Editor's Note

I am going to be taking a break from this blog for a while.  If I return, it won't be for a while.

Thanks to those of you who have been faithful followers, and I hope that some of you have been able to benefit from the information that I published here.  Please continue to support local theatre.

Theatre--Review (IPAL)

A small respite in rehearsals recently has allowed me to become reacquainted with my television set, and the AMC channel was playing A Christmas Carol with the incredible George C. Scott in an emmy-nominated turn as Scrooge. Nearing the end of the show as he stared at his own name etched in marble, he asked pleadingly, “Tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!” It was an indelible piece of acting in what has become a Christmas tradition. Many local theatres have embraced, sometimes rather restrictively, adaptations of the Dickens classic, and they are legion. Last year, the Eunice players put on the hysterical The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of A Christmas Carol, a spoof of the work with only five people playing all the parts. Baton Rouge Little Theatre puts on its annual version of the play with no changes except in casting. I know of another spoof titled A Christmas Carol: A Traveling Travesty in Two Tumultuous Acts, where a wretched acting company is putting on their fifteenth annual farewell performance of the play. In a few days time, The Compound will present their adaptation of Dickens’ masterpiece, and last weekend, the Iberia Performing Arts League (IPAL) in New Iberia opened A Carol for Tiny Tim, directed by Donna Berard. It was a welcome change on the old theme, made even more memorable by the return of a beloved veteran on IPAL’s stage. A Carol for Tiny Tim will play four more times, this Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm. Call 364-6114 for tickets.

John R. Carroll’s A Carol for Tiny Tim explores the whole Scrooge situation some fifteen years later. Jacob Marley (Fred Comeaux), still wearing chains but fewer than before, still roams the earth, but now bemoans what has become of Tiny Tim (Ryan Berard), now a dissolute, deceitful young adult. Once Scrooge (an eager Chuck Rogers) saw the error of his ways, he spoiled little Tim rotten, who at first did not take advantage of Scrooge’s guilt, but under the tutelage of an unscrupulous worker Farthingate (Seth Derouen) Tim learns to get everything and anything he wants. In the next fifteen years, he practically bankrupts poor Scrooge, and Tim’s parents (Michael Durand and Faye Tarantino) also coddle and protect him from any serious strain or work. The only one who sees through Tim’s guise is his sister Martha (Alyssa Porche) who would dearly love to expose her little brother’s farce. It’s the perfect set-up for Jacob Marley to appear to the three ghosts of Christmas to come and cause a reversal in the fortunes of Tim. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Allyson Gary) reminds Tim what he once was and how he transformed into the wanton young lad he has become. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Paul David, with a booming voice) shows Tim how his friends really feel about him and how Tim has reduced his benefactor Scrooge to a pauper eating porridge alone in his house on Christmas Eve. Every year, Scrooge eagerly awaits Tim, who always finds a reason not to show. The Ghost of Christmas Future (M. Craig Colwart) shows Tim what will be: Scrooge’s business will close because to support Tim, Scrooge failed to pay the insurance on his brokerage which went up in flames. It’s enough to scare anyone into seeing the errors of their ways and repenting, and naturally, it works. By the end of the play, Tim has spent a day digging ditches so he could earn money to buy gifts for all the people who have supported him those last fifteen years.

In many ways, I felt nostalgic during the production. Five years ago, I had the privilege of playing Ebenezer Scrooge in Scrooge and Marley: A Christmas Carol, and some of the people involved in that play resurfaced in this one. Fred Comeaux, now playing Jacob Marley, was the director who chose me to play the seminal part, and I’ve never thanked him enough. It was only my second play at IPAL and not only was the experience richly rewarding, it was a financial success for IPAL with its huge cast. Opposite me playing Jacob Marley was Craig Colwart, who traded in all those lines from long ago to not saying a word at the Ghost of Christmas Future. I even remember chasing poor Justin Judice off the stage for singing Christmas carols.

I must make this chastising note. I’ve recently noted a disturbing trend that I hope to dispel because it is disrespectful to authors everywhere as well as to publishing companies. I have two programs from the Christian Youth Theatre, and in neither of those programs (Beauty and the Beast Jr. and The Sound of Music) did the company give ANY credit to the author or the lyricists, as if they were unnecessary by-products. John R. Carroll composed the play A Carol for Tiny Tim, and while I don’t know if his name appeared on the poster, his name did not appear anywhere in the IPAL printed program. He has composed more than half a dozen plays and receives royalties for his contribution to the arts. The Dramatic Publishing Company has the rights to license this play and they have this disclaimer printed on all their booklets: “On all programs this notice should appear: ‘Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois.’” This, too, was omitted from the program, unless I missed it somewhere. Both Carroll and the Dramatic Publishing Company should have received mention in the program; it’s a legal requirement that CYT and IPAL should observe.

