Theatre--Performance

What do a rock and roll star, the stark reality of Louisiana’s “good old days,” and a mother’s fierce defense of her family have in common? The answer is Carolyn Woosley’s critically acclaimed play, Louisiana Originals.

The famous Duchamp Opera House in downtown St. Martinville hosts Louisiana Originals November 12-14.

Three incredible black women. Three riveting stories.  One play of amazing power and intelligence.

 Marie Thérèze Coincoin: A fierce and proud freed slave who defends her family and escapes the punishments of the notorious 18^th Century French Code Noir to own her own tobacco plantation.  Clementine Hunter: the centenarian primitive artist, who grew up on a plantation outside Natchitoches and worked on Melrose Plantation as a field hand and cook.  There she took in the day-to-day Louisiana life of ten decades and recorded it in the stark, yet beautiful paintings that have made her world famous.  Nellie Lutcher: The Lake Charles native and rock and roll star.  She busted down racial barriers and took Hollywood and then the world by storm with hit after hit.

Carolyn Woosley’s critically acclaimed play Louisiana Originals will run Friday and Saturday, November 12 & 13 at 7:30 PM, and on Sunday November 14 at 2:00 PM at The Duchamp Opera House in St. Martinville, Louisiana. Tickets are $15. For reservations call (337) 394-6604 or (337) 515-6479 or go to www.louisianawomenonstage.com.

This is the last performance on tour before "Clementine & Clyde" go to the New Orleans Fringe Festival November 17th to 21st. The plays will be performed at the Ogden Museum, 925 Camp St. 

Opera--Performance

Theatre--Performance

Abbey Players will be hosting A Tuna Christmas, directed by Dianna Ducote. Two local theatre veterans,  Shane Guildbeaux of Lafayette and Jerrod Arabie of Abbeville, portray twenty-two different characters from the redneck town of Tuna, Texas.  It's a joy ride of comedy as the citizens of Tuna struggle to deal with the infamous "Christmas Phantom" that plaques their yearly Yard Display Contest.  Each character has it's own set of hilarious and awkward problems and will have you laughing till the end as they fight, plot and sometimes insult each other.  Christmas has never been so funny!



The show begins its run on November 12th, 2010 8pm and will run Fridays and Saturdays through December 4th.   Check www.abbeyplayers.com for more info.



Tickets are available online 24/7 at WWW.ABBEYPLAYERS.COM or leave a message at 337-893-2442.

Theatre--Performance/Workshop

Acting Up (in Acadiana) hosts its first open class on Monday November 1st 
from 6:15-7:45 at the Acadiana Center for the Arts 101 W. Vermilion Street in 
downtown Lafayette. Observe professional and junior company members along 
with associate members train and participate in a brief discussion about the 
technique and the vision of the company. They invite input and ideas from the community. 

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

Auditions for IPAL’s South Pacific will be held Sunday, November 7, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m, and Monday, November 8, from 5:30 to 7:00  p.m. at the Essanee Theater, 126 Iberia St. in New Iberia . The show will have a large cast, and parts are available for singers, dancers, and actors 15 and over. No special advance preparation is required, but if desired audition material can be obtained at the Essanee Theater on Sunday, October 31 between noon and 2:00 p.m., by calling the director at 364-1975, by e-mailing to ipal@cox.net, or by visiting the website www.iberiaperforms.com. 

           

            South Pacific is written by the legendary team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein based on James A. Michener's novel, Tales of the South Pacific.   The musical won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950 and the 2007 Lincoln Center revival won 7 Tony Awards. Songs in the score include favorites such as ‘There is Nothing Like a Dame,” “Bloody Mary,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “Bali Hai” and a host of others.  Lead roles include Emile de Becque, Nellie Forbush, Bloody Mary, Luther Billis, and Lt. Joseph Cable. IPAL is dedicating this show to the WWII veterans in Iberia Parish, and 100 free tickets will be available to them, so a large chorus is needed to play sailors, nurses, and natives. All are encouraged to audition!

            A separate audition will be held on Sunday, November 14, from 2 to 3 p.m. for young children (9-15) interested in the roles of Ngana and Jerome. 

