Wanderlust Theatre Co.'s 12 ANGRY MEN

It’s 1957, and a young man has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father -- a charge that carries a mandatory death sentence. The fate of the defendant is in the hands of twelve strangers. In Reginald Rose’s classic, Twelve Angry Men, things get very personal as evidence is scrutinized, perspectives are questioned, and biases are revealed. The ensemble cast is wholly comprised of seasoned theatre veterans. It includes Walter Brown, Aren Chaisson III, Steven Cooper, Joseph Diaz, Rudy Eisenzopf, John W. Fiero, Stefan Hannie, David Keadle, M. Brady McKellar, Milton G. Resweber, Robert D. Sidman, Phillip Spear and Duncan Thistlethwaite. Elsa Dimitriadis directs. This is the sixth production in Wanderlust’s 2012-13 season. Other productions have included We All Do by Jarin Schexnider, You’ve Got Hate Mail by Van Zandt & Milmore and Slamdango! Puppet Slam as part of Festival International de Louisiane. A talk back session will follow the Sunday, June 2 matinee that focuses on the complexities of race and juries and how they have been depicted in literature. May 31, June 1, 6-8 at 7:30 pm June 2 at 3:00 pm Theatre 810, Downtown Lafayette $10 admission For ticket reservations, call (337) 484-0172 or purchase online at 12angrymen.eventbrite.com For additional information about the company, visit www.wanderlusttheatre.com or facebook.com/wanderlusttheatre

CANCELLATION--SHAKESPEARE ACTING WORKSHOP -- Cite des Arts

Caroline McGee's Shakespeare Acting Workshop, scheduled for May 13-16, has been cancelled and will be rescheduled later in the year.  Details will be posted as soon as they are available.

Auditions for AUI's production of URINETOWN

Auditions will be held at Theatre 810 (810 Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette) on Saturday, May 18th from 2 to 4:30 pm and on Sunday, May 19th from 3-6 pm. For more information about the auditions, please call AUI at 484-0172 or email to actingunlimitedinc@gmail.com.



One of the most uproariously funny musicals in recent years, URINETOWN is a hilarious tale of greed, corruption, love, and revolution in a time when water is worth its weight in gold. In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity's most basic needs. Amid the people, a hero decides he's had enough, and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom!



Inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, URINETOWN is an irreverently humorous satire in which no one is safe from scrutiny. Praised for reinvigorating the very notion of what a musical could be, URINETOWN catapults the “comedic romp” into the new millennium with its outrageous perspective, wickedly modern wit, and sustained ability to produce gales of unbridled laughter.



Nominated for a total of 20 Tony, Drama Desk and Theatre World Awards, URINETOWN won 3 Tony awards (Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Direction of a Musical) and a Theatre World Award (Spencer Kayden).



SHAKESPEARE ACTING WORKSHOP -- Cite des Arts

SHAKESPEARE ACTING WORKSHOP -- Cite des Arts

Caroline McGee, noted NYU professor/Director, Lee Strasberg Institute, is offering a Shakespeare Acting Workshop at Cite des Arts, May 13-16, 2013, for actors, students, & teachers, of all ages and experience. Designed as a common sense approach to make Shakespeare surprisingly accessible, specific tools are learned that lead to understanding and clarity in performance. Both comic and dramatic monologues/scenes are offered.

 

May 13-16---Monday-Thursday – 4-6 pm

Fee: $200

To register or more info: mcgeec50@yahoo.com; 347 677 3164

 

Be great in act as you have been in thought…King John

THIS WEEKEND: IMPROV-A-LOOSA at Cite des Arts!

Lafayette Parish Talent Theatre Program 

Presents

Improv-a-Palooza

The students of the Lafayette High School Talent Theatre program will present “Improv-a-Palooza”, an audience interactive improvisational performance.

    This family friendly, comical, “Whose Line is it Anyway?”-type show is a student run production directed by Stephanie B. “Improv-a-Palooza” will take place  at Cite des Arts (109 Vine St. right off Jefferson Street) on Friday, May 3rd and Saturday, May 4th at 7:30pm. 

