Theatre--Class

AURA is offering a new class:

Fundamentals of Improvisational Theatre: Youth ages 8-14

Wednesdays, October 5, 12, 19 & 26, from 5:30-6:30pm

Price: $45 per student

This class introduces young actors to the basics of Improvisational Theatre. We will introduce and explore the fundamental principles of improvisation through simple short-form games and group exercises. Students will strengthen their mental agility, creativity, ensemble work, and upon completion of this class will be more confident, trusting and graceful on stage. We will utilize classic improv techniques to help each student develop clean and honest characters that they will create using no script, and suggestions from the audience.

For more information, or to register, please call us at (337) 8731548 and leave a message or email us at actingunlimitedinc@gmail.com.

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.

Theatre--Review (AUI/AURA at Cite)

“Lord, what fools these mortals be!” uttered Puck, the mischievous sprite in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the latest production from Acting Unlimited, Inc. and AURA, and what a lively production it was. Filled with expressive actors, a gorgeous set, incredible hair and make-up, and suggestive mood lighting, this reproduction is sure to please all, and is another successful venture in this company’s repertoire. There are still three more performances for August 4th, 5th, and 6th, so please call 291-1122 or contact Cité des Arts for ticket information.


For those unfamiliar with the convoluted story, it’s an intoxicating blend of mortals and immortals. The mortals involve two disparate couples, for the beautiful Hermia loves Lysander, but she has already been promised by her father to wed Demetrius. Throw into the mix another lady, Helena, who is lovesick over Demetrius, and you have a classic soap opera of foolish young things who spurn the very people they should love. This quartet wanders into the woods to encounter the immortals in the form of fairies, led by King Oberon and Queen Titania, in the midst of their own lovers’ spat. Using the potent petals of a plant and the impish character of Puck, the King orders that certain characters fall in love with the first thing they see, all for hilarious results. As if this weren’t enough, there rambles on stage an acting troupe set to perform a play for the upcoming nuptials of the young quartet, and their company is nearly overwhelmed by the self-imposing figure of an actor named Bottom. The fact that all these parts congeal into a perfect parfait by the conclusion is a tribute both to Shakespeare and to the impeccable direction by Cody Daigle and Cara Hayden. Never once did I feel lost amid the chaos, and sometimes Shakespeare’s language can leave people bewildered. It also helped tremendously that this particular cast seemed to be enjoying themselves on stage, an added bonus to the play’s atmosphere.


For this cast, Daigle and Hayden drew from a rich talent pool, for there are so many rewarding characters in this play. It hardly seems fair to single out only a few, for each actor added something of note, from Phillip Smith’s Flute, with an orange-laden bosom, to Mychael Zulauf’s commanding presence as Oberon, to Martha Diaz’s particularly appealing Helena. (In all fairness, Ms. Diaz is far too pretty to be spouting lines about her homeliness, but once you buy the magic of the play, you forget this.) The actors playing the quartet of lovers (Phillip Spear as Lysander, Nick Dooley as Demetrius, Morgan James as Hermia, and Ms. Diaz as Helena) all played their roles admirably, though the men do get their fair share of stringent face-slaps. Whether the play is written this way or the roles are filled by expert actors, this play has two characters that steal the show: Puck and Bottom. An underappreciated talent of incredible comic timing, Erin Segura, complete with a nest-like wig, laughed at the mortals while drawing the audience in, periodically breaking the fourth wall, especially in her final monologue. But Bottom is the role of which most actors dream, and Gerard Ducharme filled the stage with enough pomposity to make William Shatner cringe. His egregious over-acting—that is a compliment, by the way—elevated the play’s spirited mood, and the acting troupe’s play for the newly-wedded couples, brought peals of laughter from the audience.


The thing I appreciate about Acting Unlimited is its ability to harness a wide age-range in their cast. Though it was mostly upper teens and twenty-somethings, there was a good display of mature actors in the form of Robert Sidman as Egeus, Michael Munzing as Theseus, and Kate Schneider as Hippolyta. On the other spectrum, Zachary Mishlove, Annette Diaz, Naomi Roberts, and Hannah Corkern played a gathering of children who serve the fairy queen. The play also benefited from lovely musical composition from Mychael Zulauf and Kelly Griffin, and sung mostly by the Diva Fairies (Cindy Hebert, Kelly Griffin, and Ali Roberts). And if this were possible, the extra character in this production was the set, designed by the brilliant Duncan Thistlewaite, and that set was in some ways the richest character of them all. There literally was something for everyone.