Theatre--Review (IPAL)

Ray Blum's review of IPAL's The Lion in Winter appears in the Friday, October 22nd edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Editor's Note

This blog will be wearing purple today.  No one should be bullied and tormented for any reason. Adults should teach and model better behavior. It will get better if we help it get better!

Theatre--Review (Le Chat Noir)

(Technically, this show is not "Acadiana theatre", but consider it an experiment to see whether or not there is any interest in reviews of plays from more distant theatres.  Please let me know what you think.)


Inspired lunacy is the order of the day in Le Chat Noir's production of Charles Ludlam's camp classic, "The Mystery of Irma Vep."  Ludlam's 1984 play is a theatrical fever dream of lightning-fast costume changes, arch performances, goofy one-liners, silly sight gags and the mashed-up conventions of gothic horror tales that aspires only to make us double over in laughter. The play is one of the lasting legacies of Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatrical Company, and it's easy to see why. The show's a relentless and hilarious hoot.

The plot -- convoluted and wonky as it is -- centers on Lady Enid and her husband Edgar, who are trying to fashion some sort of a regular marriage under the looming specter of Edgar's dead first wife, Irma Vep. Irma died under suspicious circumstances -- as did her son, Victor, and her son's pet wolf, Victor (who may or may not still be alive as a werewolf). Their servants, Nicodemus and Jane, harbor secrets of their own, and when a mysterious attack on Lady Enid occurs, Edgar departs to Egypt to uncover a mythical mummy while Jane and Nicodemus tend to Enid.

It's pointless to delve further into the play's narrative machinations. They're increasingly weird and ultimately besides the point. What matters is the seemingly endless string of jokes and gags that come bounding out of every scene -- all clever, all knowing, all funny.

The play also charges two actors to play all of the show's roles, resulting in some terrific moments of rapid-fire changes and the winking delight of some goofy cross-dressing.

Everything about "Vep" is wildly over the top. Thank God. Le Chat's production is in the very capable hands of Ricky Graham and Varla Jean Merman, both regulars (and favorites) of New Orleans audiences, and they handle their monster acting assignments with aplomb. Graham brings some arch severity to his Jane, and he gives his Edgar a plummy effeteness that scores big laughs.

The show's real revelation (for me, anyway) was Varla Jean Merman's outrageously brilliant performance. I've been a fan of her drag work for years (she's a scene-stealing delight in the indie film "Girls Will Be Girls), but I wasn't quite prepared for the accomplished work she'd deliver here. Her Lady Enid is a smartly-modulated version of her Varla persona and her one scene as a horned-up, Ann-Margaret-aping mummy is comic gold. But in the role of Nicodemus, the hunchback servant, Merman dazzles. It's a funny and ultimately touching creation -- his final moments are actually heart-wrenching -- and it's a performance that made me realize Jeffery Roberson (the man behind the Merman) is just a damn fine actor. Period.

There's nothing serious at stake in "Irma Vep" -- even the show's emotionally florid ending scores some laughs --but the show is a lovely, brilliantly crafted evening of theatre. The costumes are gorgeous, the set is filled with hidden surprises, the performances are killer, the direction is spot-on and the whole thing pulses with a playful exuberance that's ultimately irresistible.

Go. That's it. Just go.
---Cody Daigle


"The Mystery of Irma Vep" by Charles Ludlam
Le Chat Noir. New Orleans.
Through Oct. 24.
For Info, visit www.cabaretlechatnoir.com

Theatre--Review (Evangeline Players)

Ray Blum's review of the Evangeline Players' production of Ghosts, which appeared in the Friday, October 15th edition of the Daily Advertiser, can be found online here.

Ghosts will continue its run until October 24th.  For more information, call (337) 364-6604.

Theatre--Review (ULL Department of Music and Performing Arts)

Diana Son's Stop Kiss is about the unexpected nature of love and its ability to shake us out of our complacency. It's also about the brutal nature of intolerance and the transformative force of a random act of violence.

It's a play built on themes that should generate some theatrical heat.  And that's what makes the UL School of Music and Performing Arts production of Son's 1998 Off-Broadway hit a puzzling one: This Stop Kiss is cool as a cucumber.

First, the story: Callie (Rachel Mauti) is a dedicated New Yorker who offers to cat-sit for Sara (Elizabeth Satterly), a friend of a friend and recent transplant to the city. The two hit it off, and a friendship is born.

