Theatre--Performance

The Compound, currently producing Cody Daigle's WILLIAM AND JUDITH, has launched a production blog.

Theatre--Performance

Shylock, a one-man show
by Mark Leiren-Young, featuring M. Brady McKellar

Lafayette, Louisiana - Thursday, September 15, 2011 - 7:30 PM
Burke Theatre, University of Louisiana at Lafayette campusAdmission is $5

Shylock is an award winning one-man play about a Jewish actor who finds himself condemned by the community for his portrayal of the world’s most controversial villain.  The piece addresses and incites discussion about censorship, historical revisionism, and whether certain plays should be produced for contemporary audiences.  The Merchant of Venice is often chief amongst those hotly debated.  This performance is one in a series of performances in the southeast, and will additionally be performed in November at the New Orleans Fringe Festival and will be hosted in the spring by the Shakespeare Behind Bars program in Louisville, Kentucky.

M. Brady McKellar is currently on faculty in the Department of Performing Arts at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.   Previously, Brady served as a theatre professor at Dillard University, as an instructor at Tulane University, as well as concurrently serving as a Teaching Artist with the Young Audience/Arts for Learning program. He has been a guest artist throughout the southeast, such as at Roanoke Island’s The Lost Colony, an invited panelist with Creative Time’s Democracy in America, and as a recurrent lecturer at the Southeastern Theatre Conference. Brady is a regular respondent for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival as well as an adjudicator for the SETC’s annual Young Scholar Award.  Brady is a member of the Costume Society of America, Puppeteers of America, UNIMA-USA and has studied with former Muppeteer Michael Earl.  Brady was recently featured as a performer at the 2008 and 2009 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festivals. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Performance and his Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Technology from the University of Southern Mississippi.

This show is a Wanderlust Theatre Co. production.

Theatre--Performance

Tickets are now on sale for The Guys, a one-act play by Anne Nelson that pays tribute to firefighters and commemorates the 10th anniversary of the events of September 11.

 

Tammy Lamonte, director of The Delta Grand Theatre, directs this moving work of drama about the place of a fire captain and writer in society, the potential power of words as healing tools, andhow extraordinary events impact ordinary people.  Assistant director is Charlie Roy and in charge of lighting and sound is Gino Lamonte.

 

The Guys tells the story of Nick, a New York City fire captain who has lost many men in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. He comes to see Joan, a writer, so she can help him write eulogies for his fallen men. 

 

This play tells the story of unspoken heroes who have pledged to serve unselfishly in any circumstance.  This is not a story of the twin towers or burning buildings but a story of our firefighters who put themselves in harm's way each time they go out in order for us to be safe. 

 

We learn about the firefighters and catch a glimpse of what happens in the firehouse. The Guys will make you feel a range of emotions.  While tugging at your heart strings it will also make you laugh and leave the theatre with an understanding that we are surrounded by heroes every day.

 

In addition to the characters of Nick and Joan, portrayed by Cody Daigle and Jody Lamonte Powell respectively, several local firefighters will be present in cameo roles to represent the fallen men depicted in the play.  

 

The play will be presented Sept. 9 and 10 at 7:00 p.m. and Sept. 11 at 3:00 p.m. at the theatre located at 120 S. Market St. in Opelousas.

 

Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased at the door or in advance at Sebastien-Dupre Fine Jewellery and Wanda’s Florist in Opelousas, or at Frey Outfitters in Eunice.

More information and pictures can be found on The Delta Grand Theatre’s Facebook page or at www.deltagrandtheatre.com.

The Firefighters

 Cody Daigle and Jody Powell

Theatre--Auditions

Plastic Theater is holding open auditions for Edward Albee's The Zoo Story on September 6th, 8th and 13th from 7 to 9 pm in Room 315 in Griffin Hall on the UL-Lafayette campus.

Bring a monologue from the absurdist theater if possible; there will also be close readings from the script.

---

We are looking for two actors (one young male, appearing to be 18 to 29; one male actor who can play a middle aged actor, race immaterial in both cases, the young man working or lower class, the middle aged man upper middle or upper class) for Edward Albee's The Zoo Story.

The Zoo Story is a story about a chance encounter in Central Park that goes very wrong in a very short time. We will be presenting The Zoo Story in a double bill that reproduces the original world and U.S. premieres of both these shows. 

