Theatre--Author's Note

(This is an author's note from Jim Phillips, the writer of Cite Des Arts' next presentation, The Lawyer Who Stopped Talking.  The show opens Thursday, March 4th and runs for two weekends (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays).  For more information or ticket reservations, call Cite at (337) 291-1122.)

This is my first attempt at writing a play and the inspiration for me to write the Lawyer Who Stopped Talking came about from my attendance to a local theater festival at Cité des Arts several summers ago.

The Hub City Theatre Festival at Cité des Arts was created as a three-day theatre festival presenting original and published theatre work from local and national writers.  I found it fascinating that anyone who had written a short one-act play could enter.  Here was a theater and organization willing to provide all the elements to make it happen - lights, stage materials for sets, and an organization that would promote, and produce the play.

At the end of experiencing our third one-act play, I turned to Christy and said, "You know, I think I'll write a play and enter it into this festival next summer. Christy's response, understandably, was under her breath, "yeah right."  She knew of my busy schedule and thought just another one of my creative well-intentioned ideas.

Well I did finish it, thanks to Christy's help. I had the kernel of an idea in the form of a short story I had written once upon a long time ago.  I was able to organize one public reading at Cité des Arts and one reading at ACA with Amy Waguespack’s acting group. The readings helped me quite a bit.

I had a great idea for a story, but I have a lot to learn about writing for live theater. With Christy's help, again, I was ready by the following summer. Unfortunately, I had to be out of state during the next festival, and, I wanted to be there when my play premiered, so it hasn’t been produced until now.  We were able to get my play, The Lawyer Who Stopped Talking, scheduled on the Cite des Arts calendar, and I am very excited about seeing my comedy on the stage for the first time.

This show is about a hotshot New York lawyer whose wife has sued him for divorce.  Of course, he would like to get out of the divorce, paying as little as possible to her.  It turns out that she invites her guru into the mediation proceeding, which is a major thorn in the side of her soon-to-be-ex.  The rest of the story is about what happens when the lawyer and the guru start a competitive battle for all the important (but superficial) trophies of macho success.

Christy Leichty is the director. We have some veterans of local theater in the production, and we also have some newbies that will make a splash on the local scene.  The cast is having lots of fun with the twists and turns of the story and the oddball characters, and we believe that they are working hard to bring this play to life.

In the cast we have Stephen Cooper, who is a playwright, actor, and a drama teacher.  He was recently seen as the Ringmaster in the lobby of Cité for The Dream of The Marionettes.  Kayla LeMaire is very well known in this area as a superb actor and comedian, and worked with Christy in the play Proof.   We have Stephanie Broussard Houdek; a local girl who moved away for quite some time and is now back where she can live to the fullest the great loves of her life.  There is Barney Fortier, a transplant from the Big Easy, who has a special take on the guru. Kayla Smith plays the beautiful and seductive devotee.  Bill Fontenot is well known in and out of Louisiana as a leading naturalist, but people are going to find out what a great actor he is - and a funny and conniving detective.   Bill Matthews, of “Proof fame” is returning to the stage and bringing his sharp legal skills with him.  Marsha Sills reports the spiritual revolution happening down in Central Park to the folks on TV-Land.  Jack Sorenson, a stage veteran, brings a lot of theater experience to his characters.  Katrina Auzenne, recently in The Dream of The Marionettes as Annette, is our “Stage Manager”.  Trina has her work cut out for her wrestling with the production’s lawyers and the legalese necessary to make this play pop.

We will be introducing a very special and new character to the Lafayette area, Tuffy the dog.  Penny Daniel is our creative set and costume designer.   And, Erin Broussard is our graphic artist.  She has created some wonderful images and posters for us.