Theatre--Performance

Gris Gris Productions and Richard Howes Productions proudly present Sam Shepard’s award-winning play True West from May 31- June 3 at Theatre 810 (810 Jefferson St. in downtown Lafayette).  

True West is a character study that examines the relationship between Austin, a screenwriter, and his older brother Lee, set in the kitchen of their mother's home 40 miles east of Los Angeles. Austin is house-sitting while their mother is in Alaska, and there he is confronted by his brother who proceeds to bully his way into staying at the house and using Austin’s car. In addition, the screenplay which Austin is pitching to his connection in Hollywood somehow gets taken over by the pushy con-man tactics of Lee, and the brothers find themselves forced to cooperate in the creation of a story that will make or break both their lives. In the process, the conflict between the brothers creates a heated situation in which their roles as successful family man and nomadic drifter are somehow reversed, and each man finds himself admitting that he had somehow always wished he were in the other’s shoes.  

"I wanted to write a play about double nature, one that wouldn’t be symbolic or metaphorical or any of that stuff,” Shepard explains on his website. “I just wanted to give a taste of what it feels like to be two-sided. It’s a real thing, double nature. I think we’re split in a much more devastating way than psychology can ever reveal. It’s not so cute. Not some little thing we can get over. It’s something we’ve got to live with."
“ True West has ... arguably become Shepard’s signature piece, the leanest, most pointed of his full-length works,” writes David Krasner in “A Companion to Twentieth Century American Drama.”

The play stars Brock Hoffpauir, Blake Hoffpauir, Dominick Cross and Winnie Daphin-Bacqué and is directed by Bruce Coen.  “I’ve been wanting to do this play for a long time because I feel that Sam Shepard is one of our great American playwrights and it’s time to bring him back to Lafayette,” said Coen.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday (May 31),  Friday (June1) and Saturday (June 2) and, 3 pm pm Sunday (June 3).

This show is based on adult themes and adult language is used at times. Therefore this is not a show for children.

For more information, email Theatre 810 at theatre810@gmail.com or call (337) 484-0172.

Theatre--Performance

Cité des Arts and Gris Gris Productions present Sam Shepard’s award-winning play True West April 13-22 at Cite des Arts, 109 Vine St. in downtown Lafayette.

True West is a character study that examines the relationship between Austin, a screenwriter, and his older brother Lee, set in the kitchen of their mother's home 40 miles east of Los Angeles. Austin is house-sitting while their mother is in Alaska, and there he is confronted by his brother who proceeds to bully his way into staying at the house and using Austin’s car. In addition, the screenplay which Austin is pitching to his connection in Hollywood somehow gets taken over by the pushy con-man tactics of Lee, and the brothers find themselves forced to cooperate in the creation of a story that will make or break both their lives. In the process, the conflict between the brothers creates a heated situation in which their roles as successful family man and nomadic drifter are somehow reversed, and each man finds himself admitting that he had somehow always wished he were in the other’s shoes.

"I wanted to write a play about double nature, one that wouldn’t be symbolic or metaphorical or any of that stuff,” Shepard explains on his website. “I just wanted to give a taste of what it feels like to be two-sided. It’s a real thing, double nature. I think we’re split in a much more devastating way than psychology can ever reveal. It’s not so cute. Not some little thing we can get over. It’s something we’ve got to live with. True West has ... arguably become Shepard’s signature piece, the leanest, most pointed of his full-length works,” writes David Krasner in A Companion to Twentieth Century American Drama.


The play stars Brock Hoffpauir, Blake Hoffpauir, Dominick Cross and Winnie Daphin-Bacqué and is directed by Bruce Coen. “I’ve been wanting to do this play for a long time because I feel that Sam Shepard is one of our great American playwrights and it’s time to bring him back to Lafayette,” said Coen.

Cite is also offering gourmet meals for Saturday shows from the "Conscious Gourmet" that need to be reserved by Friday by 5 PM.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, April 13-14, 20-21 and 2 p.m. Sundays, April 15 and 22.
This show is based on adult themes and adult language is used at times. Therefore this is not a show for children.