Dance--Open House

Check out our new, completely renovated location at The Ballet Académie’s Open House during the September 10th ArtWalk from 6 - 8pm  The Ballet Academie is located at 200 Polk Street downtown at Parc Sans Souci (diagonally opposite The Children’s Museum in the Russo Building) and will be
premiering new work by artist Kelly Guidry and also work by tattoo artist Jake G and digitally created images by graphic designer Josh Strickland.  


From the lobby of the newly renovated building are double doors leading into the large studio space, featuring high ceilings and dancer's lounge area adjacent to the approximately 1,000 square foot sprung dance floor covered with certified non-slip Harlequin vinyl- the choice of professional dance companies worldwide- providing safety and ease on the dancer's body. 


Youth and Adult Divisions.  Ballet, modern and fitness.Registering for the Winter Program now.  Visit the web site for more info.  You can also email or call the school to observe a class or arrange for a free trial class!
www.theballetacademie.com
info@theballetacademie.com
337-280-0964

Dance--Auditions

Lafayette Ballet Theatre invites area dancers to audition Sunday, Sept. 11, for two full-length ballet productions of The Nutcracker in December. Auditions will take place at Angelle Hall, located at the corner of St. Mary Blvd. and McKinley Street on the UL Lafayette campus. 

Roles for children and adults, male and female, are available. To qualify for audition, a dancer must be at least 8 years old; have completed at least one year of ballet study; and be studying ballet currently in an established dance program. Audition times vary according to the dancer’s age and skill level, as follows:  

▪ Beginner/Intermediate Levels, ages 8-10: 1-3 p.m.

▪ Intermediate /Advanced Levels, ages 11-14: 3-5 p.m.

Tumblers: 5-5:30 p.m. (No audition fee required)

▪ Advanced Level (No pointe work), ages 15- professional: 5:30 - 6 p.m.

▪ NEW date & location for Advanced Pointe (ages 15 - professional): Saturday, Sept. 10:

11:00 – 2 pm at LBT’s studio located at 100 Pillette Road, Lafayette, 70508.

Dancers should arrive one-half hour prior to the start of the audition period listed. All dancers (except tumblers) should wear ballet attire and be prepared to stay for the duration of the audition period as listed on the schedule. A $25 registration fee is required of all dancers ages 8 to 17 at the time of audition. There is no fee for tumblers participating in 5:00 audition only. Please make checks payable to Lafayette Ballet Theatre (LBT) or bring exact change.

Lafayette Ballet Theatre, along with internationally acclaimed guest artists, will present performances of the holiday classic The Nutcracker Saturday, Dec. 10, and Sunday, Dec. 11, at the Heymann Performing Arts Center.

Theatre--Auditions

The Evangeline Players will hold open auditions for The Bishop's Wife, based on the 1947 Samuel Goldwyn movie and adapted for the stage by Dave McGrath.

An Episcopal Bishop, Henry Brougham, has been working for months on the plans for an elaborate new cathedral which he hopes will be paid for primarily by a wealthy, stubborn widow. He is losing sight of his family and of why he became a churchman in the first place. Enter Dudley, an angel sent to help him. Dudley does help everyone he meets, but not necessarily in the way they would have preferred. With the exception of Henry, everyone loves him, but Henry begins to believe that Dudley is there to replace him, both at work and in his family's affections, as Christmas approaches.

Audition Dates: Saturday, September 10th (2-4 PM) and Monday, September 12th (6:30-8:30 PM)

Auditions are open to everyone. The cast consists of a wide range of ages, so there is something for everyone.

Theatre--Performance

Completely Hollywood (abridged) to be shown at Eunice Players' Theatre.

After ripping through The History of America and shredding All The Great Books, the three amigos of abridgement are back once again to take on 189 of the most beloved movies of all time and recut the celluloid into pieces. Tinseltown will never be the same after the Eunice Players' Theatre presents Completely Hollywood (abridged), directed by Debi L. Crawford and starring Kevin Miller, Kevin Courville and Van Reed.

Completely Hollywood (abridged) will run the following dates:
Thursday, September 15
Saturday, September 17
Sunday, September18
Tuesday, September 20
Wednesday, September 21
Thursday, Septermber 22
Saturday, September 24
All shows are at 7:00 p.m., except Sunday, which is at 2:00 p.m.

Ticket information will be available soon. The Eunice Players' Theatre is located at 121 South Second Street in the historic downtown section of Eunice. Be sure and check out the Theatre's website.

