Theatre--Performance

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--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)

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

UL Opera Theatre and The Compound are pleased to announce their collaboration on an exciting spring production: a revival of GRAND PRÉ, a musical by local playwright Cody Daigle and local composer Roy Bertucci.

In 1755, British military at Grand Pré, Nova Scotia, began a forced removal of all Acadian civilians, sending them on boats to other corners of the world. This removal would cast the Acadian people out of their homeland, tear apart families, and force the Acadians to resettle in ports all along the Eastern Seaboard, finally settling in Louisiana after many years of travel.

GRAND PRÉ musicalizes the beginning of the “Great Removal,” set against the story of a family already at war with itself. As the LeBlanc family struggles to accept the inclusion of a British solider to their family by marriage, forces in the outside world move to dismantle the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia for good. GRAND PRÉ is a musical about a moment of sweeping historical change, the human cost of history and the price we pay for loyalty.

Originally commissioned in 2005 by the Acadian Cultural Center and Cite des Arts, GRAND PRÉ was first produced in 2005. This version of GRAND PRÉ is a significantly revised version of the original show, containing an overhauled book, a new character and a new musical number.

GRAND PRÉ features performances by Jonah Slason (Louis), Alexandra Hollerman (Helene), Jenee Luquette (Cecile), Sadie Bekurs (Isabelle), Garrett Guidry (Thom), Tessa Espinosa (Alice), Jay Broussard (Allain), Shelby Runyan (Barillot), Aren Chaisson (John Winslow), and Holden Greene (Charles Lawrence).
Shawn Roy directs this new production with David Boudreaux supplying musical direction and new orchestrations. Duncan Thistlethwaite (scenic design) and Gina Baronne (costume design) round out the artistic team.

GRAND PRÉ marks a unique collaboration between two local producing agencies. UL Opera Theatre has supplied Acadiana with top-notch musical offerings for several years (including last year’s exciting THE MIKADO and THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD), and The Compound is one of the area’s newest companies, having scored a major success with their workshop production of the new play WILLIAM AND JUDITH.

This collaboration brings together two exciting companies in an effort to bring a new musical to life.

GRAND PRÉ will run March 8-11 at the Ducrest-Gilfrey Auditorium at Angelle Hall on the U: Campus. Curtain on Thursday, Friday and Saturday is 7:30 p.m. The Sunday matinee curtain is at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door.  There will also be a free school show on March 9th at 10 am.

For more information, call 482-6012.

Theatre--Performance

The Compound's Submission Smackdown has been postponed indefinitely.

Theatre--Performance

The Compound's Submission Smackdown has been postponed until December 4th.  It will still take place at Theatre 810.

Theatre--Performance

10 plays. 4 rounds. 1 winner.
Let the smackdown begin.

The Compound must really trust its audience: YOU are picking our next project.

Welcome to "Submission Smackdown," an interactive event that gives you a voice in our new play development program. Ten plays submitted to The Compound from playwrights around the globe will battle it out in four rounds of head-to-head combat. One play will emerge victorious, and it will receive a staged reading by The Compound. Submission Smackdown is part of The Lab, The Compound’s new play development program, which aims to help emerging playwrights develop their plays through readings and workshops.


Q: WHEN AND WHERE IS THIS SMACKDOWN?
A: November 12 at 8 p.m., following Second Saturday ArtWalk, at Theatre 810 downtown.

Q: HOW MUCH IS THIS SMACKDOWN?
A: Pay what you roll. Each patron rolls a die, and whatever you roll, you pay. So, your admission is 1-6 bucks. How lucky are you?

Q: HOW DOES THIS SMACKDOWN WORK?
Ten plays will compete in the smackdown. In the first round, the audience will select eight of those plays for competition by title alone. We'll put those eight plays into our smackdown brackets.

In the second round, we'll read the playwright's cover letters, selling their plays to us. The eight will be whittled down to four.

In the third round, we'll read the play's one-page synopsis. The four plays will be whittled down to two.

In the fourth round, we'll perform the ten-page sample scenes from the final two plays. The audience picks a winner, and we'll perform that winning play as a staged reading in an upcoming event.

Q: IS THAT ALL WE'LL EXPERIENCE AT THIS SMACKDOWN?
A:Oh, no. We've got more surprises up our sleeves. But you'll have to join us to find out about them. It's going to be a rowdy good time with some exciting new plays.

SUBMISSION SMACKDOWN takes place on November 12 at 8 p.m. at Theatre 810 downtown (next to Carpe Diem). Admission is "pay what you roll" and all tickets will be sold at the box office prior to curtain. For more info, visit http://thecompoundtheatre.wordpress.com.

SEE YOU AT THE SMACKDOWN!!

Theatre--Review (The Compound at Theatre 810)

Most great plays begin with a simple conceit born of two famous words etched in a question: what if? What if a college professor and his wife had a secret fantasy son whose life they have melded over several bitter years until the game got out of hand? What if a decent white lawyer in the South defended an unjustly-accused black man? What if a morally upright man defended his religious convictions and defied his King's wishes for a divorce? All of those examples had men at their center, so Cody Daigle has asked this “what if?” question: what if Judith Shakespeare, William's sister, albeit a fictitious one, had written The Tempest, and not William? With this simple question, Daigle has crafted William and Judith, a marvel of a play filled with three delights: a great play, a great cast, and a great director.

