Theatre--Performance

Theatre--Review (ART at Theatre 810)

Last weekend, Acadiana Repertory Theatre marked its second production with another award-winner, God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza. A gripping indictment of civilized manners in an increasingly hectic world, it won the Olivier Award (UK) and the Tony Award (US) for Best Play. Following on the heels of Doubt, another four-character play, ART has produced a highly enjoyable evening directed by Shana LeDet Qualls, and I can summarize the play in these three words: solid, erudite, and rushed. There are three more performances this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Theatre 810, so please catch this production.

The play consists of two couples, Michael and Veronica Novak, and Alan & Annette Raleigh, who have assembled at the Novak apartment to discuss in a most civilized fashion an incident that occurred between their two sons. Benjamin Raleigh has knocked out two of Henry Novak’s teeth with a stick, and both couples wish to avoid unpleasant accusations and legalities, though accusations will certainly fly later. What begins as a pleasant afternoon to soothe out a sticky situation turns into a vitriolic indictment of nearly everything civilization has to offer. Alliances continually shift in this intermission-less play, and the characters and the audience feel as if they are walking on quicksand, unsure of what bombshell will fall next, and whose side will the characters be on. It reminded me a great deal of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with the exception that the four characters were more on equal footing.

Shana LeDet Qualls has assembled a fine cast with this quartet, though in some ways, each person on stage could have used a little more refining. As the completely oblivious parent thoroughly wedded to his iPhone, Gabe Ortego captured the lawyer Alan Raleigh quite well. Alan has long ago realized that his son is possibly a thug and may have given up completely on him, but Gabe shows a good understanding that all young men have rites of passage and he even bonds briefly with Bobby Bender over their similar childhood experiences. Elizabeth Satterly as the long suffering Annette Raleigh probably has the most fun when she gets her revenge on her husband, and believe me, the audience is on her side when she does it. Satterly gets to deliver delicious digs at her husband—“Since you’re no use….”—and she relishes those lines, but her slide into drunkenness is somewhat abrupt and needs a little work. The only character in jeans on the stage, Bobby Bender reminds us that his character Michael Novak, is the odd-man out, the Neanderthal in the group, so to speak. He sells household fixtures and does well enough, but compared to the other three, he might as well be the equivalent of the wrong side of the tracks. But Michael has refinements—his taste in cigars and liquor—and at the same time, Michael has fears (he can’t touch rodents and disposes of his daughter’s pet in the more tactless way.) At times, Bobby’s exasperation came naturally, yet at others, it seemed a little forced, but overall it was a sympathetic portrayal of a man just as infuriated with his wife as the Raleighs.

It perhaps isn’t fair to single out Lindsay Fite Finley as Veronica Novak, but it many ways, it’s the character that Yasmina Reza wrote the best. It is not coincidental that though all four Broadway actors were nominated for Tonys, it was Marcia Gay Harden who took home the prize. Veronica Novak is the epitome of a New York liberal, who though copious amounts of education has elevated herself to a position of rectitude, where it is her solemn duty to perfect all civilization, even to the point of telling others how to raise their children, if only for their own benefit. Lindsay has the best lines to say, the most exasperating asides to deliver, if only to remind everyone how enlightened she has become. Dressed in a flowing top with billowing pants and sauntering through a living room as pretentious as she is, she comes across as a benevolent force of nature, and Lindsay takes it to its full extent. There is one moment, however, where I wish she had used some dramatic pausing. It’s one of the first moments when her armor is beginning to crack and she’s beginning to let loose; her transition to those next lines to show her slow ascent into “commonness” with the other three characters needed more deliberation on her face and in her actions. Instead, she launched into the next lines as if she wallowed with the “little people” all the time. It was the only inauthentic moment in an otherwise exquisite performance.

You may wonder why I used the word “rushed” in my first paragraph. It is simple: the performance of this richly-textured play was rushed. What should have been a ninety minute performance took a paltry seventy minutes, and that’s a shame. It’s such a wonderful play filled with such talented actors; there was no need to push so quickly through the material leaving the audience no time to completely absorb the commentaries on civilization before launching into the next alliance-snapping section. For example, there was a wonderful dramatic pause delivered by Bender, who, noticing that Annette has become alive as a character once she was inebriated, he utters with perfect timing, “Well, puking certainly perked you up!” In the theatre, there’s a saying about pauses that took so long a Mack truck could have driven through them. Well the reverse is true in this production, for it could have used more judicious pausing. It’s too good of a play to rush through it so quickly.