 Tickets will be $5 and available at the door. For more information, please call (337) 291-1122.

AUDITIONS! The Little Mermaid! IPAL Summer Youth Musical

Auditions for IPAL’s annual Summer Youth Musical, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr., directed by Travis Guillory, will be held Saturday, May 18 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. or Sunday, May 19 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Essanee Theater, 126 Iberia Street in New Iberia. Children 10-18 are encouraged to audition. 

   There are seven principal characters (2 female, 3 male, 2 either), 11 supporting roles (7 female, 2 male, 2 either), and a chorus of merfolk, sea creatures, sailors and chefs. Those auditioning should come prepared with a one-minute song (it can be from The Little Mermaid, but that is not necessary). Singing to a karaoke track on a CD or singing a capella is appropriate. There will be no pianist available for auditions. Parent/adult volunteers are also highly encouraged to stop by to fill out a volunteer sheet. 

Adapted from Disney’s 2008 Broadway production, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr. is based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. It tells the story of the beautiful young mermaid, Ariel, who longs to leave her ocean home fathoms below to live in the world above. This exciting musical journey features the hit songs “Part of Your World,” “She’s in Love,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” and the Oscar-winning “Under the Sea” along with many new songs from the 2008 Broadway version. The musical's book is by Doug Wright with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman (written for the film) and new lyrics by Glenn Slater. 

Main character and soloist rehearsals will begin Monday, May 27 and regular rehearsals will begin June 3 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.  Not all cast members will need be present for every rehearsal. Performances are scheduled for July 18-28, Thursday through Sunday. There will be a $75 production fee for all those cast in the show. If you have any questions, e-mail the director at trvsguillory@yahoo.com or call him at (337) 789-9362. E-mail is preferred. For those on Facebook, the link to the event page is http://tiny.cc/9e7guw . 

The Little Mermaid- Pandemonium Theatre Group

     Pandemonium Theater Group proudly presents their production of The Little Mermaid as written by Wayne R. Scott and produced with Special Arrangements with LifeHouse Productions, Inc. based on the ever popular and classical story of Hans Christian Andersen.

 

     This delightful musical will take your on an adventure from the palace of King Triton beneath the sea to the palace of Prince William on the beautiful shore from the hidden cave full of human things of Angelica to the dark and mysterious liar of the evil Sea Witch Octavia. 

 

     The fun-loving, adventurous Angelica has turned 16 and is being granted permission by her over protective father to venture to the surface to look above her ocean world to the mysterious and enchanted world of humans. It is only with great concern and much concern of her father, sisters, and her community of merfolk that she ascends into the unknown to find a whole new world of excitement and even love. 

    

     During her visit to the surface, Angelica comes alongside Prince Williams’ ship and becomes even more intrigued to learn more about the human world. However, Octavia has a different plan, a plan of destruction for the voyagers. The ship is destroyed and the crew is thrown overboard during which time Angelica comes to the rescue of Prince William despite the protesting of her best friend Finn.     

 

     When Angelica returns to the undersea palace, she is distraught by having to live in a separate world. Her father is angry that she encountered humans and has promised the entire kingdom that if anyone has any contact with the human world ever again they will be banished from the kingdom. Upset Angelica leaves the palace to seek refuge and solitude in her cave of human things when her loving Grandmer comes to her with a gift, a gift that brings her hope.

     

     Our wonderful casts consists of members representing the areas of Lafayette, Opelousas, Iota, and Crowley ranging from toddlers to adults from merfolk, fish, sea turtles, a sea horse, kelp and an evil sea witch to sailors, palace staff, townsfolk, a steward, and a prince. 

 

    Journey with us to the bottom of the sea as Pandemonium Theater Group presents The Little Mermaid Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8 at 7 pm and Sunday, June 9 at 2 pm at the Grand Opera House in Crowley. Tickets are $10 for students and $12 for adults. Tickets can be purchased online at www.thegrandoperahouse.org, by calling the Grand Opera House at (337) 785-0440, or at the door one hour prior to show time.  For more information go to our Facebook page.                                                                                     

IPAL Youth Theatre Workshop!