Normally, I would rank this excellent production a ten, but there were two extremely minor things that distracted me. In the scene where the fairies are lulling Titania to sleep, all the fairies and Titania herself were upstaged by the positioning of the guitar player, who sat center-stage, thus shifting the scene’s focus away from the actors. It was an awkward bit of staging, and I cannot tell if it was intentional or just happened that way. And while I loved the look of the costumes and the rich color scheme involved in the fabric choices, I was on several occasions distracted by the outfits which were not hemmed. Jagged edges, frayed hems, and lengthy dangling strings of six inches or longer marred what should have been a pitch-perfect production. The outfits of some characters, Hermia for instance, were perfectly hemmed, and yet she stood opposite actors whose material was merely cut. Those relatively minor accents make the production a 9.5 instead of a ten.


But the merriment and the infectious spirit of the play should make you forget all that. Yes, we mortals can be fools, but the only fools I know would be the ones who would miss this exquisite production.
--Vincent P. Barras

Theatre--Performance

The AUI/AURA production of A Midsummer Night's Dream was the focus of an article in the online editions of The Independent.

Theatre--Article (AUI/AURA)

The AUI/AURA production of A Midsummer Night's Dream is featured in an article and an online gallery at The Daily Advertiser's website.

Theatre--Performance

AUI/AURA presents 

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE's

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

Opening Night: July 23 at 7:30 p.m.

July 27-29; Aug. 4-6 at 7:30 p.m.

July 24 and 31 at 3 p.m.

Shakespeare's immortal tale of love among both mortals and fairies comes to the Lafayette stage in a bright, romantic staging by AUI/AURA.

Two pairs of star-crossed lovers find themselves in the woods outside of Athens on a midsummer night. There, the brawling fairy King and Queen wage a passionate war that turns the woods into a magical playground of mismatched love and romantic chaos. A crew of hardy workers rehearsing a play are mixed up in this fairy mischief, and by evening's end, mortals and fairies alike are wandering through a topsy-turvy world. Wrong loves are righted, couples are wed, and order is restored by play's end, but only after the raucous ride of Shakespeare's epic romantic comedy.

The show features a cast of 30 local actors, including young actors new to the stage and well-known theatre veterans of local productions. The core company consists of cast members in their teens and early 20s, who've been working together since the summer of 2010.

The production is directed by Cara Hayden and Cody Daigle, both local theatre veterans. The set is designed by Duncan Thistlethwaite. Costumes are designed by Gina Baronne. Original tunes are composed by Mychael Zulauf and Kelly Griffin. The production is produced by Walter Brown and Marie Diaz.

AUI/AURA presents  A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM after two highly praised 2010 productions – DR. HORRIBLE'S SINGALONG BLOG and BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL. This production marks the third collaboration for many in the company, and should prove to be one of the summer's brightest entertainments.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM will be presented at Cite des Arts. For tickets and reservations, call (337) 291-1122 or visit Cite Des Arts online.

Theatre--Performance

Someone saw it. Someone didn't go. Someone sat in her car. And someone did the unexplainable. In interlocking monologues, four young people attempt to find sense in a senseless act of violence in Certain Unexplainable Events, a new one-act play by local playwright Cody Daigle.

AUI/AURA is proud to have the opportunity to present this new work at a June 11th ArtWalk event hosted by the Acadiana Center for the Arts. The show will be run twice with a different cast each time. Start times for the shows will be announced as soon as possible.

The casts are Kelly Griffin/Megan Conner as The One In Her Car, Martha Diaz/Morgan James as The One Who Saw It, Joseph Diaz/Michael Mouton as The One Who Didn't Go and Phillip Spear/Mychael Zulauf as Michael.

The starting times are 6:15 pm and 7:15 pm at the James Moncus Theatre in the AcA.

Theatre--Performance

Someone saw it. Someone didn't go. Someone sat in her car. And someone did the unexplainable. In interlocking monologues, four young people attempt to find sense in a senseless act of violence in Certain Unexplainable Events, a new one-act play by local playwright Cody Daigle.