Overall, the production was nicely staged with multiple levels and it served as a pleasant diversion. Ryan Berard cut an absolutely rubbery figure as the young Tim, and Chuck Rogers looked positively forlorn as the eager Scrooge waiting for Tim to show, knowing full well he most likely will not. But more than anything I was delighted to see Fred Comeaux back on the stage. As one of the founding members of IPAL a dozen years ago, he has directed and starred in many shows, and his absence has been sorely missed. While acting in Scrooge and Marley, I remember Fred took one of the smaller roles of a corrupt man purchasing Scrooge’s stolen merchandize after his demise. He was delightful, and I had asked him then why he didn’t act more. His answer was poignant: he feared he could no longer remember lines like he once did. None of that was on display as he draped across the stage in deathly gray makeup and haunting visage, and his splendid acting made the material seem better than it was. Let us hope we have not seen the last of Fred Comeaux.
---Vincent P. Barras

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

The UL Opera Theater auditions for Grand Pre will be held tomorrow (December 8th) from 5 to 8 at the Ducrest-Gilfry Auditorium at Angelle Hall.

Theatre--Auditions

Cite Des Arts is announcing auditions for a play called Taste, to be directed by Regina Sullivan. Production will be Feb. 24-March 4th.
.
Set in the Bywater on the eve of carnival season,, Taste tells the story of six young New Orleanians, some locals, some transplants. While cooking a meal in a house that may be under construction or may be under demolition (only time and money will really tell), new friendships sizzle, old ones scorch, and dinner is ultimately served.

They are  looking for four males, white, black, and extraterrestrial, between the ages of 18 and 35.  They are  also looking for two females, white and black, between the ages of 18 and 35.


Actors may bring a monologue, or be prepared to cold read from the script.

Auditions will be Dec 11, 12, 13 from 5:30 - 7pm at Cité des Arts 109 Vine Street, Lafayette, LA

Theatre--Performance

Hub City Theatre and Storytelling Festival 


Acadiana Center for the Arts:

     Wednesday, December 7:  
      7:00 pm  OPENING RECEPTION

      8:00  Evening Show $5

         • 8:00  Portrait of An Artist as Santa Claus- Ken Waldman

         • 8:30  Willie & Me, A Reading - Kimberly Nagle
     Saturday, December 10:

     7:45 Evening Show $10

         • 7:45  From Lafayette To The Northern Lights - Ken Waldman

         • 9:15  Match, A Production -Wanderlust Theater, New Orleans

Cite Des Arts:

Thursday, December 8:  
     7:00 pm Evening Show $10

         • 7:00  Silk Flowers, A One Woman Show - Jack Sorensen

         • 7:45  The American Way, A Reading - John Fiero

         • 8:15  Street Corner Medley, A Reading – Austin Sonnier

Friday, December 9:  
     7:00 pm Evening Show $10

         • 7:00 pm Match, A Production - Wanderlust Theater, New Orleans

         • 8:00  The American Way, A Reading -John Fiero

         • 9:00  Portrait of An Artist as Santa Claus - Ken Waldman

Saturday, December 10:  
     2:45 Afternoon Show $10

         • 2:45  Silk Flowers, A One Woman Show - Jack Sorensen

         • 3:30  Night Fears, A Reading - Keith Dorwick

         • 4:00  Willie & Me, A Reading - Kimberly Nagle

Theatre--Auditions (OLT)

 OLT is calling all talent to audition for the chance to be in the area's biggest annual talent show, Showcase 2012. What is Showcase? It is a show that allows the local townsfolk to show off their particular talent for the community to enjoy. It may be singing, dancing, acting, comedy, or any sort of live on-stage performance that you're good at, well this is your chance to shine.  There are almost no age limits and and all are welcome to try out for the chance to fill a slot on the program.

     Auditions are to be held at the Opelousas Little Theatre building in South City Park, just behind the Central Fire Station in the Donald Gardner Stadium parking lot. There will be two auditions held on Thursday (12/8/11) from 6 to 8pm and on Saturday (12/10/11) from 2 to 4pm.  Be prepared with an example of the type of performance that you are seeking to perform. 

     Showcase 2012 will be performed at OLT during the last two weekends of January of the new year.  So, if you want to be involved in our local community theatre and learn the ropes involved in putting on a live show, don't miss out on your chance to express yourself and have a whole lot of fun while doing so.

     For more information please visit www.opelousaslittletheatre.com , become a fan on Facebook, or call 337-351-3822.

     

Theatre--Review (Wanderlust Theatre at Burke)

A good number of high schools assigned William Faulkner’s masterpiece The Sound and the Fury, a dense tome that somehow my school forgot to assign. The tale is told on four different days spanning almost twenty years and from four different points of view, frequently jumping from one to another. Its non-linear style requires particular focus on the part of the reader, and my friend John Maraist lent me his copy that had wonderful notes detailing which day was which. Unfortunately I never got very far before I was lost and gave up on the affair.