Are you a STAR?

IPAL YOUTH THEATRE WORKSHOP

 June 24-28, 2013 from 9-12 Noon

A theatre workshop for the aspiring young performer

Ages 6-9 only

Price includes a t-shirt and snacks

IPAL’s week long Youth Theatre Workshop is a fun way for the aspiring performer ages 6-9 to get to know their local theatre. The young stars will learn about singing, dancing, and script writing, not to mention various acting and improv activities. On the final day of the workshop, a small “concert type” performance with the theme of The Little Mermaid will be given for the parents. Hope to see you there!

Directors: Blythe Bull and Anne Caffery

IPAL, 126 Iberia Street, New Iberia, LA 70560

To register email cafferys1@cox.net and a registration form will be sent to you.

Call 337-256-0604 for more information.

REGISTER SOON – SPACE IS LIMITED!

KREMLIN KOMEDY--REVIEW

“Kremlin Komedy”
Theatre 810
April 25-27 & May 2-3

Life is a brutal journey that ends in the hands of death. Hilarious, no?

That’s the whispered truth at the heart of “Kremlin Komedy,” a clever and very funny program of one-act plays by Russian absurdist writer Daniil Kharms and American playwright David Ives. As conceived by Nathan Gabriel, and directed by Gabriel, Andre Trahan, Alicia Chaisson and Travis Johnson, “Kremlin Komedy” delivers its quick and furiously funny bursts of savage comedy as a sort of dark vaudeville -- set against a simple but evocative curtain designed by Johnson -- that begins with a wait for an oncoming train and ends, as everything does, with a visit from Death.

The bill is almost entirely dedicated to the work of Kharms, and the pieces are real discoveries. The opening piece, “Mashkin Killed Koshkin,” a wordless interlude between two men waiting for a train that devolves into murder (delightfully played by Dustin Lafleur and Bryce Romero), plays like “The Zoo Story” for two Russian clowns. “Fedya Davidovich (Parts I and II)” takes an outrageous bit of physical comedy and turns it into a sharp comment on desperation in poverty. “Rehabilitation,” the blackest of the comedy on the bill, finds gruesome laughs in a most despicable character. And “Untitled,” performed by Rachel Chambers, needs only two sentences to do what Jonathan Swift did in “A Modest Proposal” and bring down the house while doing it.

Gabriel and Alicia Chaisson, who direct the lion’s share of the Kharms’ pieces, find great moments of physical comedy to balance the darkness of the scenes, and they work like gangbusters. They are supported by some very capable performers, particularly Aren Chaisson (whose mostly wordless opening for “What They Sell In Stores Nowadays” is priceless) and Cris Matochi (who gamely turns the audience against him in “Rehabilitation”). The show’s real standout is Bryce Romero, who displays a real knack for physical comedy and lands some of the evening’s best laughs. He shines brightly in “Mashkin Killed Koshkin” and finds some lovely grace notes in the final moments of “Pakin and Rakukin,” mostly without saying a word.

“Variations on the Death of Trotsky,” a one-act by American playwright David Ives, fits less comfortably into this bill. The one-act, which plays out a series of increasingly silly variations on the final day of Leon Trotsky (who lived almost twenty -four hours after having a mountain climber’s axe smashed into his skull), feels a little too long, too labored and too earnest next to the short ferocious bursts of Kharms’ work. Nancy Ramirez has a few bright moments as Trotsky’s long-suffering wife, but the show’s trio of actors never quite settle on a single tone, and the piece ends up feeling as though it belongs in a different show.

The best comedy comes from dark places, and “Kremlin Komedy” mines that darkness well. Gabriel and company never shy away from the dark, so their show about the hell of life is, seriously, funny as hell.
---Cody Daigle

KREMLIN COMEDY--REVIEW

Katie Slattery Lamson is a graduate of the UL-Lafayette Department of  Performing Arts and a teacher for talented theatre students in Iberia Parish.  This is her first review.