AUI/AURA is proud to have the opportunity to present this new work at a June 11th ArtWalk event hosted by the Acadiana Center for the Arts. The show will be run twice with a different cast each time. The first show will begin at 6:15 and the second will begin at 7:15.

The casts are Kelly Griffin/Megan Conner as The One In Her Car, Martha Diaz/Morgan James as The One Who Saw It, Joseph Diaz/Michael Mouton as The One Who Didn't Go and Phillip Spear/Mychael Zulauf as Michael.

Theatre--Workshop (Playwriting)

AUI/AURA is offering “AURA Summer Playwrights,” a 5-session summer workshop for aspiring or novice playwrights eager to learn more about writing for the stage. The workshop will teach you the basic skills you need to get your play off the ground as well as some tricks and tools to spark your creativity.

The workshop will be led by local playwright Cody Daigle, whose work has been seen locally, regionally and Off-Off Broadway in New York City.


AURA Summer Playwrights will teach you all you need to know to start writing that play you've always dreamed of writing.

WHO: The workshop is open to anyone 16 and up. You do not need to have previous experience as a playwright. (Although seasoned playwrights are welcome!) The only requirement is a desire to write a play.

WHEN: The workshops are 3 hour sessions (two 80-minute sessions with a break) over five days beginning June 13. We can tailor the time schedule to accommodate the workshop participants.

WHERE: 810 Jefferson Street, downtown Lafayette.

HOW MUCH: $50 for the 5-session workshop.

HOW DO I REGISTER?: Email actingunlimitedinc@gmail.com to register for the summer workshop program or for any questions.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Cody Daigle is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and a company member of Maieutic Theatre Works in NYC. He works as a professional playwright, journalist and educator. His first play, “Guernica,” received its premiere production at UL-Lafayette and was entered into the American College Theatre Festival’s Fourth Freedom’s Foundation Playwriting Competition during the 1996-97 academic year. Mr. Daigle was honored with second prize in this national competition with acclaimed director Lloyd Richards serving as final adjudicator. “Guernica” has also been produced at Augusta State University in Georgia and received a public reading at the University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art in 2007. In recent years, Daigle’s “Providence” and “A Home Across the Ocean” have been produced Off-Off Broadway and his new play, “Why We Fall” was developed in New York by On the Square Theatre Company. Other NYC productions include Life Play at the NY International Theatre Festival and The Last Night of the World at the Riant Theatre. His work has also been developed by AUI/AURA and Playhouse Theatre Tulsa. His new play, “William and Judith” will premiere at Playhouse Tulsa in 2012. 

Theatre--Workshop (Playwriting)

You’ve agonized over every word. You’ve rewritten that final scene at least thirty times. You’ve changed the title more times than you can count.

But now you have a play — all 100 beautiful pages of it.

Now what?

AUI/AURA PRESENTS “THE WORKING PLAYWRIGHT”
This one-day workshop for novice and aspiring playwrights breaks down just what you need to do to get your play off your desktop and into the world. The workshop hits all the nuts and bolts of creating great submission packets, finding opportunities for submission, and the basics of putting on a reading of your own.

The workshop also hits on some basic networking and communication skills so you can make the most of your one-on-one interactions with possible theatre contacts.

SO, WHAT MAKES YOU AN EXPERT?
Simple: I’m a working playwright. I’m what they call an “emerging” or “early career” playwright. I’m a playwright who’s seeing his work produced or read by theatres around the country. And I’m writing plays in a part of the country that isn’t New York or Chicago or L.A.

I’ve been at the playwriting game for the last 10 years, and while I’m not a household name, I’m living the dream of every playwright: audiences are gathering in theatres around the country and seeing my work.

WHO’S THIS WORKSHOP FOR?
This workshop is ideal for any playwright looking to get their script read by theatres around the country without the benefit of an agent. If you’re a playwright with a big dream and a finished script, this workshop is for you.

WHAT’S INVOLVED?
“The Working Playwright” workshop is a day-long workshop, broken into two, three-hour chunks. The workshop group does not exceed 25, so you'll get personal attention throughout the day. You bring your work and your enthusiasm for playwriting – I'll bring the rest.

HOW MUCH?
The cost for the one-day workshop is $30.

