Theatre--Workshop Presentation

Caroline McGee is in the process of completing the third in a series of Master Classes in the Strasberg Method.  She will present her students in A Night of Chekhov on Sunday, January 3rd at 5 pm at Cite Des Arts in downtown Lafayette.  For reservations, contact Ms. McGee at mcgeec50@yahoo.com.

Caroline McGee and the students of her Master Class, held this week (December 28th through January 3rd) at Cite Des Arts.

Rehearsing

Observing and offering suggestions to fellow students

Rehearsing

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

The UL Lafayette Opera Theater is presenting The Mystery of Edwin Drood as its spring production. The musical is a murder mystery type show based on Charles Dicken's last and unfinished novel. The audience ends up solving the mystery each night with a possible different ending. The show is set in Victorian England. The show will be accompanied by the UL Lafayette Symphony conducted by Michael Blaney. The production is being directed by Shawn Roy with choreography by Melinda Caubarreaux.

Rehearsals for the show are set for Mondays from 5 to 8 pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 6:30 pm. The show runs from March 25th through the 29th with 4 performances in Angelle Hall on the UL Lafayette campus. Auditions will be held at Angelle Hall on Thursday, January 14th from 3:30 to 6:30 pm and Friday, January 15th from 5 to 7 pm. Special auditions for trained dancers will be Friday, January 15th from 7 to 9PM. Everyone must sing an entire musical theater song and have a short monologue or be prepared to cold read from the script.

Roles include:
     Edwin Drood (mezzo sop or belter)
     John Jasper (high baritone or tenor)
     Chairman (character tenor)
     Princess Puffer (contralto)
     Rosa Bud (legit soprano)
     Neville (high baritone or tenor)
     Helena (mezzo soprano or contralto)
     Crisparkle (baritone)
     Bazzard (tenor)
     Durdles (baritone)
     Deputy (tenor)

There is also a chorus of 8 to 16 people, many of whom double as small speaking and singing roles.

For more information, email Shawn Roy at srr3023@louisiana.edu or call the office at 482-5939.

Theatre--Performance

Caroline McGee's Master Class will present The Cajun Chekhov, a collection of monologues taken from the works of Anton Chekhov, on Sunday, January 3rd, at 5 pm at Cite Des Arts.  The production will last approximately one hour and admission is free of charge.

The students, many of whom who began their work on these monologues during the November session of the Master Class, have been studying "Method" acting, originally developed by Lee Strasberg.  Ms. McGee, currently director of the Moscow Art Actor Training Program at The Baryshnikov Center in New York City, has also served as the director of the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, and the MFA Acting Program at The Catholic University of America, in Washington, DC.

 Her training includes a Master’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley in Directing, Theatre History, Literature & Criticism, actor training with Robert Lewis at The Yale School of Drama, and a 2-year acting certificate at the Conservatoire Nationale in Strasbourg, France.  She has studied professionally in New York City with master teachers William Esper, Michael Howard, Stella Adler, Wynn Handman and Elaine Aiken/Lee Strasberg .

For more information about the show or the class, contact Caroline McGee at mcgeec50@yahoo.com.

Theatre--Review (Evangeline Players)

The Friday, December 25th edition of the Daily Advertiser features Ray Blum's review of the Evangeline Players' production of A Christmas Story.

Theatre--Auditions

IPAL will hold auditions for The New Kid on the Block by Pat Cook (directed by Donna Berard) on Monday and Tuesday, March 22nd and 23rd, at 6:00 pm. There are roles for three males ( men of an older maturity age) and four females (ages ranging from 30's to the 50's).

Carl, Lloyd and Parker, three older gentlemen who share a large home, need to rent out their fourth bedroom to help with the rent. Their problem seems answered by Will, except that Will turns out to be a lady. While Lloyd and Parker like her and want to vote her in, Carl refuses and barks back, "We're not voting on prom queen!" Carl's reaction is all part of a plan with Will, his sister, to let her live with them for a while. Before the brother and sister can reveal their plotting, however, the "fun" begins. It's all over the area that Carl and Will are sweethearts; Lloyd has put on his army fatigues and is running night maneuvers; and Parker is sneaking around the neighborhood with his walkie-talkie. Then the woman in black enters, telling Will she better leave. On top of this, Will's daughter, Jolene, arrives--having just left her husband. And the story isn't close to over yet.
 
For more information, please call 337-364-6114 and leave a message or call 337-229-6919. The director will return calls.

Theatre--Auditions

Omni Artiste, Inc will hold auditions for Indigo Blues on Saturday, January 9th (2010), from 2 to 4 pm, Sunday, January 10th from 4 to 6 pm and Monday, January 11th from 6 to 8 pm at Cite Des Arts in downtown Lafayette.

Theatre--Master Class/Workshop

The Third Method Acting Workshop, to be held in Lafayette from December 28th, 2009 to January 4th, 2010, will be taught by Master Teacher Caroline McGee. The focus will be on Anton Chekhov monologues for a public presentation January 3 or 4, 2010. Class members will work individually and in groups around the actors' schedules. For more information and specifics about schedule and cost, e-mail mcgeec50@yahoo.com.


In November, Professor McGee's students Martha Diaz, Christy Leichty and Carmen Nicholson performed in a Thanksgiving presentation at Cite des Arts of Ladies of the Cajun Prairie, which also included Grammy nominee Jane Vidrine on the Cajun fiddle, and guitarist Jane "Scooter" Yerow.

Ms. McGee currently serves as Director of the Moscow Art Actor Training Program at The Baryshnikov Center in New York City; she also served at New York University’s Stonestreet Professional Studio, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, and the MFA Acting Program at The Catholic University of America, in Washington, DC.

Her training includes a Master’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley in Directing, Theatre History, Literature & Criticism; actor training with Robert Lewis at The Yale School of Drama; a 2-year acting certificate at the Conservatoire Nationale in Strasbourg, France, and professionally in New York City with master teachers William Esper , Michael Howard, Stella Adler, Wynn Handman and Elaine Aiken/Lee Strasberg .

She has performed at Yale Repertory Theater, NY Shakespeare Festival and in films by Woody Allen and Norman Jewison, with Gregory Peck, Gina Rowland and Gregory Peck, among many others. She is a member of all three actor unions: Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, and AFTRA.

Theatre--Review (Evangeline Players)

The Evangeline Players' production of A Christmas Story, entering the second weekend of its run tonight (Friday, December 11th at 7:30 pm), was reviewed by Ray Blum in the Friday edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Theatre--Competition Results

Following outstanding recognition at the Louisiana State Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KC/ACTF) held in New Orleans, the UL-Lafayette Department of Performing Arts is very proud to announce that its production of Noises Off was selected as an example of high excellence in theatre production and will go on to represent the University in competition at the 42nd annual KC/ACTF Region VI Festival.


Highly competitive, and adjudicated by national and regional respondents, productions held for regional presentation are adjudicated and than ranked for excellence in overall theatre production by the 17 member Regional Committee. Of the 112 productions put on this past year by participating Universities and Colleges in the five-state KC/ACTF Region, UL-Lafayette’s Noises Off was chosen as one of only six productions to earn this highly coveted recognition and to be awarded the opportunity to perform at the 2010 Regional Festival held in Amarillo, Texas.

In choosing UL Lafayette for excellence in moving forward to Regionals, one respondent sited Noises Off as, “an excellent example of style and ensemble discipline.  What the UL-Lafayette folks have accomplished with this production serves both to show off the quality of their training/production program and offer up a genuinely entertaining few hours of theater.”