Kremlin Komedy is an incredible collaboration of artists. Four directors and seven actors put together a series of nine comedic short plays by and about Russians- the perfect theatrical event to start its run during Festival International de Louisiane.

Written by Russian absurdist Daniil Kharms and American comedic David Ives, these plays weave together a night of intense laughter.

Travis Johnson’s set quite literally explored the softer side of the Iron Curtain. A pile of furniture and other items are stacked and lit so beautifully; exposed by a delicate patchwork curtain. The contrast of light and shadow on this mound of debris is quite stunning.  Items from this pile are used to create the world of each play, bringing forth purpose and meaning to disheveled ruin.

Andre Trahan’s direction of MASHKIN KILLED HOSHKIN is impeccable. This play breaks down any and all social barriers we have while waiting for a train. I forgot I was watching live theatre and was transported into the world of silent film and slapstick. Dustin LaFleur (Mashkin) and Bryce Romero (Koshkin) had incredible chemistry on stage! (Something I can speak highly of for all the actors throughout this show!) This comedy was so well directed down to the slightest glance that the audience was sent into hysterics over and over again, and just when you think it couldn’t be funnier – BAM! It hits you again!

I’ve seen performances by Aren Chaisson in the past and he is adoringly shameless. He will do anything for a role and tonight was no exception! He held roles in several of tonight’s pieces. In WHAT THEY SELL IN STORES NOWADAYS, directed by Nathan Gabriel, Chaisson brought us into his world using nothing more than a plastic satchel and his incredible use of physicality, especially in his facial expressions.

In FEDYA DAVIDOVICH (PARTS I and II) directed by Alecia Chaisson, Rachel Chambers plays alongside Aren Chaisson. This series will absolutely take your breath away! After watching this, I guarantee that you will be plagued with one question… Was the butter actually REAL?!

Chris Matochi commands the stage in REHABILITATION. With once small shift of his eyebrow or the slightest twist of his head, he will turn you on or completely disgust you.

VARIATIONS ON THE DEATH OF TROTSKY is reason enough to see the entire show. Directed by Travis Johnson and performed by Vincent Barras, Nancy Ramirez, and Chris Matochi, we are given several comedic variations on, as the title suggests, the death of Leon Trotsky. Barras and Ramirez make an excellent Mr. and Mrs. Trotsky, moving from scene to scene with such grace. I do wish that the timing were a little tighter between variations because we see Trotsky rise from the dead a split second after the lights on the new variation have already come up. But, hey, it didn’t KILL the mood!

Brady McKellar’s costumes are, of course, stunning, and I am especially impressed with Trotsky’s hat. Fashioned with a mountain climbers’ axe, the hat was worn flawlessly by Mr. Barras.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that stage manager, Kelsey LaCoste, called an incredibly tight show. The actors’ diligence during set changes combined with traditional Russian music made transitions between each play incredibly smooth.

While the intimate setting of Theatre 810 is perfect for this show, anything staged on the ground was difficult to see from the fourth (and final) row. It is not distracting, but I would recommend that you get to the theatre early enough to grab a closer seat.

Kremlin Komedy is running Saturday April 27 at 7:00 pm during Festival International and it will also run the following weekend, May 2-4. Each performance is at 7:00 pm. The entire production runs nearly 45 minutes. Admission is $10.

If you've ever wondered what could possibly be more disgusting than having your wife clip her toenails at the dinner table, then you MUST go see Kremlin Komedy!
---Katie Slattery Lamson

Classes in Puppetry Arts!

Cité des Arts and Hobgoblin Hill Puppets

bring you

 Keys to the World of Puppetry

July 9-12, and 16-19

Contact: Alice Wallace, 337-856-4260 Or Christy Leichty 337-291-1122

What? Classes in Puppetry Arts

Who? Alice Wallace of Hobgoblin Hill Puppets

When?  July 8-11, and 15-18, 5:30-7:30 pm

Where? Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., Lafayette, LA 70501

Cité des Arts Hosts Puppetry Classes for Adults

Have you been looking for the door to puppetry? Have you been hoping to entertain kids, incorporate puppetry into your classes, or bring puppetry into your own home? Well, now is your chance! Alice Wallace of Hobgoblin Hill Puppets, under the sponsorship of Cité des Arts, will be conducting puppetry classes for two weeks on July 9-12 and 16-19, and classes will start at 5:30 pm and end (tentatively) at 7:30 pm. (Some people might want to stay after class to discuss their new ideas, try an experiment, or ask more questions.)