Theatre--Classes

• 
  

  • Firelight Performing Arts begins classes August 15, 2011. We offer:

    Theatre Classes for ages 4 through high school
    Broadway Song and dance classes for ages 4 through high school
    Private piano, voice, and guitar lessons for children as well as adults. 
    
    Information about the lessons and classes can be found on our website
    
    www.firelightperformingarts.com or by calling 962-0306 or 857-6991.
    
    

Theatre--Performance

The Iberia Performing Arts League presents Acting Unlimited Inc.’s production of FIRE EYE, A new play by Daniel Povinelli.

Former President of the United States, Noah Jones, is nearing the end of his life -- and he’s having visions. He believes God has appointed him to cradle humanity through the Great Flood. Always larger-than-life, Noah finally appears to be cracking up. Or is he? His eldest daughter, Rachel, and his long-time political strategist,
Robert, are convinced it’s all an act, and that he’s actually getting better. But Noah’s physician, Elizabeth, believes otherwise. As Noah’s predicament grows more amusing -- and puzzling -- he springs another surprise: he demands a birthday party a year early -- to celebrate his impending death! Threaded through the comedic
interplay of Noah’s delusional conversations about the Ark and his preposterous push towards a birthday-party-to-end-all-birthday-parties, all must grapple with darker secrets from their interconnected pasts as they struggle to uncover the meaning of true forgiveness.

Starring:
Bruce Coen …. “Noah (Johnny David) Jones”
Amy Williams …. “Rachel”
Amanda Shackelford …. “Elizabeth”
Jack Robertson …. “Robert”

October 13-15, 20-22 at 8 pm and October 16 & 23 at 3 pm
Essanee Theater
126 Iberia St., New Iberia, LA, 70562

(337) 364-6114

Theatre--Auditions

The Eunice Players’ Theatre will hold auditions for the final play of the 42nd season, A Nice Family Gathering on Wednesday, August 31 at 6:00 p.m. Director Jody L. Powell needs 4 men and 3 women, ages 20’s to 70’s to fill the cast. More people are needed to assist with set decoration, backstage duties, costuming, etc. Auditions for the two-act comedy by Phil Olson are open to everyone who wants to get involved with their local community theatre. Auditions will be at the theatre at 121 S. Second St. (between Nick’s on Second St. and Bertrand’s Office Supplies). Production for this play will be in mid November. For more information, or to schedule an audition time, call Jody at 337-580-1787.

Theatre--Performance

AUI/AURA presents THE COMPOUND's workshop production of

WILLIAM AND JUDITH
A New Play by Cody Daigle
Directed by Alicia Chaisson


DATES
September 17, 23, 24, 30 and October 1 at 7:30 p.m.
September 18, 25 and October 2 at 2 p.m.


THE PLAY

Judith Shakespeare flees to London after being disowned by her father for refusing to marry. She finds safe harbor in the studio of her brother, William. Judith hopes to write plays of her own and see them produced in London. William is facing a creative crisis of his own. Struggling through his late career and inching into his collaboration with John Fletcher, William must come up with a play worthy of the stage in three month's time. He's also got to cool fires at home -- his daughter, Jude, is set to marry a man of whom his wife, Anne, does not approve.

An act of creative thievery turns William's world upside down and threatens to end not only his career, but his relationship with Judith as well.

Inspired by a section of Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own," WILLIAM AND JUDITH" is a whimsical riff on the Shakespeare authorship controversy, a meditation on creative identity and an exploration of gender roles in the world of Shakespeare's theatre.


THE CAST

William Shakespeare...Aren Chaisson
Judith Shakespeare...Sarah Gauthier
John Fletcher...Steven Cooper
Richard Burbage....Duncan Thistlethwaite
Jude Shakespeare...Martha Diaz
Anne Hathaway-Shakespeare...Kate Schnieder
Thomas Quiney....Nick Dooley, Gerard Ducharme

TICKETS

There are three ways you can purchase tickets for WILLIAM AND JUDITH:

1. Click Here to purchase tickets online with your Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express card.

2. Purchase tickets in person, at the door. Box office will open an hour prior to curtain. Due to limited seating, AUI/AURA cannot guarantee that seats will be available for purchase at the door for each performance.

3. Call and make a reservation at 337-873-1548. Reservations will be held until 15 minutes prior to curtain. They will then be released for sale.