Designed to promote and celebrate the work of educational theatre programs and to identify and promote quality in college–level theatre production, the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival is a national organization containing eight regions. UL-Lafayette participates as part of Region VI, which is comprised of five states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

In addition to Noises Off competing for national recognition and an opportunity to represent excellence in theatre production and perform at Nationals, held late spring 2010 in Washington, DC, seven UL-Lafayette students will also be competing for national recognition and prestigious scholarship awards. Bobby Bender, Sarah Hitchcock, Madison Ali Hubbard, Rachel Mauti, and Greta Trosclair will be competing in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition; technical theatre student Jenna Fontenot will be competing for Regional Commendations for Excellence in Properties- design and execution; and graduating senior Katie Lamson will be competing in the 2010 Stage Directors & Choreographers (SDC) Student Directing Competition.

Dance--Performance

Tickets are available to two performances of  The Nutcracker by Lafayette Ballet Theatre at 7 pm Saturday, December 12th, and 2 pm on Sunday, December 13th, in the Heymann Performing Arts Center.


Tickets may be purchased through the Heymann Center Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets may call the Heymann Center box office at 337-291-5555 between 9 am and 4 pm Monday through Friday and on weekends during scheduled events, or visit http://www.ticketmaster.com/ anytime. Tickets are priced according to seat location, as follows: front orchestra, $40; back orchestra, $35; first balcony, $30, second balcony, $20. Prices listed do not include Ticketmaster fees.

This full-length classical ballet in two acts features Lafayette Ballet Theatre professional company dancers, principal guests artists from Pacific Northwest Ballet of Seattle and more than 140 children studying ballet in local academies. Audiences will enjoy a magical experience as talented artists, dazzling stage sets, spectacular special effects and Peter Tchaikovsky’s delightful musical score bring this engaging E. T. A. Hoffmann tale to life before their eyes. An Acadiana tradition, this ballet presented this year by Lafayette Ballet Theatre only has sold out in the past, so organizers are advising patrons to purchase tickets early to ensure availability.

Theatre (Musical)--Auditions

The UL Lafayette Opera Theater will be presenting Rupert Holmes' musical entitled The Mystery of Edwin Drood in March 2010. It is based on Charles Dicken's last and unfinished novel. The show will run from March 25th--March 29th with 4 performances in Ducrest-Gilfry Auditorium in Angelle Hall on the UL Lafayette campus. Rehearsals will be Mondays from 5 to 8 pm, and Tuesday and Thursdays from 3:30 to 6:30 pm. Cast members must also be available every evening for the final week before the show starting on March 20th.

Open auditions will be held on Thursday, January 14th from 3:30 to 6:30 pm and Friday, January 15th from 5 to 7 pm. These are for singers/actors. Please bring a musical theatre selection (auditioners will sing the whole song) and a monologue. There will also be cold readings from the musical. There will be a separate dance audition for trained dancers on Friday, January 15th from 7 to 9 pm.

The shows cast consists of 4 female leads, 6 male leads and a chorus of 12 to 16. For more information, contact Shawn Roy, the director of the production, at 482-5939 or by e-mail at shawnrroy@hotmail.com. The show will be accompanied by the UL Lafayette Orchestra with Michael Blaney conducting. Choreographer is Melinda Caubarreaux and set design is by Duncan Thistlethwaite.

Theatre--Performance

The Evangeline Players open the second weekend of their production of A Christmas Story this Friday at 7:30 at the Duchamp Opera House in St. Martinville.

Esther Jane and Ralphie

The consequences of soap

The Lamp

Ralphie and the Indiana pythons

Old and Young Ralphies and the gun

Ralphie and Black Bart

Theatre--Performance

Ovation TheatreWorks is proud to present Unwrap Your Candy, an anthology of short plays from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Doug Wright.

Unwrap Your Candy is a macabre collection of one-act plays that reveal the dark and chilling underbelly of contemporary life. Written by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of I Am My Own Wife, Doug Wright, the
evening finds dark thrills and suspenseful comedy in modern parenting, real estate showings, the miracle of pregnancy and going to the theatre.

One part Alfred Hitchcock, one part Roald Dahl, one part Stephen King, Unwrap Your Candy is the perfect show for anyone looking for a few laughs, a few chills, and a little something to talk about over
dinner after the show.

Unwrap Your Candy also marks the first production from Ovation TheatreWorks since 2002. The company, which was formed in 2000 with the mission of bringing the local theatre audience productions of
smart, compelling works of the contemporary theatre, ceased operations at the end of their second season in 2002. This production marks the company's return to the local theatre scene, with two of the company's original founders at the helm.

The production's cast includes local theatre veterans Duncan Thistlethwaite, Mattie Hartman, Cody Daigle and Cara Hayden. The show is designed by Thistlethwaite with a costume design by Gina Baronne.

Unwrap Your Candy by Doug Wright plays a three-performance run January 7th-9th (Thursday through Saturday), 2010 at the Acadiana Center for Film and Media, located at the corner of Lee Street and Main downtown. Performances are at 8 p.m.  Tickets are $10. For more information, call 330-2048.

Unwrap Your Candy contains adult subject matter and language, and younger audience members should be accompanied by an adult.

Theatre--Auditions

The Opelousas Little Theatre is hosting a rare event, a casting call for 2 shows:  Showcase 2010 and Jekyll and Hyde the Musical.

The auditions will be held on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (December 7th, 8th and 9th) from 6 to 8 pm and on Saturday, December 12th from 2 to 4 pm.  

Singers, actors, accompaniment (piano, violin, etc. and others), and crew are all being sought for both shows.  Community theatre is made up of more that just stage performance. So, even for those with stage fright or those who don't want to be onstage, there are opportunities to be involved.

For those interested in Jekyll and Hyde, please come prepared with a song (with music or accapella) and a monologue. Some may also be asked to do a cold read; scripts will be avaliable.  It is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story about a brilliant doctor whose experiments with human personality create a murderous counterpart. It's a great story set to even greater music. Jekyll and Hyde, the Musical will be running during the last three weekends in March. Ages 15 and up are urged to audition, depending on vocal maturity.


For those interested in the Showcase, please come with an idea of what you would like to perform for showcase.  Showcase 2010 is the OLT's annual talent/variety show. Not only is it a chance for local performance artists to show off their stuff, it's a chance for the theatre to scout for new local talent for future productions.Skits and group songs may also be avaliable.  Showcase 2010 will run the last 2 weekends in January. 
 
Auditioners can audition for both shows.
 
One very exciting note is that the Opelousas Little Theatre has obtained a performance space at the newly renovated Delta Grand in downtown Opelousas. Jekyll and Hyde, the Musical will be the first of many productions performed in this amazingly restored and modern facility.


Any questions? For more infomation, contact Duncan McBride at 337-543-8762.  The OLT is also online and on Facebook and Twitter.

Theatre--Articles (IPAL, Evangeline Players)

The Daily Iberian has run stories about both the IPAL production of The Importance of Being Uncle Roscoe (here) and the Evangeline Players' production of A Christmas Story (here).

Both productions open on Friday, December 3rd.

Theatre--Performance

The Acadia Players are presenting It's a Wonderful Life at the historic Rice Theatre beginning on Friday, December 4th at 7 pm.  The show runs through the weekend, with performances on Saturday, December 5th at 7 pm and Sunday, December 6th at 2 pm.  This family oriented, Christmas film from Frank Capra (made famous by Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed) comes to the Crowley stage to help kick-off Crowley's Christmas season.