Despite the rush, thank goodness for Reza’s words. Whether Ortego is raging against Veronica’s vicious asides by saying “You think too much,” or Satterly is slurring “I’ve never felt more normal,” they all become indictments of the animal instincts still built into our DNA. I never thought about it too much, but when Finley was talking into the phone to her distraught daughter about the loss of the hamster, she confides that the creature must be surviving and unintentionally summarized the gut feeling of the play. “She’s like us,” she explained calmly, “she’s omnivorous.” Well these four characters feasted on each other for an evening, and they definitely proved how cannibalistic they could be.
---Vincent P. Barras

Theatre--Auditions (Youth Musical Theatre)

Auditions for IPAL’s summer youth musical Disney’s Mulan Jr. will be held Saturday, April
14th and Sunday, April 15th from 2:00 to 4:00 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
between the ages of 10 and 21. No special advance preparation is required, but singers should be
prepared to sing approximately one minute’s worth of any song, not necessarily from a Disney
musical. They may also be asked to perform a cold reading of some sections of the play. Any
questions regarding the play should contact the director Vincent P. Barras at 337-51-0865 or send an
email to ipal@cox.net. Performance dates for the production will be Thursday July 12th through
Sunday July 22nd.

IPAL has a rich tradition of giving the youth of New Iberia the chance to shine on the stage.
Last summer IPAL enjoyed tremendous success with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Jr. which sold
out and added an additional performance. Previous summer productions have included The Wizard of
Oz and Disney’s Aladdin Jr.

Theatre--Auditions

Auditions for IPAL’s Blithe Spirit will be held Monday, March 26, from 6:30 – 8 p.m, and Tuesday, March 27, from 6:30 - 8 p.m. at the Essanee Theater, 126 Iberia St. in New Iberia. This classic comedy by Noel Coward will have a cast of 2 men and 5 women, ages 20 – 60-plus. No special advance preparation is required; cold readings from the play will be performed at the auditions. Run dates for this show are scheduled for May 31–June 3 and June 7-10.


For more information call the theater at 364-6114 and leave your name and phone number, or email us at ipal@cox.net


IPAL welcomes all those wishing to share their talents, being it painting artist, choreographer, make-up artist or hair stylist, acting, craftiness, directing, advertisment promo, etc. 

Dance--Performance

Don't miss the final performance of the

2011-2012 Main Stage Series featuring

Nrityagram Dance Ensemble

 

Enter a world of color and movement with India's Odissi-ancient, exotic and modern.

 

"One of the most luminous dance events of the year."

-The New York Times

 

Tuesday April 3

 Heymann Performing Arts Center

Click here for tickets starting at $28

UL Students and Faculty receive 50% OFF with a valid UL ID
40% OFF for groups of 10 or more

(Discounts available through the Heymann Box Office only) 

Theatre--Performance

ART's production of God of Carnage opens Thursday night at 8 pm and will run through March 31st.  Tickets are available for purchase online at www.acadianarep.carnage.eventbrite.com or by phone reservation by calling (337) 484-0172.

Theatre--Ticket Information

The Eunice Players' Theatre has season tickets available for purchase for the 43rd season. A $20.00 ticket includes 3 shows, a postcard notifying the dates of the upcoming show, voting privileges and an invitation to the annual Irving Awards. The first show of the season, The Murder Room, opens in mid-April. It is a two act mystery farce directed by Jody L. Powell.

For season ticket information, please call 337-546-0163 or 337-457-2156 or check out the theatre's website, www.euniceplayers.blogspot.com.

Theatre--Auditions

Auditions for IPAL’s Blithe Spirit will be held Monday, March 26, from 6:30 – 8 p.m, and Tuesday, March 27, from 6:30 - 8 p.m. at the Essanee Theater, 126 Iberia St. in New Iberia. This classic comedy by Noel Coward will have a cast of 2 men and 5 women, ages 20 – 60-plus. No special advance preparation is required, cold readings from the play will be performed at the auditions. Run dates for this show are scheduled for May 31–June 3 and June 7-10. 