Tickets are nonrefundable.

For any questions about the production or to make reservations, please call 337-873-1548.

THANK YOU! And we'll see you at the show.

Performance--Theatre

Coming to Cite des Arts on September 2nd and 3rd is a show that originally opened last Halloween. The play is called 70 Scenes of Halloween, and though it is not October, we like to think of it as a "pre-Halloween show",... this year that is.

The production is rated PG-13.

The cast is lead by the comical team of Kaitlin Romero and Andrew Vincent, reprising their original roles

as Jeff and Joan Jones. Jeff and Joan live as a dysfunctional couple in their hip home. We watch as their

Halloween night changes to anything but normal. With a cast supported by Beasts and Witches (and a

raw chicken), the show is a hilarious ball of twists, turns, and moments of ..."what just happened?" that you

will never forget.

 

We are The Tea Sippers'! and we welcome you to join us for an evening of fun and laughs.

The Tea Sippers' is a teenage-run theatre troupe that was established last September. We continue

to successfully produced, direct, write, and perform plays and other works of art. We encourage all local

teens to join us as we help the local arts thrive.

 

We hope to see you at the show!

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

Playwright, Dennis Ward, serves up a blue plate special of Southern-fried comic melodrama in

this rollicking, hilarious musical about the dysfunctional Nutt family set in the Roadkill Diner.

Big Daddy Nutt, the despot patriarch of Buzzard Mountain has just died leaving his family with

nothing but debts. Desperate, his oldest daughter, Ima Nutt, sets out on a ruthless path to put

the Nutts back on top. She meets her match in Connie Coffee, the fiery, AK-47 tongued,

Roadkill Diner waitress who easily makes mincemeat of the Nutt sisters. Annie Lu Nutt, the

beautiful, talented Roadkill Diner waitress happily marries Dub Nutt, the hetereosexual, drag

queen son of Big Daddy who plans to leave their small town and become a professional

entertainer. The Nutt family members all collide into a frenzied train wreck at the grand annual

Nutt family reunion that exposes all their lurid secrets. Radio station KARP frequently

broadcasts roadkill alerts where to pick up smear of deer sponsored by Ethyl Mae’s Beauty and

Chain Saw Repair. The funny/poignant ten original songs and lyrics that assist to tell the story

are by the incomparable singer/songwriter Roddy Barnes.

 

The show runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday with performance dates September 9-11, 16-

18 and 23-25. All performances start at 7:30pm except Sunday matinees that start at 2:30pm.

Buy tickets early as this highly anticipated show could sell out quickly. For pre-sale tickets,

contact Cité des Arts. 337-291-1122. August 22th tickets are available online paypal at

citedesarts.org.

Theatre--Auditions

The Eunice Players’ Theatre will hold auditions for the final play of the 42nd season, A Nice Family Gathering on Saturday, August 27 at 10:00 a.m., and Wednesday, August 31 at 6:00 p.m.  Director Jody L. Powell needs 4 men and 3 women, ages 20’s to 70’s to fill the cast.  More people are needed to assist with set decoration, backstage duties, costuming, etc. Auditions for the two-act comedy by Phil Olson are open to everyone who wants to get involved with their local community theatre.  Auditions will be at the theatre at 121 S. Second St.(between Nick’s on Second St. and Bertrand’s Office Supplies).  Production for this play will be in mid November.  FMI, or to schedule an audition time, call Jody at 337-580-1787. 

Theatre--Performance

The Guys tells the story of Nick, a New York City fire captain who has lost many men in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. He comes to see Joan, a writer, so that she can help him write eulogies for his fallen men. As the two characters talk about the dead firefighters, Nick opens up and they create testimonies to these men.

This is a very moving work of drama. Although rooted in the events of 9/11, the play touches on issues that transcend that specific historical moment; it’s about the place of a writer in society and about the potential power of words as healing tools. It’s also about how extraordinary events impact ordinary people.

Starring Cody Daigle and Jody L. Powell

Directed by Tammy Lamonte

Assistant Director Charlie Roy

Friday, September 9 at 7:00pm

Saturday, September 10 at 7:00pm

Sunday, September 11 at 3:00pm

You may purchase tickets for $10.00 at:

Sebastian-Dupre Fine Jewelry – 822 S Main St. 337-948-4367

Wanda’s Florist – 1224 Creswell Lane, 337-948-4459

Frey Outfitters – 1425 E. Laurel Ave, 337-546-0208

Delta Grand Theatre

120 S. Market Street

Opelousas, LA 70570

Theatre--Performance

What if William Shakespeare had a sister -- equally ambitious and equally talented -- who wanted to write plays?