WHAT DO I GET?
You'll get some hard-won practical advice on getting your play out into the world. Plus you'll leave with a packet of information that will get your plays (and you!) into the world. Plus, all workshop playwrights will get listed on my website, and companies I collaborate with can connect with you and your work.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?
Just email cody@codydaiglewrites.com for details on registering for the workshop.
---Cody Daigle

Theatre--Upcoming

This weekend, Acadiana theatre is having a ladies’ night.

Evangeline Players opens their produciton of Wendy Wasserstein’s Uncommon Women and Others, an early play from the Pulitzer and Tony-winning playwright of The Heidi Chronicles.

The show focuses on five old friends meeting for lunch seven years after graduationg from a prestigious women’s college. The reunion sets the scene for a series of flashbacks to their senior year when they were a part of the “uncommon group” who were going to be pretty amazing by the time they were thirty. Uncommon Women and Others is a play about choices.  It is also about struggles- the struggle to achieve and the struggle to remain an individual.

 

The cast includes Elizabeth Hunt, Katie Lamson, Sarah Hitchcock, Amanda Lyon, Kyla Cormier, Amanda Newbury, Taylor Dought, Adel-Catherine Comeaux, and Stacy  Broussard. Uncommon Women and Others contains mature subject matter and language and is intended for mature audiences .Show times are May 13, 14, 15 and  May 20, 21, 21 .  Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 PM and the Sunday matinees are at 2:00 PM. All performances are at The Duchamp Opera House in St. Martinville.  Tickets are available at Shamrock Office Supply (394-5574) or The Duchamp Opera House (394-6604) or at the door.

AUI/AURA is also presenting a staged reading of William and Judith, my new play. The reading will take place at 810 Jefferson St. (under the Juliet Hotel, near The Filling Station) at 8 p.m. on May 14.

In A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf posits that if Shakespeare had an equally talented, equally ambitious sister who dreamed of being a playwright, she would have been lost to history simply because she was a woman. The play imagines that sister — Judith — who arrives in London after being disowned by the family. She finds her brother struggling to write something worthwhile after two decades of success as a playwright. In this crucible, The Tempest is created, and that play’s creation could tear brother and sister apart.

The play features an impressive cast of local actors including Duncan Thistlethwaite, John Snyder, Kayla Lemaire, David Huyhn and Martha Diaz.  The show also features an appearance by Courtneay Sanders, an associate director of Playhouse Theatre Tulsa, which will produce the show in February 2012.

For more information, click here.
---Cody Daigle
http://codydaiglewrites.com/weekend-theatre-roundup-uncommon-women-william-and-judith/
http://codydaiglewrites.com/

Theatre--Special Event

AUI/AURA is hosting a special House Warming event at their new summer rehearsal space at 810 Jefferson Street in Lafayette on Saturday, April 9th from 5 pm to 8 pm.  The company has arranged a fund raising raffle, which will begin that day, and there will also be food (provided by Naked Pizza) and entertainment.

For more information, check AUI/AURA's website or their FB Event page.

Theatre--Reading

AUI/AURA presented the first developmental reading of Cody Daigle's Why We Fall on February 12th and 13th.  Below are pictures taken at the Friday, February 12th reading.

Kayla Lemaire

Erik Scheider (Lee Fielding)

 Martha Diaz (Nela Moore) and Kayla Lemaire

 Erik Schneider (Lee Fielding), Robert J. Wilson (Matt Strayer) and Martha Diaz (Nela Moore)

Erik Schneider (Lee Fielding), Robert J. Wilson (Matt Strayer), Martha Diaz (Nela Moore) and Kayla Lemaire 

Eric Schneider (Lee Fielding),  Robert J. Wilson (Matt Strayer) and Martha Diaz (Nela Moore)

Robert J. Wilson (Matt Strayer) and Cindy Hebert (Maura Fielding) 

Erik Schneider (Lee Fielding) and Duncan Thistlethwaite (Dan Fielding) 

Erik Schneider (Lee Fielding), Robert J. Wilson (Matt Strayer) and Martha Diaz (Nela Moore) 

Erik Schneider (Lee Fielding) and Cindy Hebert (Maura Fielding) 

 Audience talkback after the reading

Playwright Cody Daigle

Theatre--Performance

AUI/AURA is announcing the cast list of its summer production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.  The show will run in rep with its musical production of Brigadoon at Cite Des Arts the last week of July and the first two weeks of August.