Soon, this friendship begins to develop into something more, and these two otherwise heterosexual women must navigate the tricky minefield of their burgeoning romantic interest in each other.

Their relationship narrative is intercut with the more painful story of this relationship's outcome: a brutal attack in a public park, prompted by the couple's first kiss, that leaves Sarah in a coma and Callie struggling to cope.

Son's play is a marvel of construction, bouncing back and forth in time in a way that's almost playful. By toying with the conventional structures we expect in the theatre, Son finds a way to tell a more emotional narrative, one that colors the present with the shadows of what's to come and tempers the future with the softness of what came
before. It all adds up to a beautiful final moment that feels inevitable and leaves us on a happy note tinged with melancholy.

Unfortunately, this production feels oddly detached. The cleverly-written scenes that chart Callie and Sara's blossoming affection are cute, but they never generate any heat. An awkward exchange between Callie and Sara's ex-boyfriend should be painful, but it just feels out of place. Even a tender scene in which Callie lovingly changes Sara from her hospital gown into her own clothes fails to generate a great deal of emotion.

Part of this detachment may come from the show's pacing, which hasn't quite solved the challenges of the play's unusual structure. Scenes don't flow effortlessly in and out of each other -- instead we have sometimes lengthy blackouts to accommodate costume changes -- and we lose the poignancy and power of the scene's juxtapositions. It's a disappointment, because inside individual scenes, the pace is crisp and the direction is flawless.  Part of it may also come from the performances, which don't always dig deep enough. As Det. Cole, who questions Callie about the nature of the attack, Catherine Luchessi seems to ride on one note of anger throughout. As Peter, Sara's ex, Tylor Clark doesn't quite make his pain and confusion believable. Kristen Dubois and Tiffanyjo Ayers are believable and compelling in their small roles as Mrs. Winsley and the nurse, respectively, but their parts seem a little thankless, with not much to chew on.

As Sarah, Elizabeth Satterly delivers beautifully on her character's sweet side -- her wide open eyes and warm smile really do command your attention -- and she's rather affecting in the show's last third, wheelchair-bound and struggling to recover. But there's a spark missing in her scenes with Mauti's Callie, and I never quite believed
that she was, for the first time in her life, slowly falling in love with a woman.

Mauti's Callie is a confident creation, however. She's breezy and believable as another slightly jaded New Yorker, and her scenes post-attack are filled with the right kind of gravitas and emotional weight. Mauti handles a really complicated and challenging role with a real grace, and she's an actress I am looking forward to seeing again.  The show's most exciting performance comes from David Huynh as George, the on-again, off-again romantic interest for Callie. He lands some of the show's biggest laughs and Huynh has a commanding presence on stage. In fact, the show's one short scene between George and Callie after spending the night together is the only scene that generates any sexual heat. Huynh does great work in this show, and someone needs to give this kid a leading role sooner than later.

There's an abundance of talent on stage in Stop Kiss, and the show is beautifully designed and looks as professional as anything I've seen Off-Broadway. But the messy, painful and confusing emotions that reside at the heart of the play never seem to surface. We leave the theatre appreciating the craft involved, but we don't leave thinking about the characters' lives and futures.

I, for one, would have gladly traded the slickness for a show that broke my heart.

Opera--Performance

The UL Lafayette Opera Theater will present the 2 act comic opera Too Many Sopranos by Edwin Penhorwood.  The contemporary opera was written in 2000 and explores the world of opera.  It looks lovingly and humorously at the "typical" opera singer stereotype of every voice. 

The plot revolves around four divas who arrive at the pearly gates where they meet St. Peter (Jonah Slason) and the angel Gabriel (Josh Coen) who inform them that there is only one spot available in the heavenly chorus for a soprano because of a serious lack of tenors and basses who are mostly in hell for doing terrible things.  The divas are forced to audition for placement, but they are all of equal talent, so St. Peter cannot decide.  The 4 divas are Miss Titmouse (Lana Carver), Madame Pompous (Jessica Wiltz), Just Jeanette (Meghin Taylor) and Dame Doleful (Alex Hollerman).  They are they told of a clause that if they go to hell and do a selfless act, they will be allowed to bring back as many tenors and basses they wish, thus granting all four of them entry into the chorus.  They agree to this and decend into hell. 


