The audience got the sense of the Finch neighborhood and the town as the action moved from location to location. Particularly impressive was the efficient shift to the courtroom scene and back, with the many actors moving in precise choreography, taking set pieces on and off with the smoothness of a well-rehearsed dance. Well done!

The Evangeline Players have once again given local theater fans a compelling reason to make the drive down to St. Martinville’s DuChamp Opera house for a fine evening of entertainment. Mark your calendars for the upcoming The Odd Couple, which opens in August there. If To Kill A Mockingbird is any guide, it will be a “not-to-be-missed” offering.
--Duncan Thistlethwaite

Theatre--Performance

The Eunice Players are presenting The Last Night of Ballyhoo on April 14th and the 17th through the 20th. The show on the 14th is a dinner theatre and begins at 6 pm. The shows on the 17th through the 19th begin at 7 pm. For ticket prices and more information, call (337) 457-3330.

The comedy-drama is set in the upper class German-Jewish society of Atlanta, Georgia in December 1939. Hitler is invading Poland, Gone with the Wind is about to premiere, and Adolph Freitag (owner of the Dixie Bedding Company) and his sister Boo and nieces Lala and Sunny - a Jewish family so highly assimilated they have a Christmas tree in the front parlor - is looking forward to Ballyhoo, a lavish cotillion sponsored by their restrictive country club. Adolph's employee Joe Farkas is an attractive eligible bachelor and an Eastern European Jew, familiar with prejudice but unable to fathom its existence within his own religious community. His presence prompts college student Sunny to examine intra-ethnic bias, her Jewish identity (or lack thereof), and the beliefs with which she's been raised.

Originally a series of vignettes, each featuring a different member family of the city's exclusive Standard Club, Ballyhoo was inspired by the playwright's childhood memories. It was commissioned by the Olympic Arts Festival for the 1996 Summer Olympics and was staged at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre that year. In revising the play for a New York City opening, the playwright opted to focus solely on the Freitags and expanded their storyline into two acts.

Theatre--Workshopping

Cite Des Arts is starting a new event, the Monday Night Reads. The Reads occur once a month. The purpose of this evening is to provide writers the opportunity to hear their new pieces, whether finished or works in progress, read out loud to an audience and then given feedback by the audience members.

The first one kicks off this Monday evening, April 14th, at 7:00 pm with a reading of The Lawyer Who Stopped Talking, written by Jim Phillips. This is a one-act play that is being submitted to this year’s Hub City Theatre Festival.

WHAT: The Monday Night Reads
WHEN: Monday, April 14th at 7:00pm
WHERE: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., Downtown Lafayette, between Jefferson St. and Third St.
For additional information, please call Cité at 337-291-1122

Theatre--Article

Herman Fusilier has written an article about the upcoming Lafayette High production of Guys and Dolls in the April 11th edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Theatre--Performance

The 2007-2008 season of the Abbey Players will close with Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin (anticipated run, May 9 – June 20).

The play involves an imaginary meeting of Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein at a quaint bar in Paris in 1904, before either of the gentlemen had achieved fame. They talk of life, love, art and science and poke fun at themselves, the people in the bar and the world in general. A visitor from the future appears near the end and puts everyone’s life and dreams back into perspective. It’s a fun comedy sprinkled with the humor of Steve Martin.

Jerrod Arabie- Director
Pamela Broussard- Assistant Director
Jack Sorenson- Schmendimen
Mattie Hartman- Suzanne
Mickey Atchetee- Einstein
Nathan Bodin- Picasso
Bob LeMaire- Gaston
Angelle Bellard- Germaine
Lydia Soileau- Countess/Woman
Scott Meddows- Freddy
Chris DeShazo- Singer/Elvis
Bob Sidman – Sagot

Theatre--Performance

Not My Child will be performed by Lynda's Drama Company at the Rice Theater (328 N. Parkerson Ave.) in Crowley. This funny, yet heartfelt, real life play unwraps the story of three teen girls fighting a life of drugs, sex and adult responsibility. The show was written and directed by Lynda Carmouche.

The show opens on Friday, April 11th at 7:30 pm. It runs through Sunday, April 13th.

For show times,ticket prices and availability or more information, call (337) 593-8642.

Theatre--Performance

The Opelousas Little Theatre is presenting You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown beginning on April 10th and running Thursday, Friday, and Saturday through April 26 at 7 pm. There will be two additional matinees at Sunday the 13th and 20th at 2 pm. All seats are $10.

A program note says that the time of the action is "an average day in the life of Charlie Brown." It really is just that, a day made up of little moments picked from all the days of Charlie Brown, from Valentine's Day to the baseball season, from wild optimism to utter despair, all mixed in with the lives of his friends (both human and non-human) and strung together on the string of a single day, from bright uncertain morning to hopeful starlit evening.

For more information, call 308-7108 or visit the Opelousas Little Theatre online.

Theatre--Performance

Omni Artiste Productions continues its Spring 2008 season with Searching for Eden: Adam and Eve. The play is a modern twist on Mark Twain's The Diaries of Adam and Eve.

Public performances for Searching for Eden: Adam and Eve are scheduled for April 11th and 12th at 7:30 p.m., April 13th at 3 p.m., April 18th and 19th at 7:30 p.m. and April 20th at 3:00 p.m. on the Second Stage at Cite’ des Arts.

Cite’ des Arts is located in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana at 109 Vine Street. Ticket prices are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for students and Seniors. A $5.00 discount per ticket applies when tickets are purchased in advance. For more information and group discounts, call Cite’ des Arts at 337-291-1122.