Set in Bedford Falls in 1945 on Christmas Eve, It's a Wonderful Life chronicles the life (and non-life) of George Bailey, the mild-mannered starry eyed man who is shown just how important his life has been. Clarence Odbody, Angel Second Class, the heavenly being sent down to earth to help George, pushes and prods to get George to the realization of how his life has touched so many. Clarence's purposes are not totally angelic, however, for he must get George to this realization in order to garnish his own wings and move to a "True Angel" instead of being "Angel, Second Class".

A flurry of characters parade in and out to assist in proving to George that he is important and that every person's life touches a multitude of others.


Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students (including college students with ID).  Tickets can be found at the Crowley Flower Shop or online.

Theatre--Performance

Pictures from A Christmas Story, the Evangeline Players' upcoming production, which opens on Friday, December 4th at 7:30 pm.

The infamous Leg Lamp

The Leg Lamp with Jay Florsheim and Cindy Hebert

Theatre--Performance

Getready to laugh for the holidays! Those crazy characters from Tuna, Texas are returning as Ducote Productions presents A Tuna Christmas, the hilarious sequel to Greater Tuna. This production stars local theatre veterans, Shane Guilbeau and Jerrod Arabie.

It’s Christmastime in the third smallest town in Texas. Radio station personalities, Thurston Wheelis and Arles Struvie report on various Yuletide activities around town, including the hot competition in the annual lawn display contest. Two actors play twenty-two roles in this holiday show that is sure to delight the entire family.

WHEN: December 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th, 18th, and 19th at 7:30pm.
             December 19th at 2:00pm
WHERE: Cite des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette between  Jefferson St. and Third St.
COST: $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens, 65 and older and students.

For reservations, please contact Cite at 337-291-1122.

Theatre--Performance

The Omni Artiste production of Indigo Blues:  A Love Story has been cancelled.  Additional information will be posted as received.

Opera--Performance (Setting the Scene)

Photographs  from the UL-Lafayette Opera Theatre production of Setting the Scene, which took place on November 23rd.

The cast of Setting the Scene

Jared Price, Kevin Credeur and Nathan Robert Abbott

Kevin Credeur, Nathan Robert Abbott (standing) and Jared Price

Shawn Roy and Lana Hebert Carver

Carolyn Broussard, Jennifer Andrews, Lana Hebert Carver

Jenee Luquette and Kevin Credeur

Angie Prejean, Brian Sanford, Alex Katherine Hollerman, Kevin Credeur, Carolyn Broussard, Nathan Robert Abbott

 Carolyn Broussard, Alex Katherine Hollerman

 Lana Hebert Carver, Nathan Robert Abbott, Jennifer Andrews

Theatre--Performance

Mike Bourgeois and Gabe Ortego in the OLT production of A Tuna Christmas

A Tuna Christmas, which opens Thursday at the Opelousas Little Theatre, promises laughs galore as two actors bring to life 22 residents of Tuna, the fictional third-smallest town in Texas.The long-running off-Broadway comedy by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard is the sequel to their earlier hit, Greater Tuna, and features a return of many of the town's colorful characters as well as introducing a few more.  This time, it's 24 hours before Christmas and comic chaos is about to break loose as the eccentric characters attempt to cope with seasonal traumas, a disaster-prone little theater production of A Christmas Carol and a yard-decorating contest that is being sabotaged by a Christmas phantom.

"It is a barrel of laughs with a lot of comings and goings and rapid-fire costume changes," said Jody Powell, who is in charge of costuming for the production.  For the play, she will be almost as busy as stars Gabe Ortego and Mike Bourgeois, who will bring to life Tuna's various residents through quick costume changes and a variety of characterizations.

"This play will be a delight for the entire family," Powell said. "Gabe and Mike possess a wealth of talent and have extensive stage experience."  She said Ortego has been seen on the OLT stage in Noises Off, Proof, The Tempest, Godspell and Louisiana Purchase. He also directed Steel Magnolias and Monky Business at OLT.  She said this play will put his comedic timing to the test as he portrays everyone from the buxom Helen Bedd to the cranky Didi Snavely and humanitarian Petey Fisk, among others.  She said Bourgeois is another veteran, having performed in Godspell, Fiddler on the Roof, Nunsense and Monky Business. "Comedic roles come naturally to him, a feature audiences will appreciate as he delivers a range of characters including the long-suffering Bertha Bumiller, drunkard R.R. Snavely, the bodacious Inita Goodwin and more," Powell said.

Ortego also will do double duty, as he has partnered with Deborah D. Ardoin of the Eunice Players' Theatre to direct the show.

Performance dates are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, December 3rd, 4th and 5th, and December 10th, 11th and 12th, with all shows at 7 p.m. There will also be two Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. on December 6th and 13th.  Tickets for all performances are $10. They will be available at the door or can be purchased in advance at Sebastien-Dupre Fine Jewelry at 822 S. Main St. or by calling 948-4367.

More information is available online at the Opelousas Little Theatre website.

Theatre--Performance

Theatre--Performance

The Iberia Performing Arts League (IPAL) will be presenting The Importance of Being Uncle Roscoe by Pat Cook as their Christmas season production. The Christmas comedy, directed by Donna Berard, is holiday fun for the whole family. Performances will be at the Essanee Theater, 126 Iberia Street, in New Iberia. The cast includes David Arceneaux, Ryan Berard, Mike Berry, Robert Lancon, Blythe Bull, Raven Birmingham, Corey Camille, Michael Durand, Mackenzie McAnally, Julie Rosenzweig, Marcella Tracy, and Michael Weber.

The story is set in the warm season of Christmas and all should be right. But things are going downhill for the Kendall family. Carl has lost his job, there is not enough money for gifts, and Uncle Roscoe is coming by to visit. But who does appear, but a con man who takes advantage of a mistaken identity, and passes himself off as Uncle Roscoe as he hides from the police. He lends his expertise in solving family problems, along with his partner-in-crime. But when the real Uncle Roscoe appears, the two lovable con men have already won the hearts of the Kendall family. The ending is a real audience-pleaser. The Importance of Being Uncle Roscoe is a contemporary holiday confection filled with warmth, humor and a love of living.

As an added bonus to the show, some community musicians and singers will be sharing their talent with our audiences, through some Christmas music delights, during our pre-show and intermission time. And don't be surprised if there are a few more surprises in store for the audiences.

Performance Dates:
     Friday (December 4th) and Saturday (December 5th) at 7:30 pm. Come early and enjoy Christmas music provided by community talent beginning at 7 pm.
     Thursday (December 10th), Friday (December 11th) and Saturday (December 12th) at 7:30 pm. Come early and enjoy Christmas music provided by community talent beginning at 7 pm.
     Sunday (December 13th) at 3 pm. Come early and enjoy Christmas music provided by community talent beginning at 2:30 pm.

Information and tickets may be obtained by calling 364-6114 and leaving a message.  New Iberia ticket outlets are Delaune’s Pharmacy, Paul’s Flower Shop, Accentrics, or tickets can be purchased at the door.    All tickets are $10.00 and all seats are general admission.

Theatre--Review (The Dream of the Marionettes at Cite)

The Friday, November 27th edition of the Daily Advertiser has Ray Blum's review of The Dream of the Marionettes, which ended its run at Cite Des Art on November 21st.

Theatre--Performance

The Evangeline Players is proud to present its Christmas show for 2009, Jean Shepherd's A Christmas Story. The movie, which has become a Christmas classic for many, has been transformed into a play that captures the heart and soul of Jean Shepherd's slice of Americana.

