Theatre--Peformance and Season

Cité des Arts opens its 2009 theatre season this on Thursday, March 5th with Educating Rita, the award-winning stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell. Directed by Maureen Brennan and starring Acadiana favorites Vincent P. Barras and Erin Segura, the story follows the relationship during the course of a University semester, between Susan White, a young woman from Liverpool and working class hairdresser and Dr Frank Bryant, a middle-aged University lecturer. The play deals with England's class system, the shortcomings of institutional education, and the nature of self-development.

This show runs for three weekends opening on March 5th and closing on Saturday, March 21st. Performances are Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., at Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette, between Jefferson St. and Third St. Ticket prices are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for senior citizens (65+) and students of any age. For additional information and reservations, please call Cité des Arts at 337-291-1122.

Season Tickets are on sale for $50.00, which is a savings of $10.00 for the four shows. Besides Educating Rita, the 2009 Season is as follows:

THE MIRACLE WORKER: May 14th–-30th, 2009 (Thursday – Saturday):
The Miracle Worker, written by William Gibson, is the story of the young Helen Keller, who is blind and deaf since infancy. She is frustrated by her inability to communicate and as a result, is subject to frequent violent and uncontrollable outbursts. Unable to deal with Helen, her terrified and helpless parents contact a school for the blind and Annie Sullivan, a former student, is sent to their home to tutor the child. What ensues is a battle of wills as Annie breaks down Helen's walls of silence and darkness through persistence, love, and sheer stubbornness.

CRIMES OF THE HEART: July 9th–-25th, 2009 (Thursday – Saturday):
Crimes of the Heart is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Beth Henley
At the core of this tragic comedy are the three Magrath sisters, Meg, Babe, and Lenny, who reunite at Old Granddaddy's home in Hazlehurst, Mississippi after Babe shoots her abusive husband. The trio was raised in a dysfunctional family with a penchant for ugly predicaments and each has endured her share of hardship and misery. Past resentments bubble to the surface as they're forced to deal with assorted relatives and past relationships while coping with the latest incident that has disrupted their lives. Each sister is forced to face the consequences of the "crimes of the heart" she has committed.

WIT: September 10th--26th, 2009 (Thursday – Saturday):
Wit is the first play written by American playwright Margaret Edson. The play focuses on the last hours of Dr Vivian Bearing, a university professor of English, who is dying of ovarian cancer. She recalls the initial diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic ovarian cancer from her oncologist, Dr Harvey Kelekian. Dr Kelekian then proposes an experimental chemotherapeutic treatment regimen consisting of eight rounds at full dosage. Vivian agrees to the treatment. Over the course of the play, Bearing assesses her own life through the intricacies of the English language, especially the use of wit and the metaphysical poetry of John Donne.

Season Tickets are now on sale at Cité des Arts. For additional information and reservations, please call Cité des Arts at 337-291-1122.

Theatre--Performance

Blaine Peltier as Shadow in Barrelmaker Production's Gnostic Coincidence, which opens on Thursday, March 5th at 7:30 pm at AOC.

Theatre--Performance

The world premier of Gnostic Coincidence is Thursday, March 5th and Friday, March 6th at Acadiana Open Channel. The play will be performed live. You can not watch this from your home on AOC.

Theatre--information

The State of Louisiana Play Festival was a resounding success and two great shows have been selected to represent the state at Regional Competition.The two shows to advance to the Region 6 Festival in April are:
Opelousas Little Theatre's production of Of Mice and Men
City Park Players' production of The Dinner Party

In the event that these shows are unable to go to the Region 6 festival, the two alternates are:
UpStage Theatre Company's production of A Song for Coretta
Le Theatre des bon Temps production of Murder is a Drag

There was also a rousing meeting for the formation of a state organization. More information about this will be available shortly.

Theatre--Performance

Part of the Women's Chorus of IPAL's Oklahoma!

More of the Women's Chorus

The IPAL production of Rogers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! opens on Friday, March 13. For more information and/or ticket reservations, call (337) 364-6144.

Theatre--Performance

Cité des Arts opens its 2009 theatre season on Thursday, March 5th with Educating Rita, the award-winning stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell. Directed by Maureen Brennan and starring Acadiana favorites Vincent P. Barras and Erin Segura, the story follows the relationship during the course of a University semester, between Susan White, a working class hairdresser from Liverpool, and Dr Frank Bryant, a middle-aged University lecturer. The play deals with England's class system, the shortcomings of institutional education, and the nature of self-development.

This show runs for three weekends opening on Thursday, March 5th and closing on Saturday, March 21st. Performances are Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., at Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette, between Jefferson St. and Third St. Ticket prices are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for Senior Citizens, 65+ and Students of any age.

For additional information and reservations, please call Cité des Arts at 337-291-1122.

Theatre--Performance

Gnostic Coincidence, a new play by local actor and playwright Steven Cooper, will be performed live March 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 20th, and 26th at Acadiana Open Channel in downtown Lafayette. Gnostic Coincidence is a tale of an unlikely friendship between two strangers, their independent dreams and their shared desire to reach enlightenment. The production, which is directed by the Ensemble cast, features Andrew Hunter II, Yvonne Olivier, Blaine Peltier, Jessica Quinn, Jessica LeBlanc, and April Peltier, as well as original music composed and recorded by seven local musicians. The show will be performed live at 7:30 and tickets are $10. Reservations can be made by calling (337) 849-8627.

There will also be a benefit for Stonewood Foundation at the Whirlybird in Opelousas on March 14th. Tickets are still available. Space is limited, so advance reservations are suggested. Contact Christy Leichty at 337-290-1549 for more information on the benefit.

Theatre--Article (IPAL)

The Times of Acadiana has an article (written by Cody Daigle) about the IPAL production of Oklahoma! and the growing IPAL reputation for producing full-blown musicals. There is an associated gallery of photographs (by Denny Culbert) of rehearsal of the show at the Daily Advertiser website.

Theatre--Auditions

Auditions for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? are set for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25th and Thursday, February 26th at the Eunice Players' Theatre (121 S. Second St. in Eunice). Men and women are needed to fill roles for characters ages 30-50. People to help backstage are also needed. For more information, call Jody L. Powell at 580-1787.

Theatre--Auditions

The Evangeline Players (St. Martinville) are announcing open auditions for actors and vocalists for The American Heritage Show--God and Country. The script is still under review, but most of the roles are male. The show will require at least two vocalists (one male and one female), but again, script review is still ongoing. Auditions are by appointment only.

Performances will be June 26th, 27th and 28th and July 3rd, 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th and 12th.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment for an audition, please call Kirk Borel (337-394-9332), Joni Borel (337-394-5262) or Stephanie Comeaux (337-394-5194).

Theatre--Performance

Andrew Carnes (Will Grubbs) and Jud Fry (Mike Parich)
Cord Elam (Mike Boroto) and the Preacher (Charlie Robertson)

The IPAL production of Oklahoma! prepares for opening on March 13th. For more information, call IPAL at (337) 364-6114.

Theatre--Performance

The young men of Oklahoma!
The Gentlemen's Chorus

IPAL's Oklahoma! will feature an on-stage cast of over 50 performers, an orchestra of 15 talented musicians and the Dream Sequence Ballet with 15 dancers. Performance dates are March 13th through the 29th (performances are on Fridays through Sundays with an additional performance on Thursday, March 26th and a school performance on Thursday, March 19th ). All performances are at the Essanee Theater at 126 Iberia Street in New Iberia.

For more information about the show or tickets, call (337) 364-6114.

Theatre--Performance

Move Over, Mrs. Markham, by Ray Cooney and John Chapman, the latest Abbey Players production, opened on February 14. Performances will continue Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, February 20- March 28, with 2 PM Sunday matinees on March 1 and 22. Tickets can be reserved online at www.abbeyplayers.com .

This British bedroom farce, directed by Deborah Atchetee and Mickey Atchetee, moves at warp speed with scantily clad characters in compromising situations. (No need to worry- just suggestive!) They appear and disappear through various entrances and most change identities during the second act. Since you must be alert to get the full effect you may reprint this review and bring it with you to the theater. You may help anyone in the audience who may be befuddled without actually citing this handout.

Anyway, a publisher of children’s books, Phillip Markham (Scott Meddows) and his wife Joanna (Kayla Smith) are leaving their apartment empty when they go out for the evening. Remember, the rule of thumb in such a play is that “an empty apartment (ie. bed room) is the devil’s workshop”.