The time is 1609-1610, London, and William's sister Judith has arrived at William's doorstep in London, penniless but determined not to be married off in an arranged manner as chosen by her father, even though such arrangements were commonplace in that age. Though disowned by her father, Judith is determined to make a life of her own unfettered by men, though she must impose momentarily upon her brother. William has troubles of his own, however, from two directions. A recent case of writer's block is threatening his career, and his wife Anne has traveled from Stratford to visit her husband to express concerns over their daughter's impending marriage to Thomas Quiney. Though written with the help of John Fletcher, Shakespeare's two most recent plays hardly live up to his demanding standards, but the great Bard finds a solution in the “what if?” scenario mentioned above. It's a fascinating idea, first proposed by Virginia Woolf, and taken to incredible heights by Cody Daigle.

The true genius of a “what if?” situation is that it can completely ignore reality. In actuality, William had no sister named Judith, though he did have one named Joan about the same age as Judith and who outlived him by three decades. William's daughter Judith, hereafter called Jude, was betrothed to Thomas Quiney, but they were not wed until 1616 in the last months of William's life, and his health was failing. Judith, portrayed as a young girl in the production, was actually thirty-one when she married Thomas, a marriage that brought nothing but heartache. The two were excommunicated from the church because Thomas had forgotten to arrange a license to marry during Lent, and Thomas was later charged with “carnal copulation” with Margaret Wheeler, who died giving birth to his son. Truth, as Cody writes, is nothing like the play, and the reality would have made a less interesting one.

I do not jest when I say it's a great play with a great cast and a great director. Alicia Chaisson has a director's touch, placing the actors on stage in a way that both enhances the script and feels utterly natural. No bit of staging feels false, nobody upstages the other—except once, which I will detail later—and every actor, lead or supporting, has at least one great moment. As befits the title, William (Aren Chaisson) and Judith (Sarah Gauthier) form the heart of the play, and the two actors have indelible chemistry. Chaisson is utterly believable as the tormented author nearing the end of his career and his life, but it's Gauthier's Judith that steals your heart. Watching her create this thing of passion, only to have it stolen by, of all people, her beloved brother, was devastating to watch, and Sarah's pained face spoke more than any words could. A delightful Steven Cooper epitomized John Fletcher's boyish eagerness, especially in scenes with Sarah where he asks earnestly where do her words come from? Theatre veteran Duncan Thistlethwaite captures Richard Burbage's overblown actor, and Kate Schneider brings a lovely understated quality to Anne Hathaway. Rounding out the cast was Gerard Ducharme as Thomas Quiney, appropriately slimy and smarmy, and Martha Diaz as Jude, who shines in the role and who inspires Judith to fashion Miranda, a character in The Tempest, on Jude.

The play's the thing, however, and no cast or director would have been assembled without Cody Daigle's words. I have followed his works for some time—I'm still kicking myself for not auditioning for Grand Pré—and this shows what time and experience can do to hone one's art. It was perfectly wonderful when I saw the developmental reading presented earlier this year, and yet he has improved it with a new ending that blends William Shakespeare's last great play with Cody's own. It's a lovely visual not possible in a staged reading, and it was a stroke of genius and a most appropriate ending. Before I forget, I wish to congratulate Duncan Thistlethwaite on another wonderful set of wood paneling in jagged designs, Chad Viator for composing the enchanting incidental score, and Walter Brown for donating the use of so much of his own delightfully-appropriate furniture for the set.

I do have quibbles, minor though they be. Aren Chaisson, a compelling actor who has returned to Louisiana after several years of theatrical experience in New York, sometimes projects as if he were still on that New York stage. It's a bit overwhelming in Theatre 810's intimate atmosphere, but when he tones down, he's charming. Thoroughly delightful in A Midsummer Night's Dream because she slowed her diction and articulated beautifully, Martha Diaz has slightly reverted to speaking too quickly again. I attribute that to exciteness at being in this fine production, but she needs to slow her words again for the audience to fully appreciate her character. The only bit of upstaging comes when Gerard Ducharme approaches Martha during the closing scene. He is playing Ferdinand, the character who falls in love with Miranda, but he stands upstage of her, and we do not see her critical reaction, for in the Shakespeare play, she falls in love with him at a glance. Some of the costumes by Gina Baronne were lovely, especially Judith's with its red as a brilliant color choice, but Anne's costume had dangling threads, Fletcher's vest was too large, and Quiney's coat was oddly bunched in the back. The lighting design, also by Gina Baronne, was flawless, but I would suggest one change. In scene two, Judith reads a letter, while in the last scene William reads one too. When William reads his letter, he is washed with a spotlight, but for Judith, the entire stage seemed lit. For a lovely bit of parallelism, both would benefit from spotlights.

As I write this, I am still haunted by Judith's final words to her brother, and I paraphrase, “As you have erased me, dear brother, so I now erase you.” Though Shakespeare has been dead nearly four centuries, his works and his words live on. I have no idea if Cody Daigle will walk that same path—and I certainly won't be around to know—but wouldn't that be a great “what if?”

---Vincent P. Barras

Theatre--Performance

The Compound, in conjunction with its upcoming workshop production of William and Judith, will be giving away a free gift package to one person who buys tickets online in the next 48 hours.  For more information, check here.

Theatre--Performance

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

Theatre--Performance

AUI/AURA presents THE COMPOUND's workshop production of

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


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


THE PLAY

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

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

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


THE CAST

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

TICKETS

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

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

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

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

Tickets are nonrefundable.

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

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

Theatre--Performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opening night special event: Sept. 17

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

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