For more information, call the theater at 364-6114 and leave your name and phone number, or email us at ipal@cox.net 


IPAL welcomes all those wishing to share their talents, painting artist, choreographer, make-up artist or hair stylist, acting, craftiness, directing, advertisment promo, etc.

AUI'S "AGONY/ECSTASY" PRODUCTION REFLECTS BREAKING NEWS CONTROVERSY OVER ALLEGED FABRICATIONS

NPR's "This American Life," a popular radio show which recently devoted an hour to Mike Daisey performing his hit monologue THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS, retracted the show today amid accusations that sections of Daisey's account of his trip to Apple's factories in China were fabricated. The retraction has caused a firestorm in the theatrical community, provoking a planned Chicago performance of the piece in April to be cancelled. 

AUI will proceed with its planned two-weekend run of THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS, but the performances will include newly created material commenting on the ongoing controversy, written by the show's performer, Cody Daigle. 

NPR has discovered that sections of Daisey's story about his trips to China and the factories were fabricated or re-purposed from other stories. And the show's penultimate story of factory horrors has been discounted by Daisey's Chinese translator.

"Part of what makes AGONY/ECSTASY such an incredible show is its passionate defense of revealing the truth," said Daigle. "With our performances starting at the moment this story is breaking, we thought it was only appropriate to include this bit of truth-telling in with Daisey's amazing piece."

AGONY/ECSTASY was released to the public in February by Daisey, and theatre companies are encouraged to create freely and adapt the show any way they deem appropriate. Over the four performances, the new material will be updated to reflect the changes as the story develops. 

"I don't think this discounts the very powerful core of Daisey's work," Daigle said. "But it does create an interesting counterpoint."

"We were proud to offer this piece to local audiences because of its relevance and its power," Marie Diaz, president of AUI, said. "So being able to tell this new story makes our production even more exciting. This is breaking news on the stage of Theatre 810. We couldn't be more eager to share this with Acadiana."

THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS will run at Theatre 810 for four performances only, March 17 & 24 at 2 p.m. and March 18 & 25 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10. For reservations, call 484-0172.

Dance--Performance

Everyone knows the story of Cinderella as portrayed in books and movies, but no medium quite captures the magic of this inspiring rags-to-riches tale as classical ballet. Experience the enchantment of Lafayette Ballet Theatre’s Cinderella at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 31, 2012, in the Heymann Performing Arts Center.

LBT promises an awe-inspiring evening appropriate for all ages. Principal guest artists from the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Cincinnati Ballet will join the local cast in presenting the three-act, full-length classical production, set to Sergei Prokofiev’s celebrated score. Tickets – great for Valentine’s Day gifts – are available now through the Heymann Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets.

Tickets are priced as follows: front orchestra, $40; back orchestra, $35; first balcony, $30; back orchestra, $20. Additional Ticketmaster fees may apply. Special group rates are available. Students are eligible for a 50-percent discount on balcony level tickets anytime, or they may opt for the “student rush” special: half off on all seats still available 30 minutes prior to curtain. (Students must present a current school ID at the Heymann Center Box Office to receive the “student rush” discount.) Tickets are available at the Heymann Center Box Office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; via phone, 337-291-5555; and online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Lafayette Ballet Theatre is a nonprofit organization offering classical ballet instruction, dance study scholarships, educational programs and quality stage performances to the Acadiana community. LBT’s production of Cinderella is supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the Acadiana Center for the Arts.

For more information on and Cinderella, call -337-262-0444 or visit www.LafayetteBalletTheatre.org.

Theatre--Performance

This Friday and Saturday at 7:30 check out two African American plays: "Tales of Black Folk" and "A Street Corner Medley" by Austin Sonnier .  This will be presented as readers' theatre on the Mainstage at Cite Des Arts. 