Marc Chun’s one act play Match employs a similar narrative style to The Sound and the Fury. Five unnamed characters are sitting on the stage in dissimilar chairs and deliver small sentences, sometimes longer monologues, frequently switching from one character to another. At first, they are all mumbling “I’m sorry” interspersed with other nonsense, but eventually they stop to begin explaining their lives. It’s obvious these five souls are connected somehow, and in the course of the swift fifty minutes, it’s clear who they are and how they are tragically related to one another. Just enough clues are given to start matching up the characters and how these people, who normally might not know each other and never meet, cross each other paths. The revelations are also nicely paced, leaving the audience with curiosity as to why character one is even part of this production, but the tantalizing hints pay off in the end. Chun’s play requires focus on the audience, rather than just being passive receptacles of information. It was a thought-provoking evening that left the audience dwelling on the randomness of life.

To reveal the plot would rob the play of its significance, especially if it is possible for the reader to attend the play. Match, a Wanderlust production, will perform for the Hub City Theatre & Storytelling Festival at Cite Des Arts on December 9th, 2011 at 7:00 pm as well as at the Acadiana Center for the Arts on December 10th, 2011 at 9:15 pm. Suffice it to say that the play revolves around character number three, who is in need of a blood marrow donor—a match as implied by the title—and the other four characters are tied to his struggle. There’s a girlfriend to character number three, a Hollywood star, her press agent, and an apparently random fifth character whose connection is not explained until nearly the last fifteen minutes of the play. Each character has a rich background to share, and the audience appreciates their quirks, their hopes, and their disappointments. There are two very dramatic moments in the play, and one action in particular by character five is quite unexpected but utterly believable. I can’t say things work out in the end; most things in life don’t, but it adds an authentic quality to the play.

Director Elsa Dimitriadis has assembled five actors well-suited to their roles, and to save time I will subsequently refer to the five characters by the actors playing their parts. As character three, M. Brady McKellar gave a sympathetic portrayal of a man waiting for that all perfect match, not only for the blood marrow, but also in his soul-mate, character four. With his thumbs punching through the ragged holes of his sweatshirt, McKellar’s appealing believable as a man who dreams impossible dreams but has the courage to chase them. Jarin Schexnider played character four, Brady’s geeky intelligent girlfriend, and gave the most compelling physical performance. From her hunched shoulders to the position of her feet in those impossibly bright sneakers, one believes she’s a researcher who has doubts about her relationship with Brady. Character two is the Hollywood star who’s a potential match for Brady, and Elizabeth Satterly has the looks to carry off the part and yet look like an actress who can’t get a positive review. David Huynh is character five, the Hollywood star’s press agent, who manages to be both repugnant for his constant manipulation of his star’s career and yet sympathetic because he obviously cares for her, more than she will ever know. It’s his sudden reversal that strikes you most, and yet you understand why he did it, and why humans are perhaps the most complicated creatures on earth. The character who seemed out of place for the longest time was character one, played by Bobby Bender. (I still remember performing with Bobby in Lafayette Community Theatre’s production of Our Town over twenty years ago.) At first, I felt annoyed with Bobby’s portrayal until I understood how well his character is somebody we probably all know and go out of our way to avoid. This unlikable person who intersects the other four lives represents a true person, and not the stereotypes we often see in both movies and plays. It was a fine display of acting.

Plays like this one constructed as they are make it difficult to assess the effectiveness of the director. There is precious little blocking or movement, except subtle shifts in chairs, and I find it hard to differentiate the line between the author’s intent and the director Elsa Dimitriadis’ imput. Every character is talking to either a single person, or in Satterly’s case, a talk show audience, which depending on where you’re sitting robs the audience of some facial expressions; only veteran Bobby Bender used his expressions for the fullest effect. Dimitriadis needs to slow some actors down, particularly Jarin Schexnider, whose verbal responses to her counselor near the end are too quick to have allowed someone to say anything to her. And as much as the gold watch fits David Huynh’s press agent, I would find something not so reflective to the stage lights. At various moments, I thought a white moth has fluttered onto the stage. I would also suggest changing his chair to fit the circumstances of his situation, and while I won’t reveal what situation that was, he would never be sitting on a stool to do what he was doing. There were a couple of moments when the interchanging dialogue suddenly stopped, and it was obvious someone had not jumped on their cue, but those were blessedly few.

Still, those are minor faults in an overall well-constructed play. I look forward to seeing what Dimitriadis does with a more conventional play for tonight she orchestrated a good evening with Marc Chun’s Match. I might even attempt to re-tackle Faulkner’s masterpiece.
--Vincent P. Barras

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

Open auditions for the UL Lafayette Opera Theater's spring production of Cody Daigle and Roy Bertucci's musical, Grand Pre will be held in the Auditorium at Angelle Hall on the UL-Lafayette campus on Thursday, December 8th from 5 pm until 8 pm. Production dates are March 8 - 11, 2012. Bring a musical theatre selection and you will cold read from the script. Rehearsals are Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays from 5:30 - 8:30PM and Fridays from 2:30 - 5:30 PM starting January 4.