Vincent P. Barras directs a picture-perfect cast that includes Jon Parich (Adult Ralph), Jay Florsheim (The Old Man), Cindy Hebert (Mother), Lukas Kim (Young Ralphie), Ehmett Kim (Randy), Ty Theriot (Flick), William Cowan (Schwartz), Ivy Fauntleroy (Miss Shields), Maggie Claire Landry (Esther Jane), Nanine Cowan (Helen), Isabelle Florsheim (Schoolgirl), and Jonathan Florsheim (Schoolboy). The dates and times are listed below. Come to the DuChamp Opera House in St. Martinville and see a Christmas classic. Please note that there is no Sunday matinee on December 13th.

Performances will be at 7:30 pm on December 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th.  Matinee times on the 6th and 20th will be 2 pm.

Theatre--Master Class

The correct address for Caroline McGee, whose master class begins on Monday, November 23rd, is mcgeec50@yahoo.com.  Those who are interested in the class or those who would like to register for it should contact her as soon as possible.

The class will be held at UL-Lafayette.

Theatre--Performance

The Iberia Performing Arts League (IPAL) will be presenting The Importance of Being Uncle Roscoe by Pat Cook as their Christmas season production. The Christmas comedy, directed by Donna Berard, is holiday fun for the whole family. Performances will be at the Essanee Theater, 126 Iberia Street, in New Iberia. The cast includes David Arceneaux, Ryan Berard, Mike Berry, Robert Lancon, Blythe Bull, Raven Birmingham, Corey Camille, Michael Durand, Mackenzie McAnally, Julie Rosenzweig, Marcella Tracy, and Michael Weber.


The story is about the warm season of Christmas and all should be right. But things are going downhill for the Kendall family. Carl has lost his job, there is not enough money for gifts, and Uncle Roscoe is coming by to visit. But who does appear, but a con man who takes advantage of a mistaken identity, and passes himself off as Uncle Roscoe as he hides from the police. He lends his expertise in solving family problems, along with his partner-in-crime. But then, Merry Christmas! The real Uncle Roscoe appears, but the two lovable con men have already won the hearts of the Kendall family. The ending is one that all audiences will love. The Importance of Being Uncle Roscoe is a contemporary holiday confection filled with warmth, humor and a love of living.

As an added bonus to the show, some community musicians and singers will be sharing their talent with our audiences, through some Christmas music delights, during our pre-show and intermission time. And don't be surprised if there are a few more surprises in store for the audiences.

Performance Dates:
    Friday (December 4th) and Saturday (December 5th) at 7:30 pm. Come early and enjoy Christmas music provided by community talent beginning at 7 pm.
   Thursday (December 10th), Friday (December 11th) and Saturday (December 12th) at 7:30 pm. Come early and enjoy Christmas music provided by community talent beginning at 7 pm.
   Sunday (December 13th) at 3 pm. Come early and enjoy Christmas music provided by community talent beginning at 2:30 pm.



Information and/or tickets may be obtained by calling IPAL at (337) 364-6114 and leaving a message. New Iberia ticket outlets are Delaune’s Pharmacy, Paul’s Flower Shop, Accentrics, or at the door.  All seats are general seating. Tickets are $10.00.

Theatre--Performance

The Acadia Players are proud to announce their winter 2009 production of It’s A Wonderful Life.  The family-favorite Jimmy Stewart movie known for the famous line “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings” is the basis for the two act play written by James W. Rodgers , based on the film by Frank Capra and the story by Philip Van Doren Stern. Performances will be held at the Historic Rice Theater in downtown Crowley on December 4th, 5th and 6th. School performances will be held Friday, December 4th at 9:00 am and 11:30 am. December 4th and 5th will include 7:00 pm evening performances for the public with a Sunday, December 6th matinee at 2:00 pm.


This is the heart-warming saga of George Bailey, the Everyman from the small town of Bedford Fall, whose dream s of escape and adventure have been repeatedly quashed by notions of family obligation and civic duty. It is Christmas eve, and George’s guardian angel, Clarence, descends to save him from despair, and to remind him (by showing him what the world would be like had he never been born) that his has been a wonderful life.  This sparkling and magical play has all of your favorite characters: George and Mary, Mother Bailey, Uncle Billy, Violet, and of course the Scrooge-like villain Mr. Potter. It’s A Wonderful Life not only celebrates the season, it also celebrates the American philosophy of life: that hard work a, fair play. And the love and support of family and community will be rewarded.

With a cast of nearly 40, well known actors from throughout the area are returning to the stage as well as a number of new faces. Returning to the stage are Elliot and Sandi Dore, Paul David, Elaine Wright, Rachel LaCroix, Aaron Booty, Morgan Booty, Jordan Broussard, Grace Foitlin, Ronald Ronkartz, Justin Hebert, and Megan Broussard. Coming out of the shadows to appear on stage instead of directing and producing are Steve Fontenot and Patty Ronkartz. Making their premier debut with the Acadia Players are Gerrit Waldrep, Courtney Richard, Brittany LaCroix, Lainie Conner, Patrick Cormier, Kyla Whalen, Josh Conner, Callie Reiners, Aaron Bertrand, Dilyn Stewart, Ryan Davis,and Erin Foitlin Jimmy Broussard is Director with Lynne Broussard as Co-director and Samantha Ronkartz as Student Director. Patty Ronkartz is producer. Stage crew includes Jane and Russ Faulconer, Morgan Moeller, Claire Dore’ and Logan Frederick.

Admission to the public performances is $10 for adults and $5 for children and students. For more information, reservations or to purchase tickets call the Crowley Flower Shop at 783-1512. Tickets are also available online and at the door if the performances aren’t sold out in advance.

Theatre--Article (The Dream of the Marionettes at Cite)

There is an article by Cody Daigle in the Friday, November 20th edition of the Daily Advertiser about The Dream of the Marionettes, currently playing at Cite Des Arts.

Theatre--Performance

The Opelousas Little Theatre is pleased to announce the cast of A Tuna Christmas, the final play of the 2009 season. The long-running off-Broadway hit written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard features Opelousas favorites Gabe Ortego and Mike Bourgeois who will bring to life 22 characters through quick costume changes and a variety of characterizations.


The two-act comedy centers around the eccentric and memorable citizens of Tuna, Texas’ third smallest town, as they prepare for Christmas with parties, tree decorating, and a community theatre production, all amidst the mysterious Christmas phantom threatening to derail everyone’s Christmas spirit.

Ortego and Bourgeois possess a wealth of talent and have extensive stage experience. Ortego has been seen on the OLT stage in Noises Off, Proof, The Tempest, Godspell, and La. Purchase; he also directed Steel Magnolias and Monkey Business at OLT. Eunice Players’ Theatre has come to know this actor through his roles in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Fiddler on the Roof. Ortego will put his comedic timing to the test as he portrays the buxom Helen Bedd, the cranky Didi Snavely, and humanitarian Petey Fisk, among others.

Bourgeois has earned stage time in the OLT musicals Godspell, Fiddler on the Roof, Nunsense, and Monkey Business. Comedic roles come naturally to him, a feature audiences will appreciate as he delivers a range of characters including the long-suffering Bertha Bumiller, drunkard R.R. Snavely, the bodacious Inita Goodwin, and more.