Phillip gives his business partner Henry Lodge (Jerrod Arabie) the apartment for the evening for an assignation with Mrs. Wilkinson (Kayla Martin), someone with whom he has flirted, but never met. However, independently Joanna has promised the apartment to Henry’s wife Linda (Beth Stephenson) for her tryst with Walter Pangborn (Milton Resweber). Uh! Oh! But wait a minute- the Markhams’ decorator Alistair Spenlow (Jaimie Allemand) plans to “work late” so that he can use the apartment to seduce the maid Sylvie (Samantha Royer). Remember also that such farces can violate a cardinal rule of physics. Several people can occupy the same space at the same time.

Then real catastrophe enters in the form of Olive Harriet Smythe (Gloria Breaux), the grand doyenne of children’s books, the J.K. Rowling of this play’s universe. She has fired her previous publisher for bad taste and wants to hire Philip and Henry.

What’s going to happen? Reserve a seat and see! I’m not telling.
---Robert D. Sidman, Ph.D.

Theatre--Performance

Acting Up (in Acadiana) is proud to present Play. Music. Heal.--an original work in progress. The community is invited to attend excerpts from the performance which showcase Louisiana-inspired characters living life with all of its complexities, such as poverty and wealth, love and marriage, illness and death, a new generation challenging and questioning family obligation and tradition and music’s ability to lift them up as individuals and as a community.

Performances will be held at the Outreach Center’s Downtown Lafayette campus on Friday, February 13th and Friday, March 6th at 7 PM. Play. Music. Heal., directed by Amy Waguespack, features performances by Hannah Briggs, Ricky Briggs, Brian Cruthfield, Lian Cheramie, David Guarisco, Kara Guarisco, Katie Lahey, Megan LeBleu, George Saucier and Cissy Whipp. Music contributors include Chris Courville, Carol Fran, Henry Gray, Bernard Pearce, and Chris Stafford. Earlier in the process, the actors and musicians worked with collaborators from The Actors' Gang (a Los Angeles based theatre company founded and directed by Tim Robbins), Kaili Hollister and Justin Zsebe.

The Outreach Center is located at 125 S. Buchanan St., on the corner of Second and Buchanan. For directions or more information, please contact Amy Waguespack at (337) 739-4273.>

Acting Up (in Acadiana) is the professional, multi-disciplined performing arts company in residence at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. Now in its sixth year, the company is committed to producing quality works with integrity, intelligence, and relevance, whether a premiere production or the reinterpretation of a classic.

Theatre--Performance

Brittany Monaghan as Laurey and Brett LeBlanc as Curley in the IPAL production of Oklahoma!

Oklahoma!, the Broadway and movie hit, will be presented by the Iberia Performing Arts League opening Friday, March 13 and running Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays thru March 29. Evening performances are at 7:30 and Sunday Matinees are at 3:00. Performances will be at the Essanee Theater, IPAL’s Art Deco home. Ticket or other information can be obtained by calling the theater at 364-6114 or by e-mailing ipaloklahoma@cox.net . All seats are reserved and are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

Theatre--Performance

The Lafayette High School Performing Arts Academy Theatre Arts Department proudly presents Steve Martin's whimsical comedy, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, at the N.P. Moss Annex Auditorium on February 19th, 20th and 21st.

At the cusp of the 20th century, there's something in the air on the night that Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstien wander into the Lapin Agile tavern in Paris. The situation is hypothetical. The characters have timeless debares on the science of art and the art of science. It's a night when anything that can happen does. Don't miss this "historic" meeting of the minds.

All performances are at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the door. The N.P. Moss Annex is located at 801 Mudd Avenue.

Due to occasional instances of suggestive dialogue, this play may not be suitable for all ages.

The LHSPAA Theatre Arts Department is a college-preparatory program dedicated to preparting students for university and/or professional stages.
For tickets or additional information, please call 337-212-4471 or e-mail:
lhspaatheatre@yahoo.com.

Theatre--Review

Talking Bones, by Shay Youngblood, the latest production of Omni Artiste, opened Friday, February 6th, at Cite des Arts. It will continue the nights of February 7th, 13th and 14th at 7:30, with 3 PM matinees on February 8th and 15th. Seats can be reserved by calling the theater at 291-1122.

The play has an interesting pedigree. Ms. Youngblood won the 1993 Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award while a student at Brown University. This award, supported by the Kennedy Center Education Department, is presented for the best student-written plays of the African-American experience. In addition to a stipend, Youngblood also served an internship at the National Playwrights Conference at the O’Neill Theater Center. Incidentally, Hansberry herself was the youngest playwright ever to win the New York Drama Critics Award for A Raisin in the Sun.

Briefly, in Youngblood’s words: “I grew up in a house where the elders heard voices and it was understood that these voices were the voices of the ancestors…..So I started writing this play about women who hear voices, how these three women respond to their inner voices and how they respond to the ancestors.”

Director Andrew D. Hunter II, together with his co-director Jimmy Hodgrinson, have erected a fancifully interesting set in record time, and put together the sort of cast that is a trademark of Omni Artiste, consisting of talented regulars and promising apprentices.

Ruth ( Gethsemane “Gos” Campbell) is the matriarch, with a booming voice who talks to the dead. You don’t want to anger her. Her daughter Bay Bay (Gale Whiting) wants to get away from this house with all its ghosts and jumps at the chance to be lured by Mr. Fine (an unctuous Brian E. Taylor), who may be up to no good. Elia ( the ever charming Bria Hobgood) , Ruth’s granddaughter, communes with the ancestors. Rounding out the cast is Oz, a homeless young man played by Nicholas Marchan, who also hears the “talking bones”. Wait a minute! Wasn’t Nicholas a senile octogenarian in Spirit North? Now there’s an actor who will never be out of work.
---Robert D. Sidman, Ph.D

Theatre--Performance

Spend Valentines Day weekend taking in the romantic production, Love Letters,written by A.R. Gurney and presented and performed by Acadiana favorites (and longtime castmates) Shane Guilbeau and Sandra Broussard at the Second Stage at Cité des Arts.

The story follows the relationship over a lifetime between Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Melissa Gardner, from second grade through their 50s through the love letters they write each other.

WHEN: Friday, February 13th and Saturday, February 14th at 7:30 pm and Sunday, February 15th at 3:00 pm
WHERE: Cité des Arts Second Stage, 109 Vine St. downtown Lafayette between Jefferson St. and Third St.
TICKET PRICE: $15 for Adults, $10 for Senior Citizens and Students

For additional information and Reservations please contact Cité at337-291-1122.

Theatre--Performance

Omni Artiste presents Talking Bones, written by Shay Youngblood and directed by Andrew Hunter II at Cite Des Arts. The show focuses on the story of three women who hear the inner voices of their Ancestors and the way each of the women chooses to respond to the voices. It provides a nice combination of drama and humor.

WHEN: February 6th, 7th, 13th and 14th (Fridays and Saturdays) at 7:30 pm and February 8th and 15th (Sundays) at 3:00 pm
WHERE: The Cité des Arts Main Theatre, 109 Vine St. downtown Lafayette between Jefferson St. and Third St.
TICKET PRICE: $15 for Adults, $10 for Senior Citizens and Students

For additional information, or for reservations, please contact Cité at337-291-1122.

Theatre--Article

Cody Daigle has an article in the February 6th issue of the Daily Advertiser about the upcoming Theatre League of Louisiana production of The Rat Pack is Back.

Theatre--Playwright's Review/Note

This is a rare treat for everyone who reads this blog: Cody Daigle, whose show Providence was performed last weekend at Cite Des Arts, has agreed to "review" his own show. What we get in the following is a glimpse of what the playwright sees when he watches his own work produced. I welcome all of those involved in local theatre to offer their own insight into the work that they do. It will be clearly marked, so that readers understand that it is not the typical review written by an objective critic.

I've had the privilege of seeing my play, Providence, produced twice –once in New York and once here in Acadiana. The two productions couldn't be more different, and in thinking about these two productions of the same play, I was reminded how much I love (and hate) being a playwright.

Providence asks a lot of the company producing it. It demands a scenic design that will allow the present and the past to merge seamlessly together. It demands actors to shift from one reality to the next in mere moments. It demands direction that keeps the play from becoming too maudlin or downbeat. And it demands a company that can find humor in even the play's bleakest moments.

The Eunice Players Theatre production, which played last weekend at Cite des Arts after a run in Eunice last November, took on the challenges of the play, and in many ways, succeeded in meeting them. Did it conquer everything? Not quite. There were still some pacing glitches (for me, most notable in the play's overlapping sections). There were some transitions that, if quicker, would have made some structural ideas clearer. And some performances missed the mark tonally at times, either going too far for the emotional moment or not going far enough.