Inspired by a section of Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own, WILLIAM AND JUDITH is a whimsical riff on the Shakespeare authorship controversy, a meditation on creative identity and an exploration of gender roles in the world of Shakespeare's theatre.

Judith Shakespeare flees to London after being disowned by her father for refusing to marry. She finds safe harbor in the studio of her brother, William, hoping to write plays and see them produced in London.William is facing a creative crisis of his own. Struggling through his late career and inching into his collaboration with John Fletcher, William must come up with a play worthy of the stage in three month's time. He's also got to cool several fires at home -- his daughter, Jude is set to marry a man of whom his wife, Anne, does not approve. An act of creative thievery turns Will's world upside down and threatens to end not only his career, but his relationship with Judith as well.

AUI/AURA presents this workshop production by THE COMPOUND, a newly formed theatre company in Acadiana. The play will receive its official world premiere by Playhouse Theatre Tulsa in Tulsa, OK in February 2012.

The play is directed by Alicia Chassion and designed by Duncan Thistlethwaite and Gina Baronne. The cast is as follows: Aren Chaisson (William Shakespeare), Sarah Gauthier (Judith Shakespeare), Duncan Thistlethwaite (Richard Burbage), Steven Cooper (John Fletcher), Anne Hathaway Shakespeare (Kate Schnieder), Jude Shakespeare (Martha Diaz) and Thomas Quiney (Nick Dooley/ Gerard Ducharme).

The play runs at the AUI studio space downtown at 810 Jefferson (next to Carpe Diem Gelato) on the following schedule:

Opening night special event: Sept. 17

Sept. 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 and Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Sept 18, 25 and Oct 2 at 2 p.m.

Aren Chaisson, one of the actors, will be video blogging the production.  This is the first installment.

Theatre--Performance

 Pictured Shane Guilbeau, Bob Sidman, Alexandra Culotta and John W. Fiero

Eavesdrop Theatre presents A Retrospective: Pawn’s Gambit, Getting Rid of Horace and Snuff Flick, three hysterical one-act plays, August 12-13 and August 19-20 at 7:30 p.m. and August 14 and 21 at 2:00 p.m. at Cite des Arts, 109 Vine Street, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Theatre--Performance

Theatre--Auditions

The Evangeline Players will hold open auditions for The Bishop's Wife, based on the 1947 Samuel Goldwyn movie and adapted for the stage by Dave McGrath.

An Episcopal Bishop, Henry Brougham, has been working for months on the plans for an elaborate new cathedral which he hopes will be paid for primarily by a wealthy, stubborn widow. He is losing sight of his family and of why he became a churchman in the first place. Enter Dudley, an angel sent to help him. Dudley does help everyone he meets, but not necessarily in the way they would have preferred. With the exception of Henry, everyone loves him, but Henry begins to believe that Dudley is there to replace him, both at work and in his family's affections, as Christmas approaches.

Audition Dates: Saturday, September 10th (2-4 PM) and Monday, September 12th (6:30-8:30 PM)

Auditions are open to everyone. The cast consists of a wide range of ages, so there is something for everyone.

Theatre--Auditions

The Acadia Players are putting on Christmas Belles. Here is a synopsis: A church Christmas program spins hilariously out of control in this Southern farce about squabbling sisters, family secrets, a surly Santa, a vengeful sheep and a reluctant Elvis impersonator.

It's Christmas-time in the small town of Fayro, Texas, and the Futrelle Sisters—Frankie, Twink and Honey Raye—are not exactly in a festive mood. A cranky Frankie is weeks overdue with her second set of twins. Twink, recently jilted and bitter about it, is in jail for inadvertently burning down half the town. And hot-flash-suffering Honey Raye is desperately trying to keep the Tabernacle of the Lamb's Christmas Program from spiraling into chaos. But things are not looking too promising: Miss Geneva, the ousted director of the previous twenty-seven productions, is ruthless in her attempts to take over the show. The celebrity guest Santa Claus—played by Frankie's long-suffering husband, Dub—is passing a kidney stone. One of the shepherds refuses to watch over his flock by night without pulling his little red wagon behind him. And the entire cast is dropping like flies due to food poisoning from the Band Boosters' Pancake Supper. And when Frankie lets slip a family secret that has been carefully guarded for decades, all hope for a successful Christmas program seems lost, even with an Elvis impersonator at the manger. But in true Futrelle fashion, the feuding sisters find a way to pull together in order to present a Christmas program the citizens of Fayro will never forget. Their hilarious holiday journey through a misadventure-filled Christmas Eve is guaranteed to bring joy to your world!