Hobgoblin Hill Puppets is a traveling troupe begun in 1987 in Lafayette, Louisiana, by Alice Wallace, who is a teacher in the St. Martin Parish schools. Now, approximately two hundred puppets since the company’s beginning, Hobgoblin Hill Puppets have been featured performers at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival, Galveston’s Dickens on the Strand, Lafayette’s Festival International, the New Orleans Jazz Festival, and Puppeteers of America conventions in across the United States.

     The focus of these classes will include:

1. An overview of puppetry styles across the world 

2. Practice in developing voices

3. The opportunity to work with many different types of puppets

4. Experimentation with skits 

5. Examination of styles of puppetmaking

6. Instruction in theater construction

7. Open brainstorming sessions on how to work puppetry into your home, your class, or your life.

Miss Wallace will bring in her theater, many of her puppets, and a bucket of ideas on how to make puppetry work for you! Classes will cost only $200.00 per student.  Teachers, and students (high school/college) will get a $40.00 discount.  All you need to bring is an open mind and the courage to make a fool of yourself in front of others. Sign up before the class fills up! www.citedesarts.org or call 291-1122.

Fundraiser/ Ferlinghetti: A Rebirth of Wonder

 Fundraiser for Festival of Words with film Ferlinghetti: A Rebirth of Wonder

  Saturday, April 13, 2013

  7:00 p.m. poetry  --  8:00 p.m. movie

  Cite des Arte, 109 Vine St. Lafayette, LA 70501

CONTACT: Patrice Melnick: Festival of Words (337) 662-1032 or Cite des Arts (337) 291-1122

On Saturday, April 13, join us for a screening of the new film Ferlinghetti A Rebirth of Wonder.  The evening will also include beat poetry performances and a silent auction to raise funds for the Festival of Words. It all takes place at Cité des Arts on Vine St. in Lafayette, LA. 

The evening launches with beat poetry performances by local poet Jerry McGuire and other area poets.

At 8:00 p.m. begins the first run film Ferlinghetti: A Rebirth of Wonder.  In this definitive documentary, director Christopher Felver crafts an incisive, sharply wrought portrait that reveals Ferlinghetti's true role as catalyst for numerous literary careers and for the Beat movement itself.  As poet, playwright, publisher, and activist, Lawrence Ferlinghetti helped to spark the San Francisco literary renaissance of the 1950s and the subsequent “Beat” movement.  

You can see a trailer at http://firstrunfeatures.com/trailers_ferlinghetti.html

The event will also include a silent auction that includes fine, handmade quilts by Le Coudre Points of Arnaudville and by Gwen Miller; art glass by Karen Bourque, paintings by William Turley; glass chimes by Jerilyn Lavergne and recycle art by Trish Ransom.  Food will be available as well as drinks through Cité des Arts’ Station Cafe.  Funds will go towards the annual Festival of Words, November 7--9, 2013 featuring Darrell Bourque, Genaro Kỳ Lý Smith and Naomi Shihab Nye.

Sponsored by the Festival of Words, Cane Fire Film Series, Cite des Arts, & Small-Time Cinema.  Cité des Arts is located at 109 Vine St. in Lafayette.  

Tickets are $15 @ Casa Azul in Grand Coteau and Cite Des Arts.  FMI: 337-662-1032 or 337-291-1122

Acting Classes! Bill Coelius returns!