Theatre--Master Class/Workshop

Master Acting Workshop Taught by NYU Professor Caroline McGee -- 

March 20-23—4 30 - 6 pm 

Cite des Arts will sponsor another session of McGee’s Master Acting Workshop for actors and students of all ages and levels of experience. She has mentored a number of local students for successful acceptance to top-flight institutions including NYU Tisch Drama, California Institute of the Arts, Columbia and Brown Universities, Second City/Chicago, and more. 

This session will focus on legendary acting techniques of Lee Strasberg and Michael Chekhov. Improvisation exercises will focus on scenes and monologues from Anton Chekhov, Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill, and Sam Shepard. 

For more information and to register contact Caroline McGee: mcgeec50@yahoo.com or call her at 347 677 3164

Fee: $200 for 4 sessions. 

Caroline served as: 

-Director & Producer of the Lee Strasberg Institute/NYU BFA Programs 

-Director for the MFA Acting Program at The Catholic University, Washington, DC

-The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Art, Pace U. BFA Acting and Moscow Art Theatre Professional Acting Workshop 

She studied at: 

-Yale School of Drama

-received her Master’s at UC Berkeley; 

-Caroline was among the first CODOFIL scholarship group to study in France at the National Acting Conservatory in Strasbourg. 

As an actor:

- she has worked in films with Woody Allen, Gregory Peck, Danny DeVito 

-and in theatre, at the NY Shakespeare in Central Park, Yale Rep, Williamstown and Berkshire Festivals, and in Paris, Avignon, Dubrovnik and Sarajevo Festivals. 


Also of interest might be:

Ira Cohen, acclaimed by The London Times in 2007 as a “Lost Genius Refound,” appears in Lafayette, March 21, Cite des Arts, with a special screening of his underground film classics: "Invasion of Thunderbolt Pagoda" and "Kings with Straw Mats" – an offering of the Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival. Presented by poet and critic, Allan Graubard, with discussion and reading. Length: 3 hours. Admission: $5. 

In the 1960s two New York lofts fascinated the art world: Andy Warhol’s “Factory” and Ira Cohen’s “Mylar chamber.” Featured in Life Magazine as the preeminent artist of the psychedelic era, Ira Cohen created extraordinary images and films with his friends William S. Burroughs, Jack Smith, Jimi Hendrix, Charles Ludlam, Angus MacLise, and many more. Xavier Garcia Bardon, at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, said, “the film is an important artifact of the era, an ecstatic journey full of magical beings, animals and plants…a hallucinatory, almost trance-inducing experience.” 

"Kings with Straw Mats" is Ira Cohen’s poignant poetic testament to the great Kumbh Mela Festival, India’s annual pilgrimage of sadhus and holy men to the Ganges River, shot in 1986. 

For more on Ira Cohen 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/arts/ira-cohen-an-artist-and-a-touchstone-dies-at-76.html 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2011/may/13/ira-cohen-photography-in-pictures 

◆ 

Allan Graubard, poet, playwright and critic, is published internationally now in 13 languages. Recent books and theater works include And Tell Tulip the Summer (Quattro Books, Toronto), Roma Amor (Spuyten Duyvil Press, NYC), Woman Bomb/Sade (Theater Row, NYC), and Erotic Eulogy (Abrons Art Center, Henry Street Settlement, NYC). Allan has written extensively on Ira Cohen and has appeared in performance with him in New York and London. Caroline and Allan have collaborated as husband and wife in varied theatrical performances over the past 3 decades. He is a member of the Pointe Noire/Richard, La. Pataphysical Society and cooks a mean crawfish etouffee. 

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

Due to a very strong ticket demand, an extra performance has been added to Chicago-The Musical presented by the Iberia Performing Arts League. The extra performance will be a matinee on Saturday, March 24 at 2:00 p.m. and tickets are currently available. A limited number of tickets remain for some other performances of the show which runs Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday March 15 thru March 25. Tickets are only available directly from IPAL at 364-6114 or e-mailing ipal@cox.net . Patrons are also welcome to come to the theater one hour before performances to join a waiting list. All performances are at the Essanee Theater, 126 Iberia Street in downtown New Iberia. The production is rated PG-13 for sexual content and dialogue, violence andthematic elements.