For more information, contact Bruce Coen at (337) 984-0754.

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

Theatre--Performance

Gris-Gris Productions is bringing back The Exile Of Joe Gagliano, a bittersweet play about the trials of living with family after Hurricane Katrina, for a one-night performance at Cite Des Arts Back Stage at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29. The play debuted at Cité's recent Hub City Theatre Festival in July. The play will be preceded by an open mic from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., where writers will have the opportunity to read their works dealing with the hurricanes of 2005.

"We wanted to bring back the play because it received such a wonderful response at the festival and Aug. 29 is the third-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina," said playwright Cheré Coen. "The play looks at family life during disasters so it has an uplifting ending and reminds us that no matter what comes at us, we still have each other. So even though we are acknowledging the anniversary, it will be a positive event."

The open mic was added to give local writers a chance to read work they have written about both storms. "There are so many wonderful writers in Acadiana and this is just another chance to show them off," Coen said. "I encourage everyone to come out and read and celebrate that after three years, we are still alive and kicking."

All profits generated by the event will be donated to the Resurrection Project, a recovery organization rebuilding homes in the Lower 9th Ward.

WHAT: The Exile Of Joe Gagliano by Cheré Coen, directed by Bruce Coen
WHEN: 7-8 p.m. open mic for writers, 8 p.m. performance
WHERE: Cité des Arts Back Stage
COST: $10, with profits going to the Resurrection Project, a recovery organization rebuilding homes in the Lower 9th Ward
Lagniappe: Coffee and chicory and New Orleans refreshments will be available

Theatre--Performance

Gris-Gris Productions is bringing back The Exile Of Joe Gagliano, a bittersweet play about the trials of living with family after Hurricane Katrina, for a one-night performance at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29. The play debuted at Cité's recent Hub City Theatre Festival in July.

The play will be preceded by an open mic from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., where writers will have the opportunity to read their works dealing with the hurricanes of 2005.

"We wanted to bring back the play because it received such a wonderful response at the festival and Aug. 29 is the third-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina," said playwright Cheré Coen. "The play looks at family life during disasters so it has an uplifting ending and reminds us that no matter what comes at us, we still have each other. So even though we are acknowledging the anniversary, it will be a positive event.

The open mic was added to give local writers a chance to read work they have written about both storms. "There are so many wonderful writers in Acadiana and this is just another chance to show them off," Coen said. "I encourage everyone to come out and read and celebrate that after three years, we are still alive and kicking."

All profits generated by the event will be donated to the Resurrection Project, a recovery organization rebuilding homes in the Lower 9th Ward.

WHAT: The Exile Of Joe Gagliano by Cheré Coen, directed by Bruce Coen
WHEN: 7-8 p.m. open mic for writers, 8 p.m. performance
WHERE: Cité des Arts
COST: $10, with profits going to the Resurrection Project, a recovery organization rebuilding homes in the Lower 9th Ward.

Lagniappe: Coffee and chicory and New Orleans refreshments will be available.

Theatre--Performance

Cite des Arts is proud to present a theatre event unlike any the Acadiana area has seen -- the second annual Hub City Theatre Festival, a three-day theatre festival presenting original and published theatre work from local and national writers.

The Hub City Theatre Festival will present the world premieres of seven theatre pieces, the reprise of one piece by a local artist, and two performances of pieces from published playwrights. Local theatre companies and independent artists from across the Acadiana area are producing the pieces, and local audiences can expect a diverse offering of theatre visions -- from the comic to the thought-provoking, from the socially relevant to the personally intimate, from the solo performance to larger cast pieces.

Performances begin on Thursday, July 10 and run through Saturday, July 12. All pieces will alternate performances between Cite’s Mainstage Theatre and Cite’s Second Stage space. The final performance schedule will be announced shortly.

The Hub City Theatre Festival will also incorporate two new divisions to the festival. The first, HCTF Interactive, will include activities for the audience and participants to provide feedback on the festival as it is happening. The second, HCTF Kids, will be a series of interactive workshops scheduled on the morning of Saturday July 12, 2008.