 In Act 2, we meet the men, Enrico Carouser (Holden Greene), the Unnamed Bass (Jared Price), Nelson Deadly (Jace Fogleman) and Orson (Nicholas Manzo).  They all hear their sad stories and are moved by them. Nelson and Jeanette are forced to attempt to listen to Orson, the director, talk without falling asleep, thus fulfilling their promise.  They fail, however, but the Sandman (Jenee Luquette) tells them they attempted, therefore they can now go back to heaven with the men.  All end happily, promising never to sing opera again!

This delightful opera is being directed by Shawn Roy with piano accompaniment by Geraldine Hubbell.  The set is being designed by Duncan Thistethwaite, the lighting designer is Ken Harrelson and the production stage manager is Kristy Chiasson-Gondron.  The performances will be in the Burke Theater on the UL Lafayette campus and are on November 5 and 6 at 7:30PM and November 7 at 3PM.  Tickets are available at the door only and are $10 for general admission and free for UL Lafayette students, faculty and staff.  Call 482-6012 for more information. 

Theatre--Review (Evangeline Players)

Secrets and lies unravel a family in the Evangeline Players' production of Henrik Ibsen's classic drama, Ghosts.
The play centers on Helen Alving, a tough-minded woman who's been holding her family and estate together since her husband's death a decade prior. In his honor, she's opening an orphanage with assistance from lifelong friend (and maybe former romantic interest) Rev. Manders. Her son, Oswald, has returned from living in Paris, and he
has his eye on Regina, the Alving's maid. Also in the mix is Regina's father, Engstrand, who's a drunk of  questionable responsibility.

The dramatic heart of Ghosts is the unearthing of long-held family secrets -- particularly secrets about the dead Captain Alving -- and these secrets, once revealed, threaten to destroy the family forever.  By the play's end, all the family's illusions of propriety and respectability are stripped away, and they're left to deal with the rotted and diseased reality underneath.

The adaptation by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson is a brisk, if sometimes plodding, take on Ibsen's original. His lines are, for the most part, easy on the ears -- there are a few moments, however, of anachronistic slang that stick out like sore thumbs -- and the play's three acts move at a rapid clip. Unfortunately, some stretches of the play feel dramatically inert, and although the play's construction is tight, the brevity sometimes makes the play feel thin and undernourished.

Script quibbles aside, the play's in the very capable hands of director Charlee Halphen-Swain, who does a commendable job navigating Ibsen's murky family drama. The show is fast, smart, concise and thoughtful, and she's done a terrific job keeping the show on its toes. This show is a tough sell, especially in our corner of the
country, but Halphen-Swain delivers a production that's clear and accessible.

Ghosts is also a tough play for actors, but the cast here is more than eager to meet its challenges head-on. As Engstrand, Paul David lends the show some levity, landing a handful of the show's better punch lines. As Regina, Elizabeth Hunt reveals layers of sensuality, vulnerability and steely determination. And as Oswald, Devin Capritto
does a nice job capturing the frustrated spirit of a young man attempting to step into the shoes of adulthood.
Heath Swain delivers some very fine work as Rev. Manders, the play's moralistic center. Manders is a man of unwavering principle, and Swain communicates that nicely. His is a grounded and believable performance.

The show's best asset, however, is Amanda Newberry's Helen Alving. Newberry breathes the most life into the show's dense language, and hers is the most commanding and confident performance. She's in turns
flirty, ferocious and vulnerable, and her final scene with Oswald is the show's most affecting stretch. Newberry owns this role and this show. It's a performance worth seeing.

The show's got a game cast and an able director, but Ghosts doesn't quite pack the emotional punch it should. The wounds that are inflicted on the Alvings and those surrounding them only graze the skin when they should cut to the bone. And while the show fires on all its intellectual cylinders, it doesn't always hit us in the gut the way a good drama should.

The show, however, is still worth seeing, and the Evangeline Players should be commended for tackling this unorthodox choice. Bravery counts for a lot, and this company bravely stands up to the imposing and challenging Ghosts.
---Cody Daigle


Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen, adaptation by Lanford Wilson
Directed by Charlee Halphen-Swain
Produced by Evangeline Players
Through Oct. 24. For info, call 394-6604.