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

Due to high ticket sales, another matinee performance of IPAL's Chicago has been added on March 24 at 2:00 P.M. Call 364-6114, leave your name and number of tickets requested for that performance. Although IPAL has no "advance" tickets available for any other performances, all those interested are encouraged to come by the theatre one hour before showtime and put their name on a wait list. IPAL works very hard to accommodate all patrons, and will do everything possible to get everyone into the show.. 

Theatre--Review (UL Opera Theater and The Compound)

I attended the opening night of the very fine new musical entitled Grand Pre’, by Cody Daigle and Roy Bertucci. The theme is the times leading up to the deportation of the Acadians. This writing is at the request for a musician’s take on the show. I can not, however, proceed without recognizing the other aspects of the show. I will preface by stating the fact that “less is more” pervaded this production. Shawn Roy’s direction was impeccable: the staging, blocking, lighting, props, everything manifested the epitome of professionalism, as is his hallmark. Musically, the melodies and harmonies of the songs of Daigle and Bertucci beautifully reflected the primary emotions and themes of the show, including pastoral bliss, love, family disagreements, fear, loyalty, and such. Shawn Roy’s props and sets were minimal, but ample for the purposes. The costumes were period appropriate and aptly down-played, except for the British soldiers’ and officers’  uniforms, which were correctly extravagant. The singer/actors were spot on professional in their musical delivery and spoken emotional projection. Never was there an ego which called attention away from the task at hand. Music director and orchestrator, David Boudreaux, “brought the music to life,” as stated by both Daigle and Bertucci. With only one violin, cello, bass, flute, clarinet, guitar, piano, and percussionist, his arrangements sparkled and stirred with flurries of motifs and appropriate support for, and echoing of the songs’ melodies. I was intrigued at how such a small ensemble seemed to project the aural image of a much larger group. Especially notable is the fact that, as well-crafted as the orchestration was, it never overstepped the bounds of its function. In summary, I recommend attending the show as a delight for the eyes, ears and mind. And don’t forget the Kleenex.
---Kurt David Boudreaux


(Editor's note:  Kurt is a very well known and well respected musician in Lafayette, with a Master of Music degree from UL.  He is also the father of David Boudreaux, the music director and orchestrator for Grand Pre.)

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

The cast for The Acadia Players' production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella was selected after open auditions at The Grand Opera House of the South inCrowley, LA. The production is set to run at the Grand Opera House of the South in Crowley, LA June 14-17th. Tickets are available at www.thegrandoperahouse.org

Cast:

Young Cinderella – Corinne Doucet, Madelyn Arceneaux, Julia Sittig, Ellie Dore

Cinderella – Caeli Reaux                               

Understudy – Monique Arabie

Stepmother – Susan Comeaux                        

Understudy – Desiree Doucet

Fairy Godmother – Jennifer Trahan                

Understudy – Angelica Menges

Grace – Courtney Richard                              

Understudy – Christina Benoit

Joy – Claire Dore                                            

Understudy – Christina Benoit          

Prince Christopher – Casey Robichaux

Lionel – Christopher Pridgeon                        

Understudy – Ben Stringfellow

King Maximillian – Elliot Dore

Queen Constantina – Sandy Dore

 Villagers, Merchants, Coachman, Horses, Maidens & Palace Guests:

Justin Hebert, Ty Zaunbrecher, Clay Zaunbrecher, Aaron Bertrand Patrick Cormier, Matt Yates, Stephen Benoit, Tiffany Reed, Vanessa Benoit, Lauren Broussard

 

Production Crew:

Director:  Logan Frederick

Assistant to the Director: Denise Frederick

Assistant Director:  Carolyn Patrick

Student Director:  Rachel LaCroix

Producer:  Shawn Murphy LaCroix

Music Director: David Medus & Tina Reaux

Choreographer: Brenda Core, Desiree Doucet

Theatre--Review (UL-Opera Theater and The Compound)

One of the greatest privileges of my life has been to witness multiple productions of a show and to marvel—or regret—at the changes made from one venue to another. In 2006 I soaked in the treasures of the British version of Mary Poppins with its quirky song “Temper, Temper,” where all of Jane and Michael’s toys come to life, put the kids on trial, and then threaten them with execution. When I succumbed to the 2010 American version in New York City, the song was replaced with the tepid “Playing the Game,” and I felt the production suffered considerably. I was shocked to find a touring production of Cabaret in Lafayette, Louisiana, far out-shone an off-kilter, disjointed West End production in London! The changes made in Sunset Boulevard as it traveled from the UK to the US made a lackluster play crackle with life. And now, I can add Grand Pré to the list of productions I’ve re-visited; it was akin to rejoining an old friend reflecting on the good old days, and while my memory isn’t what it used to be, the affinity was there. It was a lovely evening of beautiful music highlighting one of the most significant Diasporas of the eighteenth century.