Were all those problems solved by the New York production? No. While the New York production had a pace I liked (the NYC production was almost 30 minutes shorter than the production here,) there were tonal oddities and missed moments that weren't what I envisioned when I sat down to write.

But I don't level all the blame on the companies that produced the show. There are still things I want to fix – speeches in Act Two that can use some pruning, jokes that can be refined to work better, moments that can be tweaked to work better and, when I'm ready to really spend some time on it, writing in some new ideas about Marc and Sara's storyline that surfaced while watching the show here at Cite.

Any playwright worth his salt knows that the work is never done. Plays can always be improved and every night an audience experiences your work is an opportunity to learn more about your play and discover ways to make it better.

I think it's terrific that Acadiana audiences were able to see two very different locally-written plays in the matter of a few weeks. It speaks volumes about our cultural community and about the people who work hard to make theatre here.

To value every contribution – not just the ones that make us feel comfortable or make us laugh or make us feel "edgier" -- and honor what is good in it and speak honestly and fairly about what could be improved isn't always an easy thing. But it's how good theatre gets made. It's why I can love every single person who made this production of Providence possible and admire how hard they worked to make the show happen and still be able to say, "Next time, I hope we can do this, instead."


I'm proud of them. And I'm proud of the play. I'm grateful to thepeople who went to see the show.

And I'm eager to get back to work on it.

Theatre--Reviews

Theater is alive in Acadiana. To wit …to be at an opening night of a production is an exciting experience. To be at a new playwright’s production is even more exciting. To see that production directed, designed, and starred in by that selfsame playwright is almost unimaginable. Well, I accomplished four out of the five, having missed opening night of Danny Povinelli’s Before You at Cite des Arts. Congratulations to Daniel Povinelli, his cast, and Cite des Arts for an outstanding theatrical experience.

Povinelli’s first play, largely autobiographical, tells the story of life and love in the modern era. In humor, serious conversation, and effective special effects it held the audience’s attention. The set was realistic, and I suspect was a mirror image of Povinelli’s own “digs.” The various characters were entertaining, well drawn, and mirror people whom all of us have met in our daily lives. The ensemble cast did an admirable job at bringing to life characters they had never seen in “another production” of the show. After all, the movie isn’t out yet! If this is Povinelli’s first effort, I can’t wait to see his second! And there’s no monkeying around in that statement.

As soon as Povinelli’s Before You closed, the set was struck to prepare the Cite space for another local playwright’s production. This was Cody Daigle’s Providence. Actually a transplant of the Eunice Player’s Theatre presentation of Daigle’s play, its brief run was successful and attracted good audiences. From the instant the lights came on and the “couples” came into the airport waiting area, I was enthralled. There were interesting people, there was tension, there was conflict – there was theater!

Daigle’s play involved two couples. One was a thirty-something married couple whose marriage seemed “stressed,” to say the least. The other was a non-coupled couple who were deeply and abidingly in love. Played by stage veterans Bonnie Pitre, Gabe Ortego, Andre Andrepont, and Angelle Ballard, the small cast filled the stage with energy and enthusiasm. Gabe Ortego, especially, handled the challenging role of Mark Langer with aplomb. Pitre and Bellard had the unenviable task of being on stage for long periods of time sitting in airplane seats at stage edges. They never went out of character. Andrepont, as close to a “heavy” as there was in the story, was both likeable and hateful. His role is pivotal in his developing relationship with Mark. The change in it is heartening.

The story of Province is told in flashbacks, interspersed action, quick changes. The sparse, abstract set fits the story admirably. The necessity to move the play quickly from Eunice to Lafayette and short rehearsal time made some of the transitions between scenes slow, but the intimate feeling and dramatic flow of the play did not suffer greatly.

All involved in Providence and Before You should be commended. As said in the Daigle’s play, “You fill your life with whatever you can fill it with.” We in Acadiana are blessed to be able to fill a few hours of our time with the works of these two local playwrights. Their work can only be an inspiration to others to become involved in theater, to try their hand at new things, and to contribute in some way during our very short lives. Long live the theater.
---Donald “Doc” Voorhies

Performing Arts--Scholarship Availability

Guidelines for the L. Hill Bonin, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Award, administered by the 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 and 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 5:00 p.m.March 2, 2009 to qualify for the 2008/2009 scholarships. Scholarship eligibility requirements and application can be found online at www.pasaonline.org. Applicants with questions about the application process and requirements can call the PASA office (337)237-2787.

The L. Hill Bonin, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund was created to award talented and deserving performing arts students with funds to support their pursuit of advanced study or training, beyond their present studies and training. The scholarship has been extended to include groups that provide opportunities to students for enhancing their performing arts talents through professional training.

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.

"The Bonin Scholarship allows recipients a chance to learn from some of the world's best performing arts instructors," says PASA Executive Director Jacqueline Lyle. "As a performing arts presenter, we support the growth and development of young talent and with this scholarship can assist students with the opportunity to develop into the top artists they will become."

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. Last year the Bonin scholarship awarded four recipients, including one ULL student and two high school students.

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.

Theatre--Performance/Fundraiser

There will be a special presentation of Steven Cooper's original play Gnostic Coincidence on Saturday, March 14th at 3 pm at The Whirlybird in Opelousas. The show will be a fundraiser for The Stonewood Foundation. All proceeds will go to support the Foundation's teachers and volunteers who have been working with them through Americore.

Tickets are $30.oo per person and include both the play and dinner afterwards. Space is limited, so advance tickets are advised. Tickets are on sale through the Whirlybird website (http://thewhirlybird.com). For more information, contact Christy Leichty at 337-290-1549.

Dance--Performance

PASA presents the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble, which will bring its unique ballet style to Lafayette at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday February 15, 2009 at the Heymann Performing Arts Center. All seats are $5 and are only available through mail order or at the Heymann Box Office. This special appearance of the Dance Theater of Harlem Ensemble is sponsored by AT&T, Dr. Curtis H. Roy, D.D.S., the Daily Advertiser, Opelousas Daily World, Keller Williams Realty, the Louisiana Open and Ben and Dawn Adams.

An American classic, Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble brings its Dance for America tour to audiences in Lafayette. Note that 3:00 p.m. is a special performance so please plan accordingly for this show.

Dance Theatre of Harlem will not only perform, but also offer the audience a behind the scenes look at how a dancer is made. Known for innovative and history-making productions, the show will end with Mother Popcorn, an electrifying piece from choreographer Robert Garland's sizzling Return with music by James Brown. Audiences may recall this exceptional dance piece from the company's last visit to Lafayette in 2001. This performance showcases the blending of the contemporary style of Dance Theatre of Harlem with their deeply-embedded roots in the tradition of ballet master George Blanchine.

Dance Theatre of Harlem's performance on the PASA series is part of a national tour which includes stops in Shreveport and Baton Rouge. "Dance Theatre of Harlem is one of the most important cultural institutions in the world. As one of our country's first African-American classical ballet companies, they've been seen by millions of people around the world, including those of us who saw them in their last appearance in Lafayette several years ago," says Jacqueline Lyle, PASA Executive Director.

"All Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble tickets are priced at only $5 and we are relying on our community to support this project through sponsorship," says Lyle. "We have designed a range of sponsorships, including corporate, dance school and church sponsorships, as well as Adopt-A-Dancer sponsorships.

PASA is looking for 18 Adopt-A-Dancer sponsors. At $500, this sponsorship includes ten tickets to the performance, invitations to a party with the dancers after the show and the opportunity to appear on stage in the show. For more information about sponsorship, call Lyle at 337 237-2787, ext. 204.

To order tickets, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope with payment by check or money order to PASA. Include a ticket request, indicating the number of tickets to be purchased, name, address, telephone number and email address, as well as payment for the total number of $5 tickets. Ticket requests should be mailed to PASA at P.O. Box 52979, Lafayette, LA, 70505. Order forms will be available in the Daily Advertiser, Daily World, at area churches and dance schools and online at http://www.pasa-online.org/.

Founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook, Dance Theatre of Harlem was dubbed "One of ballet's most exciting undertakings" by the New York Times. Inspired by the death of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mitchell, an accomplished artistic director, astute educator, talented choreographer and extraordinary dancer, was inspired to start a school that would offer children---especially those in Harlem, NY, where he was born--the chance to learn about dance and the allied arts. Now in its fourth decade, the Dance Theatre of Harlem has grown into a multi-cultural dance institution with an extraordinary legacy of providing opportunities for creative expression and artistic excellence.