Auditions will be in the Rice Theater in Crowley Tuesday (August 9th) ,Wednesday (August 10th), and Thursday (August 11th).  Auditions start at 6, but they ask that people interested in auditioning arrive 15 minutes ahead of time to fill out the required paper work.  Rehearsals will be on Sunday afternoons from 2-5.

Theatre--Performance

The Acadiana Repertory Theatre is proud to announce its premier production: Doubt, A Parable by John Patrick Shanley. 

Performances will take place at 7:30 pm on September 9th and 10th at the Bayou Bijou theatre in the Student Union on the campus of U. L. Lafayette. Ticket prices are $12 and are available at the door or via our website at www.acadianarep.org

Reservations can also be made by calling 337.385.3921 or by emailing info@acadianarep.org

Directed by Garland J. Theriot, Doubt stars Shana Ledet Qualls, Steven R. Landry, Etienna R. Wright, and Kristina Marshall.

Theatre--Performance

Eavesdrop Theatre presents A Retrospective: Pawn’s Gambit, Getting Rid of Horace and Snuff Flick, three hysterical One-Act plays, August 12-13 and August 19-20 at 7:30 p.m. and August 14 and 21 at 2:00 p.m. at Cite Des Arts, 109 Vine Street, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Written by ULL Emeritus Professor of English John W. Fiero and directed by Daniel Ladmirault, this rollicking production examines the power of persuasion against three distinct backdrops: an exclusive all male social club, an upscale suburban neighborhood and a Hollywood movie set. “These plays cast a humourous spotlight on the ‘Alpha Male’ and those who love him,” says Ladmirault. “ They also serve to bring awareness to a very brilliant local comic playwright who has largely gone unnoticed, except for the lucky few who know John Fiero and his work.”

The cast members are Shane Guilbeau, Alexandra Culotta, Bob Sidman, John W. Fiero, Christy Leichty, Carmen Nicholson, Elizabeth Austin, Amanda Newberry, Stacy Broussard and Daniel Ladmirault. Matthew Humphrey is the Stage Manager/ Assistant Director and Grady Roy is the Light and Sound Technician.

 Pictured Amanda Newberry, Elizabeth Austin, Daniel Ladmirault and Stacy Broussard 

 Pictured Amanda Newberry, Elizabeth Austin, Daniel Ladmirault and Stacy Broussard

Tickets for all performances are $10 for general admission and $8 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased at the door or on-line at www.citedesarts.org. For additional information, call Cite des Arts (337) 291-1122. Join Eavesdrop Theatre on Facebook.

Theatre--Review (AUI/AURA at Cite)

“Lord, what fools these mortals be!” uttered Puck, the mischievous sprite in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the latest production from Acting Unlimited, Inc. and AURA, and what a lively production it was. Filled with expressive actors, a gorgeous set, incredible hair and make-up, and suggestive mood lighting, this reproduction is sure to please all, and is another successful venture in this company’s repertoire. There are still three more performances for August 4th, 5th, and 6th, so please call 291-1122 or contact Cité des Arts for ticket information.


For those unfamiliar with the convoluted story, it’s an intoxicating blend of mortals and immortals. The mortals involve two disparate couples, for the beautiful Hermia loves Lysander, but she has already been promised by her father to wed Demetrius. Throw into the mix another lady, Helena, who is lovesick over Demetrius, and you have a classic soap opera of foolish young things who spurn the very people they should love. This quartet wanders into the woods to encounter the immortals in the form of fairies, led by King Oberon and Queen Titania, in the midst of their own lovers’ spat. Using the potent petals of a plant and the impish character of Puck, the King orders that certain characters fall in love with the first thing they see, all for hilarious results. As if this weren’t enough, there rambles on stage an acting troupe set to perform a play for the upcoming nuptials of the young quartet, and their company is nearly overwhelmed by the self-imposing figure of an actor named Bottom. The fact that all these parts congeal into a perfect parfait by the conclusion is a tribute both to Shakespeare and to the impeccable direction by Cody Daigle and Cara Hayden. Never once did I feel lost amid the chaos, and sometimes Shakespeare’s language can leave people bewildered. It also helped tremendously that this particular cast seemed to be enjoying themselves on stage, an added bonus to the play’s atmosphere.