Grand Pré marked its debut in 2005 as part of the 250th anniversary of the Acadians’ deportation from Nova Scotia to all parts of the globe, including my hometown of St. Martinville, made famous by Longfellow’s poem Evangeline. Cody Daigle and Roy Bertucci created the score, which in 2005 was taped, but has been lovingly expanded for an eight-member orchestra. I wish I could remember the original production more clearly, but part of me is grateful for I feel I can judge this production on its own without too many comparisons to the original. People wishing to catch this poignant production can see the show beginning Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, March 8th, 9th, and 10th at 7:30 pm and Sunday, March 11th at 3:00 pm in Angelle Hall at UL.

The music forms the heart of this play, as it does in most musicals, and the opening act sets the tone. The opening song Grand Pré judiciously paints the portrait of a village on the eve of destruction, where British demands for loyalty will result in deportation for the citizens. Two families, the LeBlancs (pure-blooded Acadians), and the Johnsons (Thom, a Brit, married Alice, a sister to the LeBlanc family), exist side-by-side on the stage, but their children Cecile and Allain have fallen in love in a most Romeo-and-Juliet fashion. Their playful courtship and their interactions with nine-year old Isabelle LeBlanc, provide a welcome respite from the overwhelming sadness of the entire play. No sooner have bridal topics arisen then British Major Charles Lawrence has ordered the deportation of the Acadians who chose neutrality in the latest war between the British and the French. The entire second act bears out the fruits of that fateful decision, which would have such a tremendous impact on the Acadiana area here in southern Louisiana.

Nostalgia also played a part in my watching this production because two seasoned UL performers are preparing to graduate. I had the privilege of teaching Jenee Luquette in her senior year in high school, and I have seen her in previous UL productions. She played Cecile LeBlanc with a genuine innocence and a heartfelt pain on losing both her home and her potential beau. Though I did not teach her, Alexandra Hollerman also attended Lafayette High where I saw her in a stunning production of Guys and Dolls. With her simple cap and lack of makeup, I hardly recognized the girl who once played the glamorous Miss Adelaide. She convincingly disappeared into the forlorn mother Helene, who protects her two daughters while simultaneously disapproving of her sister Alice’s marriage to a British soldier. I will be sad to watch them leave.

The cast on the whole performed their parts with sincerity and without affectation. Both Jonah Slason as Louis LeBlanc and Garret Guidry as Thom Johnson provided the necessary empathy to make the families believable and accessible to the audience. Slason and Hollerman particularly had good chemistry in their opening scenes where they watched their children play through a window, all the while fearing that tragedy was closing in on them. Jay Broussard has an earnestness about him that made us understand why Cecile would simultaneously love him and be exasperated with him for his obliviousness to the dangers around them. His duets with Ms. Luquette were touching and nicely directed by Shawn Roy for maximum effect. Sadie Bekurs, the youngest LeBlanc child, thankfully plays the pre-teen perfectly, making no attempt to steal scenes. And Aren Chaisson as John Winslow, the only non-singing role in the play, does well with this new character that provides a better flow for the information that follows.