Over the years, Dance Theatre of Harlem has achieved unprecedented success by bringing innovative and bold new forms of artistic expression to audiences in New York City, across the country, and around the world. Serving as cultural ambassadors and representatives of the people of the United States, they have participated in high profile tours abroad most notably to the former USSR in 1988, South Africa after the fall of Apartheid in 1992; and to China in 2000 following the signing of the 2000 US-China trade treaty. During their tour of China, they performed to sold-out houses, giving the country its first performances of Firebird,and conducted extensive outreach and educational activities in Mandarin Chinese. That same year, the company returned to the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, which marked their first performances on that stage in 25 years. Dance Theatre of Harlem is known worldwide for its eclectic repertoire; which includes their history making productions of Creole Giselle and Firebird. Their company studios have served as the incubator for artists of today like Robert Garland, Alonzo King, Donald Byrd and Vincent Mantsoe.

"We want everyone in the community to have the chance to experience our performances." says Jacqueline Lyle, PASA Executive Director. "Parents have an incredible opportunity to share an entertaining cultural opportunity to their children at very little cost. Providing a foundation to enrich a child's mind and give them a greater appreciation of the arts is priceless and this performance is a great way to share that experience with them."

In addition to the professional company, the Dance Theatre of Harlem School is based in New York City, and is a leading arts education center which features a 14 member touring ensemble dedicated to continuing the legacy it started almost 40 years ago. The school houses dance studios used by the professional company dancers and the students at the school. Each year they offer training to more than 1,000 young people annually through professional and pre-professional dance programs. The school also offers a community program called Dancing Through Barriers, which is open to any child who wants to study dance.

For more information about the upcoming performance of the Dance Theatre of Harlem or the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana, visit us online or call our office at (337) 237-2787.

Dance--Performance

The Acadiana Center for the Arts is pleased to present an evening of dance in a performance by the L. J. Alleman Dancers on Wednesday, February 11 from 6:30-7:30pm at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, 101 W. Vermilion Street in downtown Lafayette.

Come see these talented dancers unfold a variety of innovative, colorful props and everyday things that have been known to blow away in the wind: kites, umbrellas, and more! This musical and visual fantasy is based in the rich, poetic imagery described by Doris Herald Lund in her poem “Attic of the Wind”.

This performance is presented by the Fugro Chance Family Performance Series of the Acadiana Center for the Arts and sponsored by Fugro Chance and Cox. Tickets for the performance are $3 for children 12 and under and $5 for adults. For tickets or more information, call the Acadiana Center for the Arts at 337.233.7060, email info@AcadianaArtsCouncil.org or visit www.acadianacenterforthearts.org

Theatre--Performance

Following a successful showing last November, the Eunice Players' Theatre is poised to bring Providence to Cite’ Des Arts for a limited run. This two-act play written by local playwright, Cody Daigle, was produced off-off-Broadway a year ago and was deemed a critical success. Jody L. Powell and Deborah D. Ardoin, directors of the show, are proud to announce an outstanding cast.

The play involves Neil and Jo, a married couple undergoing stressful times, and Mark and Sara, two friends at a crossroads as one prepares to start a new phase of life at the other’s insistence. An unexpected life-changing event brings the two men together to form a new friendship based on shared emotions. The story is beautifully told through a blending of current events and personal flashbacks.

Playing the role of Neil is Andre Andrepont of Opelousas. Although Andre is most active at Opelousas Little Theatre, his most notable role having been Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey, he previously amused audiences on the EPT stage as Nick in Over the River and Through the Woods. Appearing as Jo, Angelle Bellard of Opelousas has recently been playing on various stages in Acadiana including Abbeville and Lafayette. She charmed Eunice audiences in the roles as Cherie in Bus Stop and Nicki in The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940.

Joining the cast as Mark is Gabe Ortego of Opelousas, was previously seen on the EPT stage as Joe in The Last Night of Ballyhoo and Motel in Fiddler on the Roof. Gabe has many credits from Opelousas Little Theatre, including director of Monky Business and The Last Five Years. Bonnie Pitre joins the cast as Sara, after having appeared in Woman and The Sound of Music at EPT.

The show will run January 29th, 30th and 31st at 7:30 pm. Reservations are available by calling 291-1122. Prices are $15 for adults; $10 for students and seniors. The theatre is located at 109 Vine St. in Lafayette.

Theatre--Auditions

Cite Des Arts will host open auditions for Gnostic Coincidence on Monday, January 26th from 6 pm until 9 pm. No background in dance is required, but a willingness to be open to movement is encouraged. The director is looking for three female actress/dancers of varying ages. Those auditioning should be ready to move (no background in dance is required, but a willingness to be open to movement is encouraged) and read sides. Prepared material is not required. For more information, contact Cite Des Arts at 291-1122 or Steven Cooper at 849-8627 or by e-mail at barrelmakerproductions@gmail.com.

Gnostic Coincidence, a full length, original play by local playwright Steven Cooper, is about two strangers becoming friends, their dreams, and the lessons they desire to learn. The play, which is also directed by Cooper, will be presented at AOC in March 2009 and at Cité des Arts on August 20th, 21st and 22nd, and August 27th, 28th and 29th, and will be shot as an independent film in early fall 2009. For more information, contact Cite Des Arts at 291-1122 or Steven Cooper at 849-8627 or by e-mail at barrelmakerproductions@gmail.com.

Theatre--Performance

Omni Artiste, Inc. Productions celebrates African and women's histories with their presentation of Talking Bones, written by Shay Youngblood and directed by Andrew Hunter II.

The scene is set in the Ancestor's Books & Breakfast, where the ancestors play a major role in the daily activites of the characters. Ruth, BayBay and Eila can hear the ancestors through a broken hearing aid, by a whisper and in talking bones as they bring a message about love, faith and family.

The show opens at Cite Des Arts (109 Vine Street in Lafayette) on Friday, February 6th at 7:30 pm and continues to run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through February 15th. Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 pm (Fridays--February 6th and 13th and Saturdays--February 7th and 14th) and Sunday matinees (February 8th and 15th) start at 3 pm. Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for children, students and seniors. For more information or for reservations, call Cite at (337) 291-1122.

Theatre--Performance

What began as an exercise in non-linear narrative writing is now a full-length play, currently being prepared for showing at Cite’ des Arts. The show was produced in November 2008 at the Eunice Players’ Theatre. Providence, written by Cody Daigle of Scott, LA, infuses a present day storyline with flashbacks that reveal events occurring in the months leading up to the opening scenes of the play. Jody L. Powell and Deborah D. Ardoin, directors of the play, assist the audience in shifting through time by lighting changes, set arrangement, and seamless scene changes.

The story begins and ends with two couples in an airport, with an individual from each couple on the verge of a new beginning. Their futures are uncertain as they take risks that may change their relationships with those closest to them. Unlike traditional plays where the first few scenes are used to set up the plot, this play delivers the main event early on, while the rest of the story has the characters living with the effects.

Having seen a reading of Providence, Powell knew it was a play she wanted to stage one day. “I’ve admired Cody’s work for years and am delighted to share his work with others. It’s a rare opportunity to direct a script written by someone with his talent from this area.” Daigle was pleased to see the play produced by the Eunice institution and is excited to see it brought to his home base in Lafayette. “It’s an honor that my work was chosen when there are so many other options,” he stated.

Daigle’s work is well written, with conversations between the characters so real and honest, that it was chosen by Maeutic TheatreWorks, an off-Broadway company in New York City, to be a part of their 2008 season. The show ran for a month in February and received positive reviews. Byrne Harrison of Stage Buzz Review called it a “a beautiful and touching work of art not to be missed”.

Laurie Lawson, critic for a theatre based website, noted the use of sophisticated and sharp humor to reveal the development of an unexpected, emerging friendship between two men. Their conversations are underscored by the meaning of “providence” as it becomes more than just a destination when the word is capitalized.

This marks the third play Daigle has had produced in New York City, including Life/Play at the International Fringe Festival in 2007, and The Last Night of the World in 2006. His works have also been produced in Lafayette over the past several years.

On the heels of the show’s New York success, Powell assembled a cast of experienced actors she knew would deliver the range of emotions these multi-faceted characters have to display. Andre Andrepont, Angelle Bellard, Gabe Ortego, and Bonnie Pitre fulfill their duties admirably following weeks of character exploration and development that will leave audiences pondering the similarities between the life experiences they share with the characters. Ardoin’ contributions to the set and lighting designs set the mood and enhance the actors’ dialogue.