Theatre--Performance

TheatreworksUSA presents at the Heymann Center at 10 am on April
8th a sparkling musical revue based on popular children's books, including:

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (by Laura Joffe Numeroff) When a boy shares his snack with a hungry, demanding mouse, he learns a hilarious lesson about cause-and-effect.

Amazing Grace (by Mary Hoffman) Follow young Grace as she attempts to break stereotypes in an effort to play the title character in her school's production of Peter Pan.

Borreguita and the Coyote (by Verna Aardema) The classic Mexican tale of a little lamb, or borreguita, who uses her wits to escape a hungry coyote.

Imogene's Antlers (by David Small) Young Imogene is delighted to wake up with "cool" antlers, but soon discovers that her parents and school principals do not share her enthusiasm.

Martha Speaks (by Susan Meddaugh) The adventurous tale of a family dog who literally becomes outspoken after dining on alphabet soup.

Master Man (by Aaron Shepard) A man whose muscles are as big as his ego earns his comeuppance when he claims to be the world's strongest man in this Nigerian tall tale.

Math Curse (by Jon Scieszka) This story playfully addresses the phobia some kids have when tackling seemingly impossible math problems.

Owen (by Kevin Henkes) Owen just can't bear to part with his beloved blanket, Fuzzy - a problem, since he is about to start kindergarten. Owen's understanding mother provides a clever solution.

For more information about the production or about tickets, contact Theatreworksusa at 800-497-5007 or on the internet.

Dance--Performance

The UL-Lafayette Department of Performing Arts presents the final two performances of An Evening of Dance at Angelle Hall on the UL-Lafayette campus. The pictures below are from the rehearsals of student choreographer Caroline Rose Randall's piece entitled Transforming Embrace.

Dance--Performance

The UL-Lafayette Department of Performing Arts presents the final two performances of An Evening of Dance at Angelle Hall on the UL-Lafayette campus. The pictures below are from the rehearsals of student choreographer Teri Wyble's piece entitled She Used to be a Kaleidoscope.

Opera--Performance

Carmen, an opera by Georges Bizet will be performed in French with supertitles on May 1 and 3, 2008 at 7:30PM in the Ducrest-Gilfry Auditorium in Angelle Hall on the campus of UL Lafayette. This is a joint production between the Acadiana Symphony and the UL Lafayette College of the Arts. It tells the story of the ill-fated gypsy girl, Carmen, who through manipulation and sexuality, manages to get herself murdered by a extremely jealous lover. The cast will be made up of professional singers in the leading roles and UL Lafayette students in the secondary parts. The role of Carmen will portrayed by Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Edyta Kulczak of Poland. Tickets are available at the offices of the Acadiana Symphony at 232-4277.

Theatre--Article

Herman Fusilier has an article about Firelight Children's Theatre and its production of Aladdin in the April 4th edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Theatre--Article

Herman Fusilier, entertainment editor of the Daily Advertiser, has an article about the Lafayette Ballet Theatre's production of Cinderella, in the April 4th edition.

Theatre--Review

Krista Richmond of the Daily Advertiser has a review of the Theatre League's presentation of Chicago in the April 4th edition.

Theatre--Performance

To Kill a Mockingbird, the upcoming production of the Evangeline Players in St. Martinville, was adapted by playwright Christopher Sergel from the novel by Harper Lee. Set in a small Alabama town in the Great Depression, the story concerns the trial of a young black man falsely accused of rape. The theme, however, is the loss of innocence (the mockingbird of the title).

This production is under the direction of Mac Stearns, assisted by Steven Smith, Jr. It will open on Friday, April 4th and run through Sunday, April 20th. Friday and Saturday performances will begin at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees will start at 2 pm. For tickets, call (337) 394-5574.

Theatre--Article

The Daily Iberian has an article about the Evangeline Players' production of To Kill a Mockingbird in the April 3rd edition.

Theatre--Performance

Firelight Children's Theatre, in conjunction with Cite Des Arts, will present Aladdin (an adaptation of the Disney Company's Aladdin) beginning April 4 through the 13th at 7:30 pm. Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 7 pm and there are 3 pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, call Cite Des Arts at 291-1122.

Dance--Performance

The Performing Arts Department of the University of Louisiana--Lafayette opens their spring performance, An Evening of Dance, on April 3rd. These are adjudicated performances choreographed by dance students at ULL. Performances will be presented in Angelle Hall at 7:30 on Thursday (April 3rd), Friday (April 4th) and Saturday (April 5th). There will also be a Sunday matinee at 2:00 on April 6. Tickets are free to ULL students and faculty; $5 for alumni, students and seniors and $10.00 general admission.

Theatre--Auditions (2nd Post)

Cité des Arts will hold open auditions for its production of Proof, David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play on Sunday, April 6th, from 3-6 pm, Monday, April 7th, from 6-8 pm, and Wednesday, April 9th, from 6-8. Prepared monologues are not required. The parts being cast are:
Catherine – 25
Robert – 50s
Hal – 28
Claire – 29
The production runs from May 22nd through June 7th , 2008.

Character ages are only approximate. Actors should appear to be within that broad age range. If audition times are not convenient, or for additional information, call Cité des Arts

WHAT: Audition for Proof
WHEN: April 6, 4:00pm – 6:00 pm; April 7, 6-8pm April 9, 6-8pm.
WHERE: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine Street, downtown Lafayette
CONTACT: Cité des Arts at 337- 291-1122