Dance--Performance

Mythical creatures gallop across the stage, larger-than-life roses bloom to music, and the birds of summer come out to play when dancers with Momix, the acclaimed company of dancer-illusionists led by famed choreographer Moses Pendleton, bring their newest work “Botanica” to the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana’s (PASA) mainstage series at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 19 at the Heymann Performing Arts Center.

For more than 25 years, Momix has been celebrated for presenting work of exceptional inventiveness and physical beauty. Known internationally for its ability to conjure a world of surrealistic images using props, light, shadow, humor and the human body, Momix, is a Connecticut-based company of dancer-illusionists under the direction of Moses Pendleton. In addition to stage performances world-wide, Momix has worked on special projects in film and in television, including perfor mances on Antenne II in France and five Italian RAI television features broadcast to 55 coun tries.

Tickets for Momix are available through TicketMaster outlets by phone at 1-800-745-3000, or online at www.pasa-online.org. Student and group discounts are available.

This performance and all activities in association with Momix are sponsored by Cox Communications, Moss Motors and Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry. Additionally supported is provided by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the Acadiana Center for the Arts.

Momix “Botanica” is an exploration of the delicate world of nature through a spectacular blend of theatre, athleticism and movement bringing show goers along on a fantastic visual journey.  The Times Union says, “Earthly and otherworldly at once— (Botanica) it is a magnificent vision of the everyday miracles around us.”

“Momix Botanica is inspired by everyday things found in the natural world,” says, Jackie Lyle, PASA Creative Director. “From plants, to animals, to the change of seasons, the beauty of nature is celebrated through this performance.” Lyle continues, “This show is great for all ages and is a great opportunity for parents and children to experience dance at its best.”

The company was featured in PBS’s Dance in America series and selected to represent the United States at the European Cultural Center at Delphi. Momix dancers Cynthia Quinn and Karl Baumann played the role of “Bluey” in the film FX II, under the direction of Moses Pendleton. The company is featured on a Decca Records laser disc, appearing with Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony in the Rhombus Media film of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, winner of an International Emmy for Best Performing Arts Special. Momix was also featured in one of the first IMAX films in 3-D, IMAGINE, which premiered at the Taejon Expo 93 and was subsequently released at IMAX theaters world-wide. In 2004, “White Widow”, co-choreographed by Moses Pendleton and Cynthia Quinn, was featured in Robert Altman’s movie, The Company.

 “Momix is well-known for creating beautiful, thought-provoking, choreography that challenge audiences to open their minds and let their imaginations take over. This performance will take our audience on a journey into a magical world through dance,” says Lyle.

 In addition to the evening performance, Momix will perform in a daytime performance for middle and high school students at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 20 at the Heymann Center. Interested teachers and principals can register their students through the PASA office at (337) 237-2787. PASA will also host several free Momix inspired outreach activities including a native and edible plant lecture at the Iberia Parish Library Main Branch, a floral display by the Lafayette Garden Club at the Heymann Center, and a celebration of Pi Keohavong, a New Iberia native and former principal dancer with Momix. The complete schedule of activities is available at www.pasaonline.org or by calling 337-237-2787.

For more information about the 2010-2011 PASA series, visit www.pasaonline.org or call 337- 237-2787.

Theatre--Performance

 (From left to right, from the top:  Thomas Owens as Richard, Jonathan Parich as Geoffery, Elliot Leitner as Phillip, Travis Guillory as John, Kristen Hebert as Alais, Vincent P. Barras as Henry, and Carmen Nicholson as Eleanor)

 Vincent P. Barras and Carmen Nicholson

Kristen Hebert and Vincent P. Barras

Iberia Performing Arts League will present The Lion in Winter by James Goldman as its second offering in its 2010-11 season.  An adult comedy/drama, the show opens at IPAL’s Essanee Theater in New Iberia on Saturday, October 16, 2010, and plays for three weekends, closing on Sunday, October 31, 2010. Curtain is at 7:30 on Friday and Saturday evenings and 3:00 PM on Sunday afternoons. Tickets are $10 and may be obtained at Delaune’s Pharmacy, Paul’s Flowers, Accentrics on Main Street or by calling the theater at 364-6114 and leaving a name and phone number.