The show runs January 29, 30 and 31 at 7:30 p.m. Reservations are available by calling 291-1122. Prices are $15 for adults; $10 for students and seniors. The theatre is located at 109 Vine St. in Lafayette.

Theatre--Performance

Something Old, Something New highlights student actors (ages 7-adult) in their 2009 showcase. A blend of classic and contemporary scenes provides students with a chance to test their newly learned skills in front of an audience. Performances take place at the Acadiana Center for the Arts on Friday, January 23rd and Saturday the 24th at 7:30 pm and Sunday, January 25th at 2 pm. Tickets are available at the AcA Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm. Advance tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children. All tickets at the door are $10. The box office opens at 6:45 pm for the evening shows. For more information call (337) 739-4273.

Theatre--Performance

This is the final weekend to catch the post-modern romantic comedy, Before You, a post-modern romance, (Thursday, January 22nd, Friday the 23rd and Saturday the 24th at 7:30PM)at Cité Des Arts in downtown Lafayette. Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for senior citizens and students. For reservations or for more information, please contact Cité at 337-291-1122.

Before You follows a single, thirty-something scientist named Jason, who is unhappy with his career and devises a "love equation" which he hopes will give him the key to a more fulfilling life. In increasingly surreal and menacing encounters, his boss and a sexy colleague try to thwart his efforts to solve the equation. Jason must rely on his perpetually underemployed best friend and the woman who may hold the key to his future to help him find a solution which may not lie in the realm of mathematics. The elusive solution is both simpler and more profound than he realizes...but will he recognize the answer when he sees it?

Theatre--Performance

From Walter Duncan McBride:

The ball has dropped, the new year is here, and the 2009 season at Opelousas Little Theatre is underway. Our first show of the season is always a Showcase. Showcase is a variety show that we at OLT put on to draw local talents from our community as to let them present their specialities on our humble stage. Another purpose is to call attention to our Little Theatre and to promote the local arts and the talent of the townsfolk. Also, it is a chance to for the directors of the season to pursue castmembers for the upcoming schedule of shows.

With this, my fourth Showcase and my first opportunity to direct it, I can honestly say we have a massively talented group of individuals. Truth be told, our cast is large and most diverse. This year promises to produce one of the most fast-paced and wildly entertaining Showcases in recent memory. On the bill we have actors, dancers, bellydancers, singers, and all are amazing talents with tons of heart and dedication. Young and old, we form one big dysfunctional family of hilarity and drama that the OLT may not have yet seen.

So, if you are a lover of good music, hard laughing, and a little serious drama, you must not miss this chance to see the best that our local community has to offer. The stage is set is and the theatre is lonesome for large audiences. On a personal note, I'd like to say "thank you" to Cheryl Ned and the OLT board for this opportunity to direct Showcase this year. It's been a blast so far and the show hasn't even started yet.

Tickets are available at Sebastion Dupre Fine Jewelery, 337-948-4367.

The show will run January 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 29th, 30th, 31st at 7 pm. Sunday matinees will run January 25th and February 1st at 2 pm.

For more information, feel free to contact me (Walter McBride) at 337-543-8762. I thank you in advance for your patronage and support for the arts at Opelousas Little Theatre... our theatre, your theatre.

Theatre--Performance

Tickets for IPAL’s upcoming production of Oklahoma! will go on sale on or about February 1st. The musical will run for three weekends (Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday Matinees) starting Friday, March 13, 2009. There is reserved seating and tickets are priced at $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets will be available in New Iberia at Paul’s Flower Shop, Delaune’s Pharmacy, and Accentrics. IPAL has learned, from past experience, that their musicals always sell out so it is strongly advised that people purchase tickets in advance to avoid disappointment.

Theatre--Review (Acting Unlimited)

Vincent P. Barras is a mathematics teacher at Lafayette High School in Lafayette Parish and an actor in many local community theatre groups.

In twenty years of theatre, I have witnessed only two creations formed by friends. The first was the 2005 production of Grand Pré, a musical collaboration between Cody Daigle and Roy Bertucci. To this date, I still kick myself for not becoming involved with that inspiring piece of poignant history. Now, some three-and-a-half years later, I have observed the second creation, Before You, by Danny Povinelli. While I cannot kick myself for not being involved in this one--there was no role in particular suited for me--I do await what future inventions Danny may deliver. If they are as good and as promising as Before You, I hope he continues to produce more works, in which I may hopefully perform. (Shameless bit of self-promotion, fully acknowledged.)

Without my getting into too many specifics, the play focuses on the intricacies and perils of dating as seen through the eyes of an ivory-towered academic who has been questioning the ethics of his work and where it could lead. Though this topic has been mined for centuries, in Before You it felt bracingly new, unaffected, and honest. These are situations we’ve all lived through, the slips and pitfalls of relationships, and every soul in the theatre wondered how would these five lives resolve their issues. It was a delicate dance, finely choreographed and beautifully acted.

This revelation of a play had a particularly strong cast led by the author himself, who had to assume the lead role at the last minute. The incredibly cerebral Danny seemed apropos for the lead role of an academic who longs for something more. Aiding Danny was a particularly enthusiastic Jack Robertson, a younger college friend with a strong addiction to puns. At first, I thought that poor Bruce Coen had not been given much of a character to play, but with each new scene, I kept thinking that Bruce, in some ways, got the better deal. Kayla Lemaire, the last actress to appear in the play, took an unusual supporting role and made her character at times overtly sensuous and at others achingly appealing. But my true admiration goes to Christy Leichty, whose comedic timing is flawless, especially when she could deliver a line with heart-stopping precision, and then crack a smile to add “Just kidding.” It’s a gift I have not seen displayed in some time, and I appreciated the humor and heart she displayed in this production.

Collaborating with long-time friend Walter Brown, Danny has produced a marvel of a set, an intimate living room of incredible detail, from the books on the bookcases to the chess set that every soul threatened to break as they sat on the coffee table. It contains several surprises, which will not be revealed here as they should be enjoyed by the audience. I did, however, feel acute sympathy for the stage right wall, which suffered the horrendous aim of all five characters hurling darts in its direction. Many missed the dartboard entirely, but I suppose that might form an analogy to the imperfect science called dating. At times, the lighting added an eerie, almost surreal quality to many dream sequences, and the cast wisely utilized the audience area for a pleasant stroll toward a nearby swing.

My only quibbles are minor. Scene changes have the potential to undermine the momentum of any play, and the inherent difficulties of the Cité stage offer many plays no favors. While the crew worked admirably to create two new scenes in that limited space, it sapped the energy of the well-focused material, and one scene change appeared interminably long, allowing for a particularly difficult costume change. I can only imagine what the Vivian Beaumont theatre in New York would do with entire scenes coming up from the floor or down from the ceiling. The first act, also, seemed a bit long, especially the first scene, where perhaps some judicious trimming is in order. The second act, however, moved briskly from scene to scene with a clarity I respected. While I could appreciate the intricate lighting design, I felt on one occasion the red lighting was overkill in an otherwise perfect second act. Sometimes the props worked against the characters: the guitar in one scene appeared determined to upstage every actor as they attempted to move it out their way to continue the scene. And for someone who has played ultimate Frisbee, Danny has the most peculiar way of sending that object through the air.

I repeat: these are minor foibles of a largely masterful work. I thoroughly enjoyed this production and I highly recommend all walks of life to see it. It will run until January 24th, performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Call 291-1122 for ticket information.
---Vincent P. Barras

Editor's Note

As you may notice, the hit counter on the bottom of the page has been changed. The last one quit working and needed to be replaced. Visit the site as often as possible!

Dance--Performance

Pacific Northwest Ballet dancer Laura Gilbreath — a Louisiana native — will perform as a guest artist in Lafayette Ballet Theatre’s production of The Sleeping Beauty.

A hundred years is a long time to wait, but true love’s kiss makes it all worthwhile. Live the dream at Lafayette Ballet Theatre’s production of the timeless tale The Sleeping Beauty at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 28, in the Heymann Performing Arts Center.

Principal guest artists from Pacific Northwest Ballet will join LBT dancers in presenting this enchanting story ballet. Featuring the celebrated music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty is performed as a full-length classical ballet in three acts.

Tickets are available now at the Heymann Center Box Office Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (337-262-8686) and through all Ticket Master outlets including online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/. Priced as follows: front orchestra, $32; back orchestra, $27; first balcony, $25; 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.)

Lafayette Ballet Theatre is a nonprofit classical ballet company offering professional contracts to local artist, classical ballet instruction, dance study scholarships, educational programs and theatrical stage performances to the Acadiana community. This project is supported in part 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 Arts Council.