Commercial Acting 101 (101 Things You Need To Know Before Your Audition) taught by commercial veteran Bill Coelius, is the product of his experience acting in over 35 national commercials, and auditioning on a weekly basis in today’s market. From slate to set, Bill shares a carefully crafted game plan that will help you book and shoot that national commercial.
 From a reminder as basic as remembering to bring black socks to the shoot, to psychological exercises designed to help you recognize how your habitual patterns of fear-based thinking may prevent you from booking, Bill presents a myriad of skills, strategies and trade secrets that will turn your beliefs about yourself and the industry inside-out. Commercial Acting 101 covers everything from a review of basic skills such as slating, sign-in, and making copy your own, to the hidden rules of auditioning and the secrets of on-set behavior.

Commercial Acting 101 tackles everything from the mundane to the mystical. Does how you sign in affect your chances of booking the job? Are there things you can do while walking off set to ensure a future job? Are there absolute rules about acting that will help you book a national commercial? Can you work fearlessly, and truly enjoy every audition? Commercial Acting 101 will explain why all of those questions are answered with a definite YES!
 
Student Quotes:
     “This is the most effective audition class I've ever taken - and I've taken many of them. I BOOKED a commercial 2 days after the class ended. The specific skill set bill taught me in class, hands down, was the sole reason I booked that commercial. Bill's class helped me extinguish the nervousness and my fear that plagued so many of my auditions, thereby helping me to realize my true creative potential. As an actor, I feel transformed into the type of artist I've always wanted to be. I can't recommend this class enough. and I feel confident that I can book so many more commercials. THANK YOU, BILL!!”- Shuo Z.   
      “It was awesome. Bill was full of information, and he was positive and inspiring. I really enjoyed everything about it. I want to be taught by an actor who is a WORKING actor and knows what they are talking about!” –Hollie
     “ Bill was so kind and generous, and pointed out in a great way a deeper meaning on how to be successful. It was fascinating for me because I realized I am often only too happy to help people in my everyday life but had not thought about taking this into the audition room. Extremely helpful. Thank you.” -Liz F.
      "Bill is an enlightened teacher: it was hard for everyone to leave the room once class was over! Aside from the rich toolbox of practical, repeatable commercial audition skills that Bill imparts, the warmth, respect, enthusiasm, and high spirit of play that he brings to the room quickly brings out the best work in all actors. I left the class not only with the confidence to succeed, but with real excitement for my next commercial audition." –Jacquelyn L.
     “Bill is the Yoda of commercial acting technique.”- Chris B.

Class will meet April 13 & 14 (Sat-Sun) 10-5pm each day, location to be announced.
The cost for the class is $125.

You can contact Bill at  billcoelius@gmail.com or at 917 568 4391, or Aren Chaisson is acting as his 'local contact,' at arenchaisson@gmail.com

The Crandles at Cites des Arts!

An original comedy play called The Crandles by Keisha Orphey will be presented at Cité des Arts April 19-21.  Showtimes are 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday, and 2:00pm on Sundays.  Tickets may be purchased at the door, or with paypal from www.citedesarts.org

The Crandles centers on a blue-collared, African-American family.  In the first episode (scheduled for production at Cites des Arts April 19-21, 2013) Charles Crandle has won the lottery!  Three hundred and sixty eight million dollars!  What does a construction worker of twenty-plus years do with that kind of money?  

A native of Lafayette, Louisiana, Keisha Orphey is known in the industry for Pacific Northwest Screenwriting Competition's Best Dramatic screenplay, Ella, a tribute to legendary jazz vocalist Ella Jane Fitzgerald. In 2008, she completed a second biopic,Trouble Man.  August 2008, Keisha adapted Vanish by New York Times Best-Selling author Tess Gerritsen, who personally read several drafts and made suggestions to the final script. Keisha also worked on Blues Boy with Director’s Guild member Peter Claridge of Peter Claridge Pictures (Germany).

Cite Des Arts Fundraiser! WHO'S TRUST THE IRS?

Cite Des Arts announces it's Spring Fundraiser:  

"WHO’S TRUSTS THE IRS? MYSTERY DINNER THEATRE"

7:00pm April 4th at Bailey's Restaurent 5520 Johnston St, Lafayette

 Join us the evening of April 4th for a wonderful meal at Bailey’s. Not only will you have a delicious dinner, you may even learn a few new things about how to protect yourself from the machinations of the Internal Revenue Service. Keep your eyes and ears open throughout the evening. There will be opportunities to take home prizes and memorabilia. That is not to say there may not be an extra taste of murder and mayhem during the night. 