The pieces selected for this year’s festival are:

* The Lamp by Cindy Brown.
This world premiere comedy takes a humorous and introspective look at life with Charlene and her middle-aged friends as they blossom and explore new possibilities. Directed by Dana Reed, this one act play marks the second year that the playwright has participated in the Hub City Theatre Festival.

* To Protect And Sever by Steven Cooper.
A world premier short play by local writer Steven Cooper. This short piece takes a darkly comic approach to the rising threat of terrorism, domestic spying, and the education of our youth.

* Gertrude Stein And A Companion by Win Wells
Firelight Theatre will present the first published work of the festival with their first HCTF production. This memory play presents snapshots of the strong relationship across time between Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Through reflective and intimate storytelling, incorporating some of Gertrude Stein's own writings, the play reveals the fascinating journey of their remarkable life together in a time before such liaisons achieved any measure of social acceptance.

* The Exile of Joe Gagliano by Chere Coen
Gris-Gris Productions joins HCTF for the second year with its world premiere production. Bruce and Chere Coen pair together to bring us a funny yet touching portrayal of a New Orleans family evacuated during hurricane Katrina and adjusting to relocating in Lafayette.

* Momma Jass by Austin Sonnier, Jr.
The established Louisiana playwright will reprise this production for the HCTF stage. This one woman show starring Bria Hobgood explores the history of jazz.

* Willie And Me by Kimberly Johnson-Nagle.
The 2007 HCTF Best Play winning playwright and Best Production winning director Dr. Alex C. Marshall have paired together once again to present this world premiere production. Imagine, William Shakespeare in present day Louisiana and a troubled young lady who is trying to guide him through this new world. Can these strangers become friends or are there differences too much to overcome?

* Exile by Maureen Brennan and Valerian Smith
Brenrose Productions will present the debut of this work in progress. Focusing on the final days of Napoleon’s exile to the Caribbean island of St. Helen, this piece relies on gospel music to help tell the story.

* Last Night Of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry
Eunice Player’s Theatre brings their version of this Tony Award winning play to the Lafayette area. This charming and bittersweet comedy is set in 1939 in Atlanta, where Gone With the Wind is premiering. A segment of Atlanta’s Jewish elite is more concerned with who will be attending Ballyhoo, the social event of the season, than Hitler’s invasion of Poland. The arrival of a handsome businessman from New York forces the Freitag family to deal with who they really are as they are pulled apart and mended again with plenty of gentle comedy, sweet romance, and unexpected turns.

* Regarding Moore by Christine Baniewicz and Nick Hwang
In Baniewicz’s second year of HCTF, she has teamed up with a fellow LSU student to present the world premiere of this work in progress musical. In the scenes presented, English professor Dr. Steven Moore confronts two conflicting forces: his recent literary fame and his unique relationship with a 19-year-old student.

* Committed: Gay Marriage And Other Nightmares of Middle America by Cody Daigle.
Committed is a solo exploration of love, marriage, and commitment in the age of same-sex marriage. Weaving together the history of the fight for same-sex marriage in America and the personal history of the playwright, Committed makes the modest proposal that, gay or straight, marriage is good for us all.

Additional programming will fill out the festival, including a playwrights roundtable, a storytelling event, and other events to be announced.

The Hub City Theatre Festival is offering a variety of ticketing options for patrons to fully enjoy the festival. Festival passes, which gives patrons admission to every show in the festival are sold for $50.00. Saturday passes, which gives patrons admission to the full Saturday slate of shows are sold for $25.00. General admission tickets are also available for $5.00 per performance. For more information on purchasing a Festival pass or Saturday pass, call 291-1122.

The Hub City Theatre Festival is a one-of-a-kind theatre event for the Acadiana area that should not be missed. For more information on the festival lineup, the individual shows, ticketing options, and any other questions, call Cite des Arts at 291-1122 or visit Cite on the web at www.citedesarts.org.