Gabe Ortego has partnered with Deborah D. Ardoin of Eunice Players’ Theatre, and a member of Acadiana Repertory Theatre, to direct the show. Performance dates are December 3rd, 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th and 12th at 7:00 pm. and December 6th and 13th at 2:00 pm. Tickets are available at Sebastien-Dupre Fine Jewellery at 822 S. Main, Opelousas, or by calling 948-4367. Mark your calendars now so you’re sure not to miss this show that promises to be a barrel of laughs! For more information, go to the OLT website.

Theatre--Performance

Omni Artiste Productions is currently in rehearsal for Indigo Blues:  A Love Song.  The show opens Friday, December 4th at 7:30 pm.   Shows will run Fridays (7:30 pm), Saturdays (7:30 pm) and Sundays (3 pm) from December 4th through the 13th.

The show will be performed at Cite Des Arts in downtown Lafayette.  Admission is $10 in advance and for seniors, students and children.  Tickets will be $15 at the door. 

For reservations, call Cite at 291-1122.

Theatre--Performance

It's a Wonderful Life, the family oriented, Christmas film from Frank Capra (made famous by Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed), comes to the Crowley stage to help kick-off Crowley's Christmas season.


Set in Bedford Falls in 1945 on Christmas Eve, It's a Wonderful Life chronicles the life (and non-life) of George Bailey, the mild-mannered starry eyed man who is shown just how important his life has been. Clarence Odbody, Angel Second Class, the heavenly being sent down to earth to help George, pushes and prods to get George to the realization of how his life has touched so many. Clarence's purposes are not totally angelic, however, for he must get George to this realization in order to garnish his own wings and move to a "true angel" instead of being Second Class.

A flurry of characters parade in and out to assist in proving to George that he is important and that every person's life touches a multitude of others.

It's a Wonderful Life will be presented at the historic Rice Theater in Crowley on Friday, December 4th, at 7:00 pm, on Saturday, December 5th at 7:00 pm and on Sunday, December 6th at 2:00 pm.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students (including college students with ID).  Tickets are available at the Crowley Flower Shop or online.  

Dance--Audition

Under the title (c)ollaborate 1978 visual artist Marla Kristicevich and choreographer Paige Krause are collaborating to produce a work which will be constructed as a site-specific installation piece. The performance will be shown in april 2010.  Both artists are interested in interdisciplinary collaboration, site-specific performance, and constructing environments to work within.  Krause will hold auditions for male and female dancers/performers, in search of  performers with a background in modern/contemporary movement but more importantly with a willingness to run, laugh, sing, play, search, roll, shake, fall, eat, think, investigate, and contribute to the creative process.  Auditions will be held November 21st from 10 am to 12 pm.  The space will be open at 9:30 am for warm-up.

For registration, location, or information call (337) 309-4964 or e-mail paigenola@yahoo.com.

Theatre--Review

Meghan Andrepont is a new reviewer for the blog. 

CYT of Lafayette presented the musical production of Godspell on Nov. 7th and 8th at the Bayou Bijou Theater in the UL-Lafayette Student Union.


I am a 10 year old girl who went to see the 6 p.m. performance on November 7th. It was fantastic. Godspell is a re-telling of some of the parables from the Bible. The actors and actresses all had beautiful voices and could really carry a tune. Everyone dressed like they were from the 60’s. You could tell they spilled their souls on the stage. Another thing that amazed me was that there were no costume changes. So throughout the tale of Jesus’ story they had leg warmers and rainbow knee socks! Yet all the while the actors were incredibly believable as the characters they portrayed. There were no set changes, yet for me the set seemed different in every scene thanks to the great lighting and direction. The opening act had 4 girls standing behind iron gates with flashlights all speaking in unison about mankind. It was an impressive start to the show.

Jesus, as played by Brendan Carr age 13, did a wonderful job. When he died on the cross and got carried away – I really believed it. Throughout the performance, Carr wore orange Converse shoes with pom poms on top, and striped clown pants. His eyes were marked with black underneath like a football player but there never was a doubt in my mind that he was indeed Jesus. Not only did he do a great job with his own role but also the support that he gave his fellow castmates as they interacted with him was incredible. I couldn’t imagine a 13 year old staring so supportively into the eyes of a character singing “By My Side” to him. Not many 13 year olds would be up to the challenge of playing Jesus, but Brendan Carr did so inspiringly.

While some characters demonstrated great acting ability, others were yawning during important scenes. This might be expected from a play including so many young children. Although everyone did a wonderful job, the people who really made the show stand out were:
Brendan Carr, age 13 (Jesus)
Krista Corbello, age 17 (Seraphina)
Victoria Manning, age 15 (Fiona)
Shelby Matt, age 10 (Joe Ann)
Anna Sternaman, age 9 (Amy)
Amelie Desormeaux, age 14 (Helena)
Sarah Fruge, age 15 (Naomi)
And last but not least, Kathy Pooler, Director.

My mother thought the music was taped, so she was surprised when the musicians came out on stage to take their bows. That is evidence of the fine job they did.

I myself am no real critic, but I think that this play was amazing from a 10 year old`s point of view. Everyone in the audience seemed to enjoy the performance. There was a long standing ovation. Overall, it was a wonderful production. I will be looking forward to the next CYT show.
---Meghan Andrepont

Dance--Performance

Lafayette Ballet Theatre, through open audition, has selected more than 100 ballet students from across Acadiana to dance with the pros in this year’s production of The Nutcracker at 7 p.m. Saturday, December 12th, and 2 p.m. Sunday, December 13th, in the Heymann Performing Arts Center.


Landing the star child role of Clara are Sophie Luciano, who will perform the role in the Saturday production, and Alex Gjertson, who will perform the role on Sunday. These amateur children — and a few adults, too – will share the stage with the LBT professional company dancers and internationally acclaimed guest artists from Pacific Northwest Ballet of Seattle. Returning as the Nutcracker Prince will be PNB principal dancer Olivier Wevers, and debuting as the Sugarplum Fairy is PNB principal Kaori Nakamura.

Tickets may be purchased through the Heymann Center Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets may call the Heymann Center box office at (337) 291-5555 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on weekends during scheduled events, or visit http://www.ticketmaster.com/ anytime. Tickets are priced according to seat location, as follows: front orchestra, $40; back orchestra, $35; first balcony, $30, second balcony, $20. Prices listed do not include Ticketmaster fees.

This full-length classical ballet in two acts features Lafayette Ballet Theatre professional company dancers, principal guests artists from Pacific Northwest Ballet of Seattle and more than 140 children studying ballet in local academies. Audiences will enjoy a magical experience as talented artists, dazzling stage sets, spectacular special effects and Peter Tchaikovsky’s delightful musical score bring this engaging E. T. A. Hoffmann tale to life before their eyes! An Acadiana tradition, this ballet presented this year by Lafayette Ballet Theatre only has sold out in the past, so organizers are advising patrons to purchase tickets early to ensure availability.