For more information on LBT and The Sleeping Beauty, call 337-262-0444 or visit http://www.lafayetteballettheatre.org/.

Theatre--Review

Ray Blum reviews Daniel Povinelli's original play, Before You, in the Friday, January 16th edition of the Daily Advertiser. The review is not available in the online edition of the paper, but Mr. Blum gives the show a extraordinarily complimentary review, commenting favorably on the writing, cast and direction. The show runs this weekend (Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 pm) and next weekend (Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 pm).

Theatre--Performance Cancellation

The Evangeline Players have cancelled their January/February production of In Praise of Love.

Theatre--Auditions

There will be an additional day of auditions on January 12 from 5-8p.m. at Cité des Arts for Gnostic Coincidence, a full length original play by local playwright Steven Cooper. Gnostic Coincidence is about two strangers becoming friends, their dreams, andthe lessons they desire to learn. The play, which is also directed by Cooper, will be presented at AOC in March 2009 and at Cité des Arts on August 20-22 and 27-29th (Thursday through Saturday), and will be shot as an independent film in early fall 2009.

CAST NEEDED: Cooper is looking for three female actress/dancers of varying ages. Those auditioning should be ready to move and read sides. Prepared material is not required. For further information call Steven Cooper at (337) 849-8627 or at barrelmakerproductions@gmail.com.

Theatre--Review (Acting Unlimited)

Jason, the scientist in crisis at the center of Daniel Povinelli's new play, Before You, is searching for an equation to unlock the mysteries of love. Jason's got all the components figured out, but he just can't quite get them to add up.

Before You as a whole suffers a similar problem. Directors Povinelli and local veteran Walter Brown have all the components right -- a very game cast of talented actors, a smartly designed and executed set and a warm-hearted story of love's redemptive power -- but the whole never measures up to the sum of its sometimes wonderful parts.

In short, Before You follows Jason, a scientist who's just left his job in pursuit of simpler pleasures (namely music). He's pressured by his boss, Marshall, to complete a secret project (of which the details, for me, remained fuzzy). Another colleage, Samantha, has left her husband and is hounding Jason for no-strings romance. But Jason has his eyes set on love with Helen, a girl from the coffee shop, and his pursuit of Helen is spurred on by his one-liner spouting friend George.

As Jason and Helen move towards love, Jason's grip on reality begins to falter, and fantasy versions of the principal charaters start showing up. The play slides back and forth from fantasy to reality,until love finally sets the world right again.

The cast, as a whole, does commendable work here. Bruce Coen and Kayla Lemaire both have tough assignments (their fantasy characters sometimes become nightmarish), and they handle it with panache. Lemaire in particular is fun to watch as the seductive Samantha. Jack Robertson handles the frenetic George with ease, and Povinelli does a good job as Jason under difficult circumstances (Povinelli steppedinto the role a week before opening).

The real delight here is Christy Leichty as Helen. Her performance was charmingly, radiantly real, and I was always eager to see her enter a scene. Her Helen was the kind of girl you'd believe could set a guy's world back on its axis.

The show is beautifully designed by Povinelli (and executed by Povinelli and Walter Brown), specifically a secret entrance I never saw coming. It's detailed and feels authentic-- something you don't always get with community theatre interior sets. The smart lighting design, which plays a major role in the communication of the narrative, is also effective.

But when it comes to the play itself, some elements are still in need of attention. The fantasy sequences, while not hard to figure out,sometimes feel awkwardly imposed on the play. The two worlds never mesh comfortably together, and in the show's final fantasy showdown,things veer tonally into areas the play hasn't prepared us for. The effect, for me, was distancing -- I wanted to connect to these people, but could never get a firm hold on who they were.

This could also be due to the "tell, don't show" quality of much of the play. These characters have a lot to say (a lot of it worth hearing), but there are only rare moments of characters actually behaving. You can see this play out in the directing -- the cast has been given a lot to do, including darts, fiddling with a guitar, and even a game of frisbee, but rarely are they revealing themselves through behavior. Yes, in a play you can make grand pronouncements,but they have to be rooted in real people making real choices.

One scene of the play makes the case. The first scene between Jason and Helen is compelling, warm and honest -- it was my favorite scene of the play. In it, Jason is doing everything he can to keep the conversation going, flirting as best as he can with scientific studies and weird facts. Helen responds in kind, pulling away when he's weird but drawing in when his humanity shows through. Ultimately, the scene sets up the biggest, best and most deserved laugh in the show.

That scene was all about behavior and it was a delight. If the rest of Before You followed that example, the equation would work itself out in spades.

---Cody Daigle

Theatre--Season Schedule

As a part of their year-long focus on WOMEN IN THE ARTS, Cité Des Arts is pleased to announce the 2009 theatre schedule.

Educating Rita: March 5 – 21, 2009 (Thursday – Saturday)Educating Rita is an award-winning stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell.The story follows the relationship during the course of a University semester, between Susan White, a young woman from Liverpool and working class hairdresser and Dr Frank Bryant, a middle-aged University lecturer. The play deals with England's class system, the shortcomings of institutional education, and the nature of self development.

The Miracle Worker: May 14 – 30, 2009 (Thursday – Saturday) The Miracle Worker, written by William Gibson, is the story of young Helen Keller, who is blind and deaf since infancy. She is frustrated by her inability to communicate and as a result, is subject to frequent violent and uncontrollable outbursts. Unable to deal with Helen, her terrified and helpless parents contact a school for the Blind and Annie Sullivan, a former student, is sent to their home to tutor the child. What ensues is a battle of wills as Annie breaks down Helen's walls of silence and darkness through persistence, love, and sheer stubbornness.

Crimes of the Heart: July 9 – 25, 2009 (Thursday – Saturday) Crimes of the Heart is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Beth Henley. At the core of this tragic comedy are the three Magrath sisters, Meg, Babe, and Lenny, who reunite at Old Granddaddy's home in Hazlehurst, Mississippi after Babe shoots her abusive husband. The trio was raised in a dysfunctional family with a penchant for ugly predicaments and each has endured her share of hardship and misery. Past resentments bubble to the surface as they're forced to deal with assorted relatives and past relationships while coping with the latest incident that has disrupted their lives. Each sister is forced to face the consequences of the "crimes of the heart" she has committed.

Wit: September 10 -19, 2009 (Thursday – Saturday) Wit is the first play written by American playwright Margaret Edson. The play focuses on the last hours of Dr Vivian Bearing, a university professor of English, who is dying of ovarian cancer. She recalls the initial diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic ovarian cancer from her oncologist, Dr Harvey Kelekian. Dr Kelekian then proposes an experimental chemotherapeutic treatment regimen consisting of eight rounds at full dosage. Vivian agrees to the treatment. Over the course of the play, Bearing assesses her own life through the intricacies of the English language, especially the use of wit and the metaphysical poetry of John Donne.

SEASON TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE. The cost is $50.00, which is a savings of $10.00 off the total price of four regularly priced tickets. Please call Cité at 337-291-1122 to order your tickets now.

Theatre--Performance

Acting Unlimited presents its first production of 2009, Before You by Daniel Povinelli, at Cite Des Arts on January 8-10, 15-17, 22-24, curtain time 7:30 PM. Call 337-291-1122 for tickets.

This production represents the first major collaboration of Povinelli and Brown (a local stage version of the Coen Brothers ?). Danny started five years ago as a protégé of Walter Brown, arguably one of the most knowledgeable and creative theatre gurus in Acadiana. He served his apprenticeship under Walter as both actor and co-director, and now has evolved into “Resident Playwright” for Acting Unlimited.

Jason, played by Danny, is a research scientist (subatomic physicist?) in a state of torpor and ennui, discontented with his life and career and ready to quit his job.

To complicate matters, Jason is hounded by a senior colleague, Marshall, an ominous Bruce Coen, to finish a secret assignment (perfect his “love” equation?) and hit on by another senior colleague, Samantha, the sensual Kayla Lemaire. These characters sometimes appear in Jason’s dreams in cleverly staged scenes.

The “real” characters are George, a true underachiever played by Jack Robinson, who wants to be a borscht belt comedian and is a master of the groaning one-liner, and Helen, the radiant Christy Leichty, who saves Jason with love.

Danny’s cast are all veterans, some directors, who are perfect choices for the roles. His set is as perfect as it can be for the Cite Des Arts space.

Oh, by the way, Danny also composed the song Before You for the production! Incroyable!

--Robert D. Sidman, Ph.D.