 The evening will begin with a cash bar at 6:30 and guests will be seated for dinner at 7:00. A steak dinner will be offered, with a Tilapia topped with crawfish etoufee alternative for those who prefer. Tickets are $60 per person for dinner and the show. All proceeds benefit Cité des Arts. For further information and reservations, please call Cité at 337 291-1122 or go to our website: www.citedesarts.org 

P.S. If you know of any “suspicious characters” who may attend, we do accept tips to their identity and the nature of their suspicious behavior – should there be any reason to suspect them of any crimes which may occur that evening. Cité may also be “tipped” for assisting in the setup of your unsuspecting “friend”.

Ongoing now! Man of La Mancha: Iberia Performing Arts League

Man of La Mancha,  the legendary Broadway musical, will be presented by the Iberia Performing Arts League in New Iberia March 8-24. Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings (7:30) with Sunday Matinees at 3:00.  Performances will be at the Essanee Theater, IPAL’s Art Deco home. Rating PG. Information can be obtained by calling the theater at 364-6114, e-mailing ipal@cox.net, or by visiting the IPAL website www.iberiaperformingartsleague.com.

The production is directed by Donald Voorhies, and stars Lynn Derouen (Cervantes/Don Quixote), Vincent P. Barras (Manservant/Sancho Panza), and Katelyn Stelly (Aldonza/Dulcinea). Additional cast members include Mitchell Prudhomme (Duke/Dr. Carrasco), Michael Parich (The Padre), Cindy Hebert (The Housekeeper), Lanie Marcantel and Blythe Bull sharing the role of Antonia (The Niece), Dawn Borel (Contora), and Will Grubbs (The Innkeeper). Mule Drivers are  Eli Hallmark, Seth Derouen, Mike Labiche, Phillip Smith, and Kerry Jackson. Other cast members include Michael Durand, Milton Resweber, Wanda Price, Rayna Theriot, Jessica Babineaux, Maggie Landry, Teresa Landry, Bo Belanger, Kerry Jackson, Keri Judice, Sheila Derouen, Rachelle Myers, Kaylon Khamphilavong, Wendy Parich, Renee Judice, and Kim Monroe.

            Man of La Mancha opened on Broadway in 1965, won 5 Tony Awards and ran for 2328 performances. Due to its universal appeal, it is the most performed of all musicals, having been translated into dozens of languages with performances worldwide. The show features Spanish and Flamenco style music and the noteworthy anthem “To Dream the Impossible Dream.”

            IPAL’s Man of La Mancha lavish production will be accompanied by a sixteen piece orchestra.  According to director, Don “Doc” Voorhies “Man of La Mancha is simply a beautiful show. It’s fun, it’s comic, it’s exciting, it’s uplifting and it ultimately delivers an important and moving message, whether for the upheavals and storms of the 1960’s or those of today.”

IPAL is working its usual magic and are expecting to have a great show.  In Voorhies’ production staff are Lynn DeRouen and Helen Hodge, Vocal directors; Bob Morgan, Musical Director; Mitchell Prudhomme; Assistant Director: Kim Degeyter, Choreographer; Teresa Landry, Art Director; Frank Sierra, Prop-Meister, and Mike and Katherine Caffery, technical directors.

This performance is supported, in part, by a grant from the Louisiana State Arts Council, through the Louisiana Divisions of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Funding has also been provided through the Acadiana Center for the Arts, Regions Bank, Regions Insurance and Iberia Cultural Resources Association.

OPENING TONIGHT! The Glass Mendacity!