Directed by Mac Stearns, the production stars IPAL veterans Vincent Barras as Henry II and Carmen Nicholson as Eleanor of Aquitaine. Their three sons are portrayed by Thomas Owens as Richard, Jonathan Parich as Geoffrey and Travis Guillory as John. Kristen Hebert plays Alais and Elliot Leitner rounds out the cast as Philip, King of France.

The play originally opened on Broadway in 1966 and won a “Tony” for Rosemary Harris. The author then wrote the screenplay for the movie of the same name starring Katharine Hepburn, Peter O’Toole and Anthony Hopkins. The movie received seven Academy Award nominations and took home three “Oscars” including Best Actress for Hepburn.

The director of this classic production, Mac Stearns, describes the play as the prequel to the story of Robin Hood. In Christmas, 1183, Henry II controls all of England and half of France but is unable to control his family. He is joined at his palace by his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine whom he has imprisoned for 10 years. Also present are their three sons, Richard the Lionheart, Geoffrey, and John,  Henry’s mistress Princess Alais, and her younger brother, Philip Capet, King of France. Conflict, comedy, scheming and shifting alliances between all those involved provide a riveting theatrical experience.
    
For questions or additional information contact Mac Stearns at 365-8898, call the theater at 364-6114, or e-mail ipal@cox.net.

Theatre--Review (AUI/AURA at Cite)

Cody Daigle's review of the AUI/AURA production of Speech and Debate is featured in this week's edition of the Times of Acadiana.

Other

Lafayette's large-scale 2nd annual horror attraction is open. The 6,000 square foot "theater in the surround" will operate Thursday, Friday, and Saturday throughout October and brings with it a new type of entertainment to Lafayette. This attraction is the only one of its kind in Acadiana.   Potential audience members and performers who want more information on attending as a “victim” or participating as a “ghoul” should contact the Lafayette Science Museum.



This attraction employs a number of local actors--support them by going out to see the "Museum of Fear".

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

AUI/AURA is auditioning for their January production-slash-fundraiser, Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog. Casting for the speaking role of Moist and for choral parts is open.  Auditions for a companion piece will be held at a later date, however, first consideration for the casting of that show will be given to those in the chorus of Dr. Horrible.

Auditions will be held at Cite des Arts on Tuesday, October 12th at 6 pm. Please bring a song (there will be NO accompaniment, so be prepared to sing a cappella) if you wish to audition for a featured singing role. There will be excerpts from the script available for cold readings.  Arrangements will be made for special audition times for those who can't make the scheduled time.

Performance dates for Dr. Horrible and its companion piece will be January 6th through the 9th, 2011. Performances will take place at Cite des Arts.

Please contact director Ruth Diaz at actingunlimitedinc@gmail.com  if you have questions or if you need to arrange a special audition time.  Information is also available on Facebook. 

Theatre--Review (Eunice Players' Theatre)

Ray Blum's review of the Eunice Players' Theatre production of The Subject Was Roses was in the Friday, October 8th edition of the Daily Advertiser.  The show continues through this weekend.

Theatre--Review (AUI/AURA at Cite)

The end of adolescence and the terrors of adulthood are the fuel that starts the fire of Stephen Karam's clever drama Speech and Debate. Thankfully, that fire is on fine display in the AURA/AUI production currently running at Cite des Arts, and it's a fire you won't want to miss.


The play opens in an online chat room, where an 18-year old student named Howie is being propositioned by a 36-year old man. That man turns out to be a teacher at Howie's school, and the conversation ends.


Also on the trail of this teacher and his alleged misdeeds with students are Solomon, a deadly serious young man with journalistic aspirations, and Diwata, a theatre geek with huge theatrical aspirations and not much on her resume. Fate – in the form of their school's newly-formed speech and debate club – brings them together, and the three form a possibly malevolent alliance to expose and bring down the teacher.


While the trio's plotting and planning form the narrative backbone of the play, Karam is really exploring a tricker, murkier emotional terrain: the dangerous and painful last stretch of adolescence. The three are all still resolutely children – their dialogue is filled with hilariously goofy asides and inane arguments that seem completely logical when you're a teenager – but they're all peering over the cliff into adulthood, one that they all seem acutely aware is filled with danger, difficulty and potential disappointments.