Oddly enough two characters always stay in my mind with this play, Marie Barillot and Charles Lawrence. Both in 2005 and now seven years later, my first impression of this deluded woman was that she did not fit well into the production. As I listened more carefully to her words this second time, I saw a parallel between the abject loneliness she feels at the loss of her husband, and the agony that will soon befall Grand Pré and its citizens. It was the perfect counterpart made even better by the sympathetic performance by Shelby Runyan, though I would have liked to see more bitterness in her when she sees the young lovers and she utters, “You think love will save you.” When she sings of “searching for something lost,” she speaks for the whole Acadian people as their lives were viciously uprooted all in the cause of loyalty. Charles Lawrence, the Lieutenant Governor who approved the deportation orders, is a tricky character, both pompous and yet not unfeeling. Holden Greene has a gorgeous tenor voice that probably needs no microphone, but he needs to develop his acting skills more sufficiently. When Lawrence laments briefly whether people will revile his name centuries hence, Greene had a moment to remind us of the character’s humanity, and he did not fully grasp it. At times, it was also difficult to understand some of the characters, who need to enunciate more clearly for the audience to better appreciate Cody Daigle’s thoughtful book.

The scene that still reverberates for me and for all my friends who sat near me was in the second act. Garrett Guidry, as a British soldier, has been able to arrange for an escape for his wife Alice and his son Allain, but only if they leave immediately. Until then, both Guidry and Tessa Espinosa as Alice had been playing serviceable if not particularly memorable characters, but that all changed with the song “Stay.” As they stood in their home, he begging her to leave, she begging him to stay, the gut-wrenching truth of the entire play was writ large across their faces. The tragic uprooting of an entire people was captured in that one moment, that perfect harmony of musical magic, gifted acting, and the perfect words. I heard my friend behind me say, “That was lovely.” I wholeheartedly agree.
---Vincent P. Barras


As noted, Grand Pre opens at 7:30 Thursday, March 8th at Angelle Hall and will run through March 11th.  Friday and saturday performances will be at 7:30 and the Sunday matinee will begin at 3:00.  For more information, call 482-6012.

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

From the IPAL Board:

IPAL's Production of Chicago looks like it's going to be a "knock out" draw. Tickets sold as fast as they went out on sale. Therefore, IPAL has no availability of advance tickets left at this time. Those still wishing to see this spectacular show are welcome to come by the theatre ONE hour before showtimes to join a waiting list. Sorry, due to great demand, no names for waiting list will be taken by phone. We thank all of our supporters and will do our best to accommodate all those seeking tickets. Again, thank you to all of our supporters!!!!

Our "IPAL MEMBERS" and those of you on our e-mail list have helped make IPAL's Chicago the success it is. THANKS. We'll be beginning our 2012-2013 Season Ticket and the Membership Drive in June. We have a great slate of plays and musicals for next season, and hope you will join us then.

Theatre--Performance

AUI is proud to present a very special four-performance-only run of Mike Daisey’s THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS, the monster hit play about the impact of Jobs and Apple – as well as Apple’s overseas factories – on the lives we live today. The play is currently enjoying a successful Off-Broadway run at the Public Theatre.

Here’s how the Public Theatre describes AGONY/ECSTASY: “Mike Daisey turns his razor-sharp wit to America's most mysterious technology icon in this hilarious and harrowing tale of pride, beauty, lust, and industrial design. He illuminates how the former CEO of Apple and his obsessions shape our lives, while sharing stories of his own travels to China to investigate the factories where millions toil to make iPhones and iPods. Daisey's dangerous journey shines a light on our love affair with our devices and the human cost of creating them.”

Produced by special permission of Daisey, who’s released the play to theatre companies across the country, AGONY/ECSTASY is part of an experiment in theatrical commons (akin to Louis C. K.’s recent online comedy film release) that makes a current theatre smash available to all. This production of AGONY/ECSTASY is just one small piece of a large national theatrical project, pushing the form into the new century.

THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS is a must-see for anyone interested in the future of theatre and in the future of our technological world.

THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS will play Theatre 810 for four performances only, and will play a special schedule. The show will play Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. on March 17 and 24. The show will play Sunday evening performances at 7 p.m. on March 18 and March 25. Tickets are $10. For more information or to make reservations, call 484-0172.

Reservations are highly recommended due to limited seating.

Theatre--Performance (Musical theatre)

Theatre--Performance

The Acadiana Repertory Theatre is proud to present God of Carnage, Yasmina Reza's 2009 Tony Award winner for Best Play. God of Carnage centers around two pairs of parents holding a cordial meeting to discuss a fight between their sons at a nearby park. They set out to resolve the childhood quarrel with civility and maturity, but resort to childish antics themselves as the evening soon turns to chaos. Starring Gabe Ortego and Elizabeth Satterly as Alan and Annette Raleigh, and Bobby Bender and Lindsay Fite Finley as Michael and Veronica Novak, God of Carnage is sure to provide you with a raucous good time as you watch good intentions turn to bad behavior in this clever comedy. 