Local cast (by parish):       
ACADIA:

Anna-Kate Hebert, Caroline Wild, Samantha Wright, Sarah Wright, Zach Wright, Michaela Jabusch, Savannah Sonnier, Claire Stearns, Jori Bercier
IBERIA:
Kennedi Williams, Madeline Williams, Emma Beaullieu, Juliane Mahoney, Camille Reaux, Katie Robinson, Stevie Seaux
EVANGELINE:
Kennedy Adams
LAFAYETTE:
Sophie Flores, Emma Gremillion, Lauren Sims, Madeline Comeaux, Tracey Dibbs, Nicole Foreman, Truley Juneau, Shannon Fleming, Courtney Escoyne, Troie Acker, Leah Anderson, Landen Berry, Christine Beaullieu, Isabelle Blackburn, Adrienne Boudreaux, Alexan Broussard, Ashley Grace Cain , Catherine Cain, Emily Carriere, Nina Castille, Lindsey Collins, Meg Conner, Alexa Daigle, Gabrielle Deshotels, Alexander Doucet, Olivia Drago, Libby Elmore, Julia Evans, Shaniya Fuselier, Alyssa Gesser, Alex Gjertson, Elise Gjertson, Caitlin Goforth, Shelley Greene, Brice Gutshall, Abigail Halle, Caroline Harbison, Victoria Harrelson, Caroline Heinen, Aerin Higginbotham, Elle John, Casey Knijn, Zoë Knijn, Anna Lantier, Catherine Lantier, Elizabeth Lee, Alyssa Leger, Sophie Luciano, Elizabeth Mallicoat, Hannah Mallicoat, Olivia Matherne, Faith Mayfield, Caroline Mitchell, Camille Moreau, Joel Moreau, Blaike Musso, Caroline Neal, Anna-Maria Russo, Madison Noel, Caroline Odinet, Anna Paddock, Linzi Paul, Gabrielle Perez, Alaina Picard, Matthew Picard, Zanah Richard, Bailey Romero, MaKaylah Scott, Allison Simon, Emma Sonnier, Elise St. Pé, Anna Stansbury, Kennedy Stansbury, Sydney Stansbury, Anna Stoma, Madeleine Tabchouri, Sophia Tabchouri, Molly Trahan, Caroline Toups, Rachel Toups, Kaitlyn Trahan, Jillian Verzwyveit, Maria Wilkins, Dallas Brister, Casey Daigle, Dalia Mouawad, Katherine Bryant, Corin Dugas. Bailey Hebert, Camryn Hebert, Kennedy Koenig, Ashley Morgan, Katelyn Musumeche, Demi Ortego, Haley Vincent, Hannah Vincent
ST. LANDRY:
Hannah Dakin, Savannah Sonnier, Claire Stearns, Chastity Boyance, Morgan Collins, Gabrielle Preston, Hayley Pritchard, April Pruitt, Angela Thomas, Nicole Winston
ST. MARTIN
Sadi Brasseaux, Carsyn Brazell, Hannah Broussard, Zoe Guidry, Chloe Perron, Gabrielle Sonnier
ST. MARY:
Chastity Buford, Mary McLean, Carly Gowan
VERMILION:
Emily Husband, Lindsey Sagrera

Theatre--Performance

Play. Music. Heal., an original production by Acting Up (in Acadiana), will be presented at the New Orleans Fringe Festival November 13th through the 15th, 2009 at Peter's Piano Place (3811 Chartres St. in New Orleans).  The shows will start at different times every day: November 13th at 7 pm, November 14th at 9 pm, and November 15th at 3 pm. Tickets are $7 at the door or in advance at http://www.nofringe.org/.  Please note that advance tickets get priority seating.

If you can change the world with only three chords, will they every listen?--Play. Music. heal.

Theatre--Performance

The cast of Ladies of the Cajun Prairie: A Celebration of Four Generations of Cajun Women, to be presented by Caroline McGee on November 25th on the UL-Lafayette campus, will feature local actresses Martha Diaz, Christy Leichty, and Carmen Nicholson.

Theatre--Performance

The University of Louisiana--Lafayette Department of Performing Arts presents Noises Off! by Michael Frayn in the Burke Theatre November 12th through the 14th at 7:30 pm and November 15th at 2:00 pm.  This will be the first production housed in the newly renovated Burke Theatre (located in Burke-Hawthorne Hall on the UL-Lafayette campus).  Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for UL-Lafayette alumni, senior citizens, students and children and free (with a valid ID) for UL-Lafayette students, faculty and staff.  Tickets are only available at the door.

From Wikipedia:
In his plot for Noises Off, Frayn plays on the concept of a play within a play, in this case a dreadful sex comedy titled Nothing On—the type of play in which young girls run about in their underwear, old men drop their trousers, and many doors continually open and shut. Nothing On is set in "a delightful 16th-century posset mill that has been converted to a modern dwelling for which renters are solicited; the fictional playwright is appropriately named Robin Housemonger. Each of the three acts of Noises Off contains a performance of the first act of Nothing On.

In theatrical stage directions, the term "noises off" specifies sounds that are meant to originate offstage.

For more information,  call (337) 482-6357.

Theatre--Performance

The Dream of the Marionettes or Le Reve Des Marionette, an original musical production, will be performed at Cité des Arts the first three weekends in November. Tickets are now on sale: $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.  Everyone is encouraged to get their reservations in now because  performances are beginning to fill up.

The burlesque-inspired musical, features an all-star fourteen member cast of Lafayette locals, including Erica Fox, Bria Hobgood, Bruce Coen and John Vincent (who also served as the choreographer), with music performed by a live band. The show begins each night at 6:30pm with Cirque De Cite, in the Cité des Arts lobby, featuring fortune tellers, jugglers, stilt-walkers, and an assortment of circus side shows. The play begins at 7:30pm.

In The Dream of the Marionettes, a hard, task-driving puppetmaster is cast aside by a freedom-seeking band of marionettes, who begin to express their hidden dreams and aspirations in song. The play was co-written by local artists Christine Leichty and Johanna Divine, with an original score by Divine and Daniel Coolik, and choreography by New Iberia native, Johnn Vincent.

The show runs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from November 5th to November 21st, 2009. Pre-show festivities begin at 6:30 each night, so come early for the best seats.  For pre-sale tickets, contact Cite des Arts at 337-291-1122.

Theatre--Performance

Ladies of the Cajun Prairie: A Celebration of Four Generations of Cajun Women, a heartfelt homage to our daughters, sisters, mothers and grandmothers just in time for the Thanksgiving season, will be performed by local actors who completed the July 2009 Master Method Acting Workshop in Lafayette taught by NYU Professor Caroline McGee. The performance is scheduled to be presented on the UL-Lafayette campus on November 25th from 5 to 6 pm.  It will be presented free of charge, but space is limited and reservations are required, so reserve early by e-mail at mcgeec50@yahoo.com

The play is based on interviews of women from the Pointe Noire/Richard community by folklorist Dr. Donna Onebane and subsequently fashioned into a compelling dramatic piece by New York poet/playwright, Allan Graubard. Graubard is an internationally published writer with works translated into twelve languages. His latest play, Woman Bomb/Sade, explores the world of female suicide bombers and was presented at the New York HOTINK International Festival in 2009.

Theatre--Master Class

Lee Strasberg: “The Method is simply what all actors have done when acting well.”

Caroline McGee is announcing a Master Method Acting Workshop for local actors on November 23rd-25th to take place on the campus at UL-Lafayette. Building on the success of Professor McGee’s July 2009 acting workshop at ULL, which introduced 18 actors of various ages and levels of experience and training to the rigors of the Method acting technique, this session will focus on the often eccentric and zany characters in the plays of Anton Chekhov. Modern adapters of Chekhov (Tom Stoppard, David Mamet, Lanford Wilson, Michael Frayn and Tennessee Williams!) will be used. The work will culminate in a presentation of “The Cajun Chekhov” at ULL in December 2009. For more information and/or applications to the workshop, e-mail  mcgeec50@yahoo.com

From Angelina Jolie, Adam Sandler and James Dean to Marilyn Monroe, Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, the great actors have studied and applied Strasberg’s exercises to invoke a sense of truth and an original interpretation devoid of clichéd and dull expression. Beyond specific actor training, the Method inspires the personal growth of each student in developing self-discipline, concentration and creativity.