Eunice Players' Theatre Opens 44th Season With A Comedy

 

    As the Eunice Players’ Theatre opens its 44th season, Jody L. Powell brings to the stage The Glass  Mendacity, written by Maureen Morley and Tom Willmorth.  The two-act comedy is a spoof of Tennessee Williams’ most famous plays, The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

    Williams’ plays are family dramas, and as such, they are filled with fragile and damaged Southern characters who are driven to madness, alcoholism, deceit, and fantasy. Thus, they are easy targets for lampooning and parody, which is just what the authors of this play have done with them. In addition, the authors have taken family members from each play, mixed them up, and created an entirely new outrageous brood. Audiences with a strong familiarity of Williams’ plays will get the most out of the show, but the humor of "The Glass Mendacity" is broad enough to make it appealing to all.

    In this mingling of characters where families are merged and relationships are shifted, Big Daddy Dubois is played by Kevin Miller of Eunice.  He is well known on the Eunice stage for dramatic and comedic roles from The Subject Was Roses, all of the “abridged” and “Tuna” plays, and more.  In Lafayette, he was most recently seen in The Rehearsal and he is a member of Acadiana Repertory Theatre, having recently been in their production of CAROL: A Broken Chain.

    Big Daddy’s wife, Amanda Dubois, who still recounts the number of gentlemen callers she had in her youth, is played by Mary Gail Lamonte DeVillier of Opelousas.  Mary Gail has been seen on the Eunice stage in many roles including that of Amanda Wingfield (from whom her current character is drawn) in The Glass Menagerie, Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy and Louise in Always…Patsy Cline.

    Together, they are the parents of Brick, so rendered catatonic by self-pity and alcohol that he comes across as a real stiff.  He is played by a certain gentleman from Tennessee, whom the audience must see to appreciate.

    Blanche Kowalski, the tragic nut case, is played by Deborah D. Ardoin of Eunice.  Debbi is a long time member of EPT, and a current member of Acadiana Repertory Theatre.  She was most recently seen in The Murder Room and A Nice Family Gathering in Eunice, and Buried Child in Lafayette.

    In this twisted reality, Blanche is now married to the working-class brute Stanley Kowalski, played by John Snyder of Opelousas.  John has studied contemporary theatre at ULL and The American Theatre for Actors in New York City, as well as classical theatre at The British American Drama Academy at Oxford. Eunice audiences may remember him from years past in Lend Me a Tenor and Playing Doctor.

    Maggie the Cat, the scheming seductress, is played by Katryn Schmidt of Lafayette.  No stranger to the stage, Katryn’s work includes roles in Lost in Yonkers, Our Town, and The Vagina Monologues.  Her film work includes Lord Byron, which was screened at the Sundance Festival in 2011.

    Erin Segura of Lafayette plays Laura Dubois, keeper of a glass menagerie and the dreamer whose shyness is underscored by her limp. Erin has an extensive theatrical resume throughout Acadiana including the roles of Shelby in Steel Magnolias at Teche Theatre in Franklin, Rita in Educating Rita at Iberia Performing Arts League in New Iberia, and Lucy Harker in Dracula in Lafayette. 

    Rounding out the cast is Allen Higginbotham of Eunice, playing Mitch, a combination of the gentleman caller and the lawyer acquaintance who properly greases the wheels and can’t keep his eyes off of Blanche.  Allen joined the cast of Rumours on the EPT stage 20 years ago, and made his way back to the boards in last season’s On Golden Pond.

Evening performances will be held March 14, 15, 21, 22, and 23 at 7:00 p.m.  A matinee will be held Sunday, March 17 at 2:00 p.m.  Dinner theatre (with steak and trimmings) is scheduled for Wednesday, March 20 at 6:00 p.m. at Ruby's on Second St., with the performance immediately following.  

    All seats are $10; dinner is an additional $15.  Tickets can be purchased at David Ltd. Salon or by calling David at 546-0163 or Debi at 457-2156 to charge by phone.  The theatre is located at 121 S. Second St. in Eunice.  This play includes very brief use of mature language and smoking of herbal cigarettes.

Season tickets are also available; the season ticket is $20, which allows the bearer entrance to 3 of the season's shows, the ability to make seating reservations, an invitation to the Irving Awards, and a ballot for the awards.  Patron and angel packages are also available. 

More information can be found on EPT’s Facebook page or at www.euniceplayers.blogspot.com.