"The dynamics between these two couples are exciting," says director, Shana Ledet Qualls. "The script provides all four actors the opportunity to explore individual characters while interacting as a couple and with another couple. God of Carnage will be an evening of self-discovery, sympathy, empathy and highly charged entertainment."  

"Acadiana Repertory Theatre is proud to present our second mainstage show at Theatre 810," says Managing Artistic Director, Steven Landry. "We are so pleased to be afforded the opportunity to present this smart, intimately funny show to the Acadiana community. AUI's space provides just the right setting for this type of theater."  

Join Acadiana Repertory Theatre for God of Carnage, March 22, 23, 24, 29, 31 at7:30 pm and March 25 at 3:00 pm at AUI's Theatre 810, 810 Jefferson St., Lafayette, LA 70501. To purchase tickets, call , or visit ART's website atwww.acadianarep.org. 

Theatre--Auditions

Cite Des Arts and Gris-Gris Productions are preparing for their co-production of Sam Shepard's TRUE WEST, opening April 13th and running through the 22nd (Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 pm and 2 Sunday matinees at 3 pm).

TRUE WEST was recently revived at New York's Circle in the Square, where Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly alternated playing the roles of the brothers. This American classic explores alternatives that might spring from the demented terrain of the California landscape. Sons of a desert dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script. Austin, the achiever, is working on a script he has sold to producer Sal Kimmer when Lee, a demented petty thief, drops in. He pitches his own idea for a movie to Kimmer, who then wants Austin to junk his bleak, modern love story and write Lee's trashy Western tale.

"Shepard's masterwork.... It tells us a truth, as glimpsed by a 37 year old genius." - New York Post.

"It's clear, funny, naturalistic. It's also opaque, terrifying, surrealistic. If that sounds contradictory, you're on to one aspect of Shepard's winning genius; the ability to make you think you're watching one thing while at the same time he's presenting another." - San Francisco Chronicle.

They are also looking to cast the 2 smaller roles:

Saul Kimmer: late forties, Hollywood producer, almost 2 scenes

Mom: early sixtes, one scene

Bruce Coen will be having readings next week at Cite for these 2 roles, date and time TBD. If interested contact Christy at Cite 291-1122 or Bruce Coen @ 984-0754

Performing Arts--Scholarship

 Guidelines for the L. Hill Bonin, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Award, administered by Performing Arts Society of Acadiana (PASA), are available for high school and college students pursuing short-time educational and training opportunities in performing arts or arts administration as well as for non-profit organizations or groups that propose performing arts productions or activities which involve and benefit high school or college students.
Completed forms and all attachments must be submitted to the PASA office by 5 p.m. on March 15, 2012 to qualify for the 2012/13 scholarships. To request scholarship guidelines and an application please go online to www.pasa-online.org or call PASA at (337)237-2787 ex. 206.

The L. Hill Bonin, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund was created to award talented and deserving students of the performing arts with funds for enhancing their talents through participation in advanced study or classes beyond those available in their present study programs.  Now awards may benefit groups that provide opportunities to students for enhancing their performing arts talents.

 To be considered for an award, students must be enrolled in any high school or college in the parishes served by PASA, be planning to pursue a career or professional training in performing arts or arts administration, be a citizen of the United States and a Louisiana resident, and have an overall grade point average of ‘B’ or higher on their high school or college transcript. For a non-profit organization or group to be eligible it must propose a production, performance, or activity that involves high school or college students and ensure that the funds will be used for the enhancement of the talents of the students in the performance.

 Recipients are chosen by the PASA Bonin Scholarship committee, composed of PASA board members and a representative of the Bonin family. Recipients, after meeting eligibility criteria, are chosen on the basis of the artistic merit of the proposed training or project, planning and design of the proposal, and appropriate request and plans for the use of the funds.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the L. Hill Bonin Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund, you may mail a check to P.O. Box 52979, Lafayette, LA  70505.