Caroline McGee, an alumna of ULL & UNO, served as Director of The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, NYU Tisch School of the Arts Drama Studio and Stonestreet Studios for Film & TV professional program in New York City. Additionally, she is currently offering workshops in the famed Moscow Art Actor Training techniques with members of the Studio Six Company, in residence at The Baryshnikov Center. The MXAT studio school was created by Stanislavski and was the first company to perform Chekhov’s plays. Their current program builds upon that legacy, while also incorporating the subsequent techniques of Meyerhold, Michael Chekhov and Grotowski, among others.

Professor McGee holds a Master’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley in Directing, Theatre History, Literature & Criticism; actor training with Robert Lewis at The Yale School of Drama; a 2-year acting certificate at the Conservatoire Nationale in Strasbourg, France, on a CODOFIL scholarship.

She studied acting professionally in New York City with master teachers William Esper , Michael Howard, Stella Adler, Wynn Handman and Elaine Aiken (the Strasberg Method).

She has performed at Yale Repertory Theater, Williamstown Theater Festival, NY Shakespeare Festival, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and in films by Woody Allen and Norman Jewison, with Gregory Peck, Gina Rowland and Gregory Peck, among many others. She is a member of all three actor unions, Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, and AFTRA.

Caroline’s parents are Sylvia and Dean McGee, retired farmers in the Richard area; 4 siblings, folklorist and local historian Dr. Donna McGee Onebane, Advantage Wealth Manager Gary McGee, Liz McGee Smith, mother of six, and Joseph McGee, a medical courier, all of Lafayette.

Theatre--Audition

Auditions for IPAL’s Guys and Dolls will be held Friday, November 20th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, November 21st, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., at the Essanee Theater, 126 Iberia St. in New Iberia. Parts are available for all ages from high school up.  Audition materials can be picked up in advance at the Essanee Theatre on Sunday, November 15th between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m..


Guys and Dolls is an award-winning musical from the Golden Age of Broadway which has enjoyed numerous Broadway revivals and was made into a movie starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra. Guys and Dolls is based on writer Damon Runyon’s humorous tales of gamblers, hustlers, gals, and various denizens of New York in an earlier era.  Great songs, costumes, and staging will make this another memorable IPAL musical. The show will have a large cast and orchestra of sixteen and will be presented in March, 2010.

For further information, contact the director, Katherine Caffery, at (337) 256-0604, e-mail ipal@cox.net, or visit the website .

Theatre--Master Class

Caroline McGee will be back in Lafayette holding a Master Class in the Lee Strasberg Method from Monday, November 23rd through Wednesday, November 25th.  Times of the classes and venue will be announced as soon as possible.

Theatre--Performance

Pictured from left to right: Michael Sanchez as Ben Hecht, Wesley Saunders as David O. Selznick and Brett Faulkner as Victor Fleming in the Eunice Players' Theatre's production of Moonlight and Magnolias.

CYT-Lafayette (Christian Youth Theatre of Lafayette) is presenting its first production, Godspell, on Saturday, November 7th (2 pm and 6 pm) and Sunday, November 8th (3 pm) at the Bayou Bijou in the UL-Lafayette Student Union.

Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew, and featuring a sparkling score by Stephen Schwartz, Godspell boasts a string of well-loved songs, led by the international hit, "Day By Day." As the cast performs "Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord," "Learn Your Lessons Well," "All For The Best," "All Good Gifts," "Turn Back, O Man" and "By My Side," the parables of Jesus Christ come humanly and hearteningly to life.

Drawing from various theatrical traditions, such as clowning, pantomime, charades, acrobatics and vaudeville, Godspell is a groundbreaking and unique reflection on the life of Jesus, with a message of kindness, tolerance and love.

Tickets are $8 per person.  For more information, or for tickets, call (337) 258-1130.

Theatre--Performance

The director of IPAL's upcoming show, The Importance of Being Uncle Roscoe, is announcing a cast change: Alex Bonin will be replaced by Robert Lancon.  No other changes to the production are being made at this time.

Theatre--Performance

The Lafayette Science Museum is looking for volunteers for its Museum of Fear exhibit, running through this weekend.  The exhibit has been doing very well in attendance, but needs extra people now.  Those interested should call (337) 257-2908 for more information.

Theatre--Performance

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Performing Arts Department and Alpha Psi Omega present The Birthday Dinner, a play written and directed by Brian Egland on Thursday (October 29th), Friday (October 30th) and Saturday (October 31st) at Fletcher Hall (on the University of Louisiana Lafayette Campus--on the corner of Girard Park Circle and E. Lewis St.).  Admission is free, and tickets are only available at the door.  Please arrive early because seating is limited.

This Show is Suggested For Mature Audiences.

A birthday can also be a time to recognize the change in someone else. A boy becoming a man or a girl becoming a woman. The blossoming of identity or the losing of innocence

Living life, we as people often do not stop to notice or celebrate the changes that has arisen in our lives. We often ignore it or continue to go with the flow, but there is one day when the changes in life cannot be ignored. That day is a birthday. It is nearly impossible to ignore life on that day because it is the anniversary of a person’s emergence into life. People choose to commemorate the day different ways. Some choose to celebrate and then there are those who try to ignore it, but most likely find themselves reflecting on the past or wondering about their future. You cannot ignore your life on its anniversary.

For more information, visit http://playsbybrianegland.blogspot.com/

The cast:
Jasmine Chapman--Jerýline Pete
Hunter Burke--Miles “Mr. Zee” Zeeman
Amandah Baker--Emma Osmond
Jeremy Drewery--Kaden “KC” Channing
Jamel Small--Boris Osmond
Kenny Gabriel--Guy Channing
Kristina Marshall--Judith Channing
Allison Schilhab--Ava Stone

Theatre--Performance

Mayhem and merriment soar this Halloween season at Opelousas Little Theatre with Bats in the Belfry, a two-act comedy by Angela Randazzo, directed by Walter Duncan McBride. Four spinster witches at the Ogilby Conservatory of Music have been keeping secrets from their young ward. When Pamela returns from boarding school with her fiancé, everyone and everything that has been invisible suddenly appear, and the shocking truth becomes as clear as mud.


The audience will get caught in the web of witchcraft and magic with this delightful play that runs October 29-31 at 7 pm with matinee performance on November 1 at 2 pm.

Special events for Halloween night at OLT include Trick or Treating from 5:30-6:30 pm and a costume contest. Come in costume and get 20% off the ticket price. Stay after for the "killer" costume contest because two winners will receive free season tickets for the OLT’s 2010 season.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance from Sebastien-Dupre Fine Jewelery (822 S. Main Street in Opelousas ((337) 948-4367)) or at the door before the show.

Theatre--Performance

Under the direction of Debi L. Crawford, the actors of the comedy Moonlight and Magnolias are romping around the Eunice Players’ Theatre stage as they busily prepare for the opening of the third show of the season.


The year is 1939, and famed Hollywood director, David O. Selznick, has shut down production of his epic movie, replaced his director with Victor Fleming, and called in the wonder boy of screenwriters, Ben Hecht. It is only left to the imagination what happens in that locked office for five long days and nights as the three Hollywood power houses rewrite the script for one of the most beloved films of all time, Gone With the Wind.