Theatre--Audition

Cité des Arts announces auditions for the first show of its 2009 season, Educating Rita. Actors needed for this show include one female (from late teens to early thirties) and one male (age 45-50 or older). Actors of all ethnic groups are urged to audition for this classic production. No prepared readings are required. The show will run March 5-28th. The director, Maureen Brennan, is also looking for individuals interested in serving as a stage manager and in other technical and support positions.
When: Saturday and Sunday, January 10th and 11th , from 1:00pm -3:00pm
Where: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette, between Jefferson St. and Third St.

For additional information, please call Cité at 291-1122 or Maureen Brennan at 234-4912 for further information.

Theatre--Performance

Before You, an Acting Unlimited production, opens at Cite Des Arts on Thursday, January 8th at 7:30 pm. For more information, or for tickets/reservations, contact Cite at 291-1122.

Theatre--Auditions

There will be auditions for dancers/ actresses on Wednesday, January 7th at Acadiana Open Channel (from 5 pm to 8 pm) and on Monday, January 12th (from 5 pm to 8 pm) at Cite Des Arts for a full length original play called Gnostic Coincidence. Those auditioning should be ready to move and read sides. Prepared material is not required. The play will be staged in March at A.O.C, at Cite Des Arts in August, and will be shot as a film next fall. More information about scheduling will be available at the audition. For more information, call Steven Cooper at 849-8627.

Theatre--Article

In the year end edition of the Times of Acadiana, Cody Daigle assembles a listing of the local theatres, with previews of upcoming seasons (where available).

Theatre--Performance

Acting Unlimited Inc., a local theater company founded in 1995 (which has produced over 40 stage productions), presents Before You, an original play, written and directed by Daniel Povinelli and co-directed by Walter Brown. The show opens on Thursday, January 8th and runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (January 8-10, 15-17 and 22-24) at 7:30 pm at Cite Des Arts in downtown Lafayette. Tickets are $15.

Before You follows a single, thirty-something scientist named Jason, who is unhappy with his career and devises a "love equation" which he hopes will give him the key to a more fulfilling life. In increasingly surreal and menacing encounters, his boss, aided by a sexy colleague, tries to thwart his efforts to solve the equation. Jason must rely on his perpetually underemployed best friend along with the woman who may hold the key to his future to help hom find the solution--which may not lie in the realm of mathematics. The elusive solution is both simpler and more profound than he realizes...but will he recognize the answer when he sees it?

Povinelli is a professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and is one of the world's leading authorities on animal intelligence. After receiving his Ph.D. from Yale University, he was named one of the "Top 20 Scientists to Watch in the Next 20 Years" by Discover Magazine and his work has been covered by major international media (including Time, Newsweek, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, the Economist, National Geographic, the London Times, CBS News, National Public Radio, BBC Radio, BBC Television, Japanese Public Television, and Spanish Public Television). Povinelli has been writing fiction and poetry for over 35 years. This is his first public production of an original play.

Povinelli has been involved in local community theater for over five years as an actor, director, and set designer for the Evangeline Players, the Iberia Performing Arts League (IPAL), and Acting Unlimited. Povinelli is co-directing Before You with long-time collaborator Walter Brown, president and technical director of Acting Unlimited. Their co-directorial debut was a production of Thorton Wilder's stage classic, Our Town, for which they were awarded "Best Drama of 2006" by local critic, Ray Blum, who described the production as "one of the finest I have ever seen anywhere." The show won the Louisiana Association of Community Theater's Award for Best Technical Production of 2006.

For more information about Before You or for reservations or tickets, contact Cite Des Arts at 291-1122.

Theatre--Performance

Terry Huval with the band in Lovesick Blues

Hugh Harris as Hank Williams in Lovesick Blues

The Liberty Theatre in Eunice presents Lovesick Blues: An Evening with Hank Williams on Saturday, January 3, 2009 at 6:00 p.m.

Hugh Harris of Denham Springs captures the look and the uncanny sound of Hank Williams in this memory play that features over 20 Hank Williams classics. The songs are woven through narratives by Hank's manager, Fred Rose, and reflective conversations Hank has with other important people in his life. Renowned local Cajun fiddler Terry Huval leads the band that stands in for Hank's signature band, The Drifting Cowboys. This musical play recounts Hank's life from his childhood beginnings to the fateful night in the back of the 1952 Cadillac where his life ended on the way to a New Year's Day performance in Canton, Ohio. The show is directed by Jody L. Powell.

Tickets are $12.00. Reserved seating is available by calling the Eunice Mayor's Office at 337-457-7389.

Theatre--Article

Cody Daigle has an article in the December 24th issue of the Times of Acadiana entitled "Staging Out of Trouble". The article explores the effects, both potential and realized, of the economic downturn on local community theatre. It is a very interesting article--comments on it are welcome here (and will be shared with the author and public).

Theatre--Notice

I have just discovered that the reviews in the Daily Advertiser, to which I link when they appear, are quickly transferred to the archives when they are accessible only by payment. I will monitor the situation in order to see if they continue to print the theatre reviews (which are the only ones linked to this blog) online.

Theatre

Local theatres are dark for the holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

Theatre--Fundraiser (Acting Up (in Acadiana))

Acting Up (in Acadiana) will be giftwrapping at Barnes and Noble (located on Johnston Street in Lafayette) on Christmas Eve from 9 am to 1 pm.

Theatre--Audition

Auditions are set for the Abbey Players Theatre's next production, Move Over, Mrs. Markham, by Ray Cooney and John Chapman. This hilarious British farce will have the audience laughing until they cry. The chaos begins when three separate couples all seek illicit liaisons unknowingly at the same time and place.

The Abbey Players are looking for 5 women and 4 men between the ages of 20 and 50. Auditions are open to all interested persons. Auditions will be Saturday and Sunday, December 13 and 14, from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm and Monday, December 15, from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm.

Auditions will be at the theatre, located at 200 South State Street, Abbeville, LA.

For more information call the theatre at 898-2442 or check out the website.

Theatre--Review (IPAL)

The Iberia Performing Arts League presents another installment of the popular Harry Monday mysteries (If It's Monday, It Must Be Christmas) tonight and tomorrow and next week on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This series of comic mysteries by Pat Cook is a cross between Murder, She Wrote and The Maltese Falcon. Harry Monday (Mike Berry) is a low rent PI brought in to discover who stole the Christmas payroll at Harrigan's Department Store--on Christmas Eve. The owner, Titus Harrigan (Donald Voorhies), traditionally passes out the Christmas payroll and bonuses in cash. On the advice of an employee, Loretta Mondello (Carmen Nicholson), he has stashed the money in a green wrapped package hidden among other packages waiting for pickup. To no one's surprise, the package is now missing.

Of course the cast teems with likely suspects. Among the store employees are Mr. Harrigan himself, his secretary (Martha Gilfoil), a sexy clerk with an eye for Monday (Erin Segura), a nice young man from the wrong side of the tracks (Travis Guillory) who is engaged to Harrington's adopted daughter (Sarah Leonard) and an elf (Blythe Bull) in search of a missing Santa who may have had more than toys in his bag. Ho, ho, ho!

Harrington also has a crosstown rival, Mildred Wolensky (Kristin Anderson) who knows more than she should about the situation. She has a spy in the organization--who?

This time out, Harry has a new aide--a con man named Louie Grandville (Michael Durand). And, of course, Harry's investigation is hampered by his perennial nemesis, Lietenant Brogan (Mike Boroto) and Brogan's prying young daughter (Isabell Gilfoil) who is determined to uncover the whereabouts of the missing Santa.

We even get a flashback to the origins of Monday's career back in elementary school. Young Monday is played hilariously by Matthew Lasseigne.

This is a by-the-numbers mystery which is fine because the mystery is just a hook for a series of verbal and physical gags. The characters are stock characters who don't need a lot of background story and that lets the actors get right down to the real business of creating unique and entertaining personalities. The set by Barbara Berry is particularly effective and attractive.

Treat the family to this fun show for the holidays. It is packed with IPAL stalwarts who are old hands at this kind of comedy and know just what they are doing. The newcomers to the cast do a fine job as well. Director Mac Stearns keeps things light and fast and keeps the plot threads clear enough to follow if you are the type to try to guess whodunnit.

IPAL has a well-oiled machine running this show including Nita LaCouture on the spotlight, Matthew Dugan as Stage Manager, the invaluable Gordon Bull on Sound, Michael Caffrey and Todd LeMaire designing the lights, and Fred Comeaux, Mike Berry and Mac Stearns building the set. Lobby decorations by Kristin Anderson, Martha and Isabell Gilfoil and concessions provided by the Acadiana Women Leaders.