It sounds like serious stuff. But more often than not, Karam's play is laugh-out-loud funny, bubbling over with witty exchanges, clever jokes and a few instances of some terrifically awful/hilarious musical numbers. The play is relentlessly entertaining, and that's its greatest trick. You're laughing, but soon the play's darker notes have seeped into your soul.


Navigating the waters of Speech and Debate are four young local actors, and they all acquit themselves nicely. As Diwata, Adele-Catherine Comeaux finds a lovely balance between warmth and weirdness, capturing beautifully the awkwardness and desperation of a girl clamoring for acceptance. Comeaux lends her Diwata a girlishness
that plays nicely against the more sinister parts of her character's psyche, and she's charming as hell in her musical moments. Topher Daniel makes a confident Solomon, bringing a nervous earnestness to his early scenes that strips away nicely into vulnerability in his later scenes. And Rachel Silliman-Smith does very nice work as the
show's various adults – particularly as the slightly aloof reporter who turns out to be less altruistic than she first seems.


But the show's most impressive performance comes from Nathanel Trahan as Howie. Trahan brings an affecting vulnerability to Howie, hitting the loveliest notes when Howie is feeling backed into a corner.  You sense that Trahan's Howie is still trying to figure out how to live comfortably in his own skin, and his journey through the world of Speech and Debate is the one that resonates most powerfully. Trahan creates a Howie that's truly living in that in-between world of childhood and adulthood, and it's the performance that feels most uncomfortably real.


Director Walter Brown has done a lovely job balancing the show's comic and serious elements, and he's directed the proceedings at a breakneck pace, which serves the material beautifully. There's no overwrought playing or ponderous moments here, and thankfully so. The show feels honest, muscular and real.


There are no pat, convenient resolutions at the end of Speech and Debate, and that's a good thing. Can any of us really say we've completely resolved the terrors and insecurities that plagued us in high school? Howie, Diwata and Solomon are still peering over that cliff, and not even they're sure they'll survive the eventual fall unscathed. But they seem okay with it. And so do we.


What we're left with at the end of the play is a hopeful note of optimism tinged with just a shadow of doubt.


Just like life, really. Which makes Speech and Debate worth checking out.

---Cody Daigle

Theatre--Performance

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette presents their fall production of Stop Kiss by Diana Son.

"After Callie meets Sara, the two unexpectedly fall in love. Their first kiss provokes a violent attack that transforms their lives in a way they could never anticipate."

Director Nyalls Hartman

Assistant Director Katie Lamson.
Set Design by Travis Johnson
Costume Design by Brady McKeller
Cast:Rachel Mauti, Elizabeth Satterly, David Huynh, Tylor Clark, Catherine      Lucchesi, Kristen DuBois, and TiffanyJo Ayers.

The play runs October 14th-17th at 7:30pm with a 2:00pm matinee on Sunday.

$10.00 General Admission
Free w/ Valid ID, UL Lafayette Students, Faculty, and Staff
$5.00 UL Lafayette Alumni, Senior Citizens, Students, and Children

Tickets available only at door.
For more information call: 337.482.635

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

Auditions for IPAL’s South Pacific will be held Sunday, November 7, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m, and Monday, November 8, from 5:30 to 7:00  p.m. at the Essanee Theater, 126 Iberia St. in New Iberia . Parts are available for singers, dancers, and actors 16 and over. Audition material can be obtained by calling the director at 364-1975, e-mailing him at ipal@cox.net, or visiting the IPAL website.  As an alternative, you can come to the Essanee on Sunday, Oct 31 between noon and 2 pm to pick up the materials. No special advanced preparation is required, but we are making these materials available for those wishing them.  

           

            South Pacific is written by the legendary team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein based on James A. Michener's novel, Tales of the South Pacific.   The musical won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950 and the 2007 Lincoln Center revival won 7 Tony Awards. Songs in the score include favorites such as ‘There is Nothing Like a Dame,” “Bloody Mary,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “Bali Hai” and a host of others.  Lead roles include Emile de Becque, Nellie Forbush, Bloody Mary, Luther Billis, and Lt. Joseph Cable and a large chorus is needed to play sailors, nurses, and natives.  IPAL is dedicating this show to the WWII veterans in Iberia Parish, and 100 free tickets will be available to them please help us make this special! All are encouraged to audition!

            A separate audition will be held on Sunday, November 14, between 2:00 and 3:00 for young children.