The dates for the production of Moonlight and Magnolias are set for Saturday, November 7 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, November 8 at 2:00 pm. Dinner theatre, which is a steak dinner and dessert, catered by Nick’s on Second St., is set for Tuesday, November 10th at 6:00 pm. The comedy continues November 11, 12, and 14 at 7:00 pm and closes Sunday, November 15th with a 2:00 pm matinee. Single tickets ($10) and Dinner theatre tickets ($25) are available for purchase at David’s Hair Salon or by calling 337-546-0163 or 337-457-2156. The theatre accepts Visa and Mastercard for purchase of tickets.

The director would like to stress to people with peanut allergies that real peanuts and peanut shells will be used during production. Also, this show contains strong language.

For more information, please call Debi L. Crawford at 337-457-2156 or log onto the Eunice Players' Theatre website.

Theatre--Performance

The Opelousas Daily World has an article about Bats in the Belfry, the latest offering from the Opelousas Little Theatre.  The article includes information about special events set up at the theatre for Halloween, including Trick or Treating for children and a costume contest.

Theatre--Article

Ray Blum's column today (Friday, October 23rd)  is dedicated to theatre superstitions in honor of the Halloween season.

Theatre--Performance

The A & E Gallery (335 W. Saint Peter in New Iberia) and Acting Up present Happy Days by Samuel Beckett, directed by Charlee Halphen Swain and starring Sarah Gautier and David Guarisco on October 23rd and 24th at 7:30 pm.

The sun beats down on “another heavenly day” as Winnie, buried in earth to her waist, practices her daily routine with all of her civilized accoutrements: toothbrush, mirror and a pistol. She has lost all logical sense of time. She cannot remember her past, the future does not exist; all she has is the present. Wanting to die but, cannot; she struggles to keep “sadness from creeping in”. And do not forget Willie, emasculated and broken, caring for and answering to Winnie. Speaking to Willie allows Winnie some comfort and happiness in this forsaken wilderness.

In this insightful comedy, Samuel Beckett explores life leading into death and everything in between. Beckett was born in Ireland in 1906. However, he spent much of his time in Paris and wrote many of his plays in French. Happy Days was written in his original language and dialect. It had its American premiere in 1961. Howard Taubman, a reviewer for the New York Times said, “With Happy Days, Samuel Beckett has composed a song of rue that will haunt the inner ear long after you have heard it.

For more information or for tickets, call 337-364-2645 (Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am-3 pm). Tickets are $10.

Theatre--Preview/Fundraiser

The Dream of Les Marionettes is an all original musical (script, music, choreography, with local artists) being presented at Cité des Arts (Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays) November 5th through the 21st. There will be a preview of the music at the infamous Whirlybird, called “Opelousas, Louisiana’s premiere underground nitespot” by Sugarhill Records of Nashville.  This will be a fundraiser for the Southwest Louisiana Health Education Center/AmeriCorps/Stonewood Foundation partnership and the volunteers who are being trained by the Stonewood Foundation staff as Early Childhood Health Educators and for the exciting Big Red Barn Montessori project in St. Landry Parish.


Although the fundraising effort is ultimately for children, The Dream of Les Marionettes and the preview at The Whirlybird are not events appropriate for children.

When: Saturday, October 24th
Food and Drinks for purchase at 6:00 PM
Show begins at 7:30 PM

For more information, or for reservations, call 337-290-1549 or 337-290-1601.

Film--Extras

(This is again "off topic" for the blog, but it is an opportunity for local people to work in a major motion picture.  Please take note that this is not a paid job.)

Walt Disney Pictures is working with the Lafayette Entertainment Initiative to immediately cast hundreds of Promo Extras in the motion picture Secretariat. It is free to sign-up with the Lafayette Entertainment Initiative as an extra.


Promo Extras should come dressed in their best 1970s clothing and be prepared for audience giveaways, a 1970s costume contest, and more fun-filled filming. Promo extras will receive lunch as well as the chance to win prizes, including TVs, I Phones, and PlayStations.

There are two ways you can sign up to be a Promo Extra in Secretariat.

You may simply log on to http://www.lei-la.org/ and sign up for a reel crew account.

Or you may also send an e-mail with your name, phone number, and e-mail address to TripleCrownExtras@gmail.com.

Theatre--Review

Ray Blum reviews Firelight Performing Art's latest production Every Sunday Night at Seven in the Friday, October 16th edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Theatre--Performance

Mitch Landry, Firelight's own "Ed Sullivan"

Ellen Hebert, Shai Simon and Elaine Kibodeaux take the audience back to a 1950's TV commercial.

Casey Collins and Elaine Kibodeaux "Catch a Falling Star".

The final performances of Every Sunday Night at Seven, Firelight Performing Arts Academy's fall production, are Thursday, October 15, Friday, October 16, and Saturday October 17 at 7p.m. Join them as they sing and dance to the music of the 1950's. For information or tickets call 857-6991 or visit the website.

Dance--Performance

Pacific Northwest Ballet's Kaori Nakamura and Olivier Wevers

Tickets are available to two performances of The Nutcracker by Lafayette Ballet Theatre at 7 p.m. Saturday, December 12th, and 2 p.m. Sunday, December 13th, in the Heymann Performing Arts Center.


Tickets may be purchased through the Heymann Center Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets may call the Heymann Center box office at 337-291-5555 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on weekends during scheduled events, or visit http://www.ticketmaster.com/ anytime. Tickets are priced according to seat location, as follows: front orchestra, $40; back orchestra, $35; first balcony, $30, second balcony, $20. Prices listed do not include Ticketmaster fees.

This full-length classical ballet in two acts features Lafayette Ballet Theatre professional company dancers, principal guests artists from Pacific Northwest Ballet of Seattle and more than 140 children studying ballet in local academies. Audiences will enjoy a magical experience as talented artists, dazzling stage sets, spectacular special effects and Peter Tchaikovsky’s delightful musical score bring this engaging E. T. A. Hoffmann tale to life before their eyes! An Acadiana tradition, this ballet presented this year by Lafayette Ballet Theatre only has sold out in the past, so organizers are advising patrons to purchase tickets early to ensure availability.

For more fun and to further support Lafayette Ballet Theatre – a nonprofit ballet company and arts education outreach organization – Nutcracker fans of all ages are encouraged to attend the annual fundraiser “Land of the Sweets.” This social event immediately follows the Sunday, Dec. 13, matinee Nutcracker performance (about 4 p.m.) at Iberiabank Tower, 200 W. Congress St. in Downtown Lafayette. Attendees may enjoy coffee or soft drinks while sampling hors d’oeuvres and sweets from area restaurants. Stars of The Nutcracker will be on hand for autographs as well as photos, so don your dressy apparel!

Tickets for “Land of the Sweets” are $15 in advance or $20 at the door and are sold only by Lafayette Ballet Theatre. For more information or for tickets to “Land of the Sweets,” call 337-262-0444 or visit http://www.lafayetteballettheatre.org/.

Theatre--Fundraiser (IPAL)

A benefit dinner for IPALwill be held at the La Triomphe Clubhouse on Friday, November 13 starting at 7:00 p.m. Guest chefs will be Ray Flores and Will Grubbs. The menu for the dinner will be:

Tortilla Soup with chorizo and chichuahua cheese taquitos
Mixed Green Salad with Avacado and Ancho Ranch Dressing
Duo of Braised Chicken and Grilled Beef Tournedos Served with Warm Grit Cake
Granny Smith Applie and White Chocolate Towers.
Cost: $50 per person (with cash bar).

All proceeds will benefit IPAL. For more information or reservations, call Claire Flores (856-1690 or 256-1389) or IPAL (364-6114) or e-mail IPAL at ipal@cox.net.