The creative team--designers, director and cast of this show-- are all good and well worth your attention. But we sometimes forget how critical the contributions of the backstage crews can be. A fine cast in a cheesy-looking show is at a disadvantage. A wonderful show in a dirty and dreary theatre has no hope of success. The ticket office personnel and concession staff have to make you feel appreciated or you won't come back.

IPAL has a great family atmosphere. Your patronage is appreciated and they let you know it.

Finally--I wrote that this cast is packed with IPAL regulars. Don't get the idea that IPAL is closed to new talent. There are new people in this cast and in most of their casts. Audiences see the same faces so often because those are the people who actually come out to audition. Theatre is a wonderful experience and vey much open to newcomers. On stage or backstage, every theatre company in Acadiana is constantly looking for new faces.

You could be part of a great show like If It's Monday, It Must Be Christmas.
---Walter Brown

Theatre--Review

In the opening moments of Lian Cheramie's solo show The OneWoman/Girl/Lady/Beotch Show, we're welcomed by an earnest cleaning woman suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Her job here is simple – offer the audience a brief welcome and introduction to the show we're about to see. But her fixation on getting things clean and an assortment of OCD tics prevent her from fully executing her task.

In many ways, the OCD cleaning woman that opens Cheramie's Show is a fitting symbol for the entire enterprise. Through a series of five brief character sketches and a handful of video shorts, Cheramie aims to introduce the audience to the many voices inside her head. But she never quite packs the punch she's aiming for -- like the cleaning lady, an earnest task is undone by an unnecessary fixation and a few tics of her own.

The show is far from a complete disappointment. Cheramie deserves high marks for tackling solo performance. It's a difficult genre to get right, and its demands on the performer are high. Cheramie takes the whole thing in stride, gliding comfortably from role to role with confidence.

The show also delivers some impressive work by Megan LeBleu, who filmed and edited many of the show's video pieces. There's a sophistication to much of the work she delivers for the show, and rather than slow the show down, the video pieces propel the show forward, landing some of the show's juiciest laughs.

But the whole thing never really gels as theatre. While Cheramie offers us a host of characters (including a snarky poet, an oddball Avon saleslady, a Sarah Palin knockoff and a sex-ed teacher who suffers from "foreign accent syndrome"), the characters never seem to develop past their initial punchline. Part of that could be due to the brevity of the live performance sections of the show, but it can alsobe traced to the show's writing. While she lands some good one-liners in almost all of the character sketches, Cheramie never digs deep enough into her characters to make them believable people. They remain stuck at the level of sketch comedy, and in some cases (namely the Avon lady) that superficiality undercuts what could be a truly affecting character study.

As a performer, Cheramie clearly has affection for each of her characters. But her performances strike a note of sameness that makes it harder for them to leave indelible impressions. Many of the sketches rely heavily on a character's awkwardness or terror of speaking in front of an audience, and this repeated motif throughout the sketches leaves us feeling as though we're treading water. (The same cannot be said for the video segments, though – a video sketch which charts Cheramie's star-crossed affair with a certain food item is both charming and very funny. In my opinion, it was the highlightof the show, and showed Cheramie to be a versatile, interesting performer.)

What it all adds up to is a show that never quite makes it past the surface of things. And that's unfortunate, because inside many of the sketches are glimmers of some really excellent material. Chermaie has the skeleton of five interesting characters that could hold a stage of their own, but right now, they're not fully formed, relying too much on a snappy punch line and not enough on fleshed-out characterizations.

The top practitioners of the solo form – among them John Leguizamo,Whoopi Goldberg, Lily Tomlin and Eric Bogosian – did more than make an audience laugh. They revealed something deeply personal about themselves through the characters they created. Yes, the were funny.But they also revealed painful truths about who we are. At present, The One Woman/Girl/Lady/Beotch Show is focused on getting the laughs. By investing some time getting at the truth, the show would add up to a whole lot more.
---Cody Daigle

Theatre--Audition (Opelousas Little Theatre)

Audition dates for Opelousas Little Theatre's Showcase: 2009 have been set. Showcase is a variety show that the community theatre puts on the last two weekends of every January as to draw local talent from the surrounding area with the hope of getting folks involved with the arts. This is a call to locals interested in displaying their talents. They are calling on singers, actors, musicians, dancers, poets, comedians, ect... Interested parties will take part in musical numbers, skits, dance routines, and whatever else we can think of. Folks should have material prepared when auditioning, (music for songs/a'capella, monologues, ect...). Showcase is an all-ages, all-encompasing kind of 'G' rated show for the whole family to enjoy. Come and join in on the fun at Opelousas Little Theatre and support community theatre.

Auditions will be held at Opelousas Little Theatre on the following dates:
Thursday, December 4th from 6 to 8 pm
Saturday, December 6th from 3 to 5 pm
Thursday, December 11th from 6 to 8 pm
Saturday, December 13th from 3 to 5 pm

For more information, call Walter Duncan McBride at 337-543-8762.

Theatre--Fundraiser

Firelight Children's Theatre presents Cocoa with the Santas on Sunday, December 14th from 3 to 6 pm at the Milton Organization Building in Picard Park. This event is a fundraiser to help defray travel expenses for the students who, under the direction of Laura Blum, have been asked to perform in an Off-Broadway theatre on June 14, 2009. A group of 55 children, whose ages range from 4 to 27, will travel to New York City next June to be a part of this exciting opportunity.

Advance ticket prices are $5.00 for adults and $4.00 for children 12 and under. Tickets will also be available at the door ($6.00 for adults and $5.00 for children 12 and under).

The ticket price includes:
Entertainment by Firelight music and theatre students
Stories told by Mrs. Claus
Cocoa and cookies
Drawings for door prizes

There will be other activites available for an additional fee: craft booths, bakery, a candy store, cookie decoration, face painting, old time fair games, gifts in a jar, decorate an ornament, and pictures with Santa.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, call (337) 857-6991.

Theatre--Performance (UL-Lafayette)

The UL-Lafayette Department of Performing Arts, in conjunction with Alpha Psi Omega and Chi Tau Epsilon, presents an end of the semester Student Showcase. The performances will feature student directed pieces in theatre and dance. Performances are Thursday,December 4th and Friday, December 5th at 7:30 p.m. in Fletcher Hall, room 134 on the UL-Lafayette campus.

Admission is free. For further information, please call the UL-Lafayette Department of Performing Arts at 482-6357.

Theatre--Auditions (UL-Lafayette)

The UL-Lafayette Department of Performing Arts will hold auditions for their spring production of Five Women Wearing The Same Dress on Thursday, January 15th and Friday, January 16th. The auditions will be held in McLaurin Hall (on the UL-Lafayette campus) at 7 pm each evening. The cast includes 5 women and 1 man. Auditioners should prepare a 30 to 60 second comedic monologue.

The play is set in the South. During an ostentatious wedding reception at a Knoxville, Tennessee, estate, five reluctant, identically clad bridesmaids hide out in an upstairs bedroom, each with her own reason to avoid the proceedings below. They are Frances, a painfully sweet but sheltered fundamentalist; Mindy, the cheerful, wise-cracking lesbian sister of the groom; Georgeanne, whose heartbreak over her own failed marriage triggers outrageous behavior; Meredith, the bride's younger sister whose precocious rebelliousness masks a dark secret; and Trisha, a jaded beauty whose die-hard cynicism about men is called into question when she meets Tripp, a charming bad-boy usher to whom there is more than meets the eye. As the afternoon wears on, these five very different women joyously discover a common bond in this wickedly funny, irreverent and touching celebration of the women's spirit.

Production dates for the show are March 4th through the 8th. For more information, contact the UL-Lafayette Department of Performing Arts at 482-6357.

Dance--Article (Lafayette Ballet Theatre)

There is an article in the Tuesday, December 2nd issue of the Daily Advertiser about Adrienne Boudreaux and the Lafayette Ballet Theatre's production of The Nutcracker. Ms. Boudreaux is cast as the Arabian Dancer in this year's production.

Theatre--Performance

The Lafayette High School Performing Arts Academy Theatre Arts Department's production of Thorton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth will run December 11-13th.

The much lauded playwright Thornton Wilder won the coveted Pulitzer Prize for this comedy-tinged look at an American family. Our production represents a poignant, albeit, cock-eyed view of what the American Ideal is all about. The show is directed by Blaine Peltier (The Rocky Horror Show).

The Skin of Our Teeth runs December 11-13 at the NP Moss Annex Auditorium, 801 Mudd Ave. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. All performances are at 8 pm. For tickets and additional information, please call 212-4471 or email lhspaatheatre@yahoo.com