For this cast, Daigle and Hayden drew from a rich talent pool, for there are so many rewarding characters in this play. It hardly seems fair to single out only a few, for each actor added something of note, from Phillip Smith’s Flute, with an orange-laden bosom, to Mychael Zulauf’s commanding presence as Oberon, to Martha Diaz’s particularly appealing Helena. (In all fairness, Ms. Diaz is far too pretty to be spouting lines about her homeliness, but once you buy the magic of the play, you forget this.) The actors playing the quartet of lovers (Phillip Spear as Lysander, Nick Dooley as Demetrius, Morgan James as Hermia, and Ms. Diaz as Helena) all played their roles admirably, though the men do get their fair share of stringent face-slaps. Whether the play is written this way or the roles are filled by expert actors, this play has two characters that steal the show: Puck and Bottom. An underappreciated talent of incredible comic timing, Erin Segura, complete with a nest-like wig, laughed at the mortals while drawing the audience in, periodically breaking the fourth wall, especially in her final monologue. But Bottom is the role of which most actors dream, and Gerard Ducharme filled the stage with enough pomposity to make William Shatner cringe. His egregious over-acting—that is a compliment, by the way—elevated the play’s spirited mood, and the acting troupe’s play for the newly-wedded couples, brought peals of laughter from the audience.


The thing I appreciate about Acting Unlimited is its ability to harness a wide age-range in their cast. Though it was mostly upper teens and twenty-somethings, there was a good display of mature actors in the form of Robert Sidman as Egeus, Michael Munzing as Theseus, and Kate Schneider as Hippolyta. On the other spectrum, Zachary Mishlove, Annette Diaz, Naomi Roberts, and Hannah Corkern played a gathering of children who serve the fairy queen. The play also benefited from lovely musical composition from Mychael Zulauf and Kelly Griffin, and sung mostly by the Diva Fairies (Cindy Hebert, Kelly Griffin, and Ali Roberts). And if this were possible, the extra character in this production was the set, designed by the brilliant Duncan Thistlewaite, and that set was in some ways the richest character of them all. There literally was something for everyone.


Normally, I would rank this excellent production a ten, but there were two extremely minor things that distracted me. In the scene where the fairies are lulling Titania to sleep, all the fairies and Titania herself were upstaged by the positioning of the guitar player, who sat center-stage, thus shifting the scene’s focus away from the actors. It was an awkward bit of staging, and I cannot tell if it was intentional or just happened that way. And while I loved the look of the costumes and the rich color scheme involved in the fabric choices, I was on several occasions distracted by the outfits which were not hemmed. Jagged edges, frayed hems, and lengthy dangling strings of six inches or longer marred what should have been a pitch-perfect production. The outfits of some characters, Hermia for instance, were perfectly hemmed, and yet she stood opposite actors whose material was merely cut. Those relatively minor accents make the production a 9.5 instead of a ten.


But the merriment and the infectious spirit of the play should make you forget all that. Yes, we mortals can be fools, but the only fools I know would be the ones who would miss this exquisite production.
--Vincent P. Barras

Theatre--Auditions

The Evangeline Players are holding open auditions for The Bishop's Wife, based on the 1947 Samuel Goldwyn movie and adapted for the stage by Dave McGrath, on Saturday, September 10th (from 2 to 4 pm) and Monday, September 12th (from 6:30 to 8:30 pm) at the Duchamp Opera House.

Auditions are open to everyone.  The cast consists of a wide range of ages.

Theatre--Performances

 August 4-6

Thursday, August 4:

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(continuing--AUI/AURA at Cite)

Schoolhouse Rock Live!

(continuing--Eunice Players' Theatre)

Friday, August 5:

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(continuing--AUI/AURA at Cite)

Gypsy

(continuing--Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts)

Saturday, August 6:

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(opening--AUI/AURA at Cite)

Schoolhouse Rock Live!

(continuing--Eunice Players' Theatre)