Theseus--Michael Munzing
Hippolyta--Kate Schneider
Titania--Ruth Diaz
Oberon--Mychael Zulauf
Egeus--Robert Sidman
Philostrate--Kay Manuel
Lysander--Phillip Spear
Demetrius--Nick Dooley
Hermia--Morgan James
Helena--Martha Diaz
Puck--Erik Schneider
Bottom--Gerard Ducharme
Snout--Jacolby Glaude
Flute--Phillip Smith
Starveling--Marianna Piazza
Snug--Michael Mouton
Peter Quince--Joseph Diaz
Mustard Seed--Zoe Francez
Peaseblossom--Annette Diaz
Cobweb--Naomi Roberts
Moth--Hannah Corkern
Titania's Fairies--Cindy Hebert, Hunter Osborn, Kelly Griffin, Megan Connor, Elizabeth Hunt, Annie Dronet, Erin Segura, Shannon Kenast, Ali Roberts
Oberon's Faeries--Zachary Mishlove, Kaan Dere, Cody Dunstan, Thaquan Priestley, Anthony Priestley, Emily Kennison Sandoz, Danielle Sowle Champagne, Alyssa Simoneaux

Stage Crew--Thomas Owens, Ashley Simoneaux

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

AUI/AURA is announcing the cast list for its summer musical, Brigadoon.  The show will run the last weekend of July and the first two weekends in August at Cite Des Arts.


Tommy Albright--Joseph Diaz
Jeff Douglas--Nick Dooley
Charlie Dalrymple--Phillip Smith
Harry Beaton--Phillip Spear
Mr. Lundie--Vincent P. Barras
Stuart Dalrymple--Thomas Owens
Angus McGuffie--Michael Mouton
Fiona MacLaren--Kelly Griffin
Jean MacLaren--Elizabeth Hunt
Meg Brockie--Erin Segura
Jane Ashton--Shannon Kenast
Maggie Anderson--Megan Connor
Mrs. MacLaren--Cindy Hebert
Sandy Dean--Alicia Roberts
Mrs. Beaton--Kate Schneider
Frank--Michael Munzing
Fishmonger--Danielle Sowle Champagne
MacGregor--Gerard Ducharme
Chorus--Chris Trahan, Naomi Roberts, Bob Sidman, Hunter Osborn, Kaan Dere, Cooper Helm, Edie Guidry, Thaquan Priestley, Anthony Priestley, Cody Dunstan, Zach Mishlove, Annette Diaz, Zoe Francez, Martha Diaz, Morgan James, Jacolby Glaude, Erik Schneider, Kay Manuel, Emily Kennison Sandoz, Annie Dronet 


Stage Crew:  Mychael Zulauf, Marianna Piazza, Ashley Simoneaux

Theatre--Auditions/Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

AUI/AURA will present Lerner and Lowe's musical fantasy, Brigadoon, in repertory with William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Performances will be held the last week of July and the first two weeks of August.

Open auditions for all roles in both shows will be held from 1-5 PM on Saturday, February 12 and Sunday, February 13 at Cite Des Arts (corner of Vine and Buchanan in downtown Lafayette). 

For Brigadoon, auditioners will be asked to sing a ballad of their own choosing, do a movement audition and read a scene from the script. Auditioners are welcome to use music from the show and sheet music suitable for auditions can be acquired upon request.

The leads are Tommy Albright, an American (Baritone) and Fiona MacLaren, a Scots lass (Soprano). Second leads are Jeff Douglas, Tommy's American friend (non-singing comic role) and Meg Brockie, a Scots Gypsy (Mezzo).  Third leads are Charlie Dalrymple, a young Scotsman (tenor--believe it!) and Jeannie MacLaren, Fiona's sister and his fiancee (non-singing dance lead with a lot of lines).  Principle supporting roles are Harry Beaton, Jeannie's scorned suitor (non-singing dance lead with lines), Mr. Lundie, an older schoolmaster, Andrew MacLaren, Fiona and Jeannie's father, Archie Beaton, Harry's father and Jane Ashton, Tommy's American Fiancee (one scene, but a good one).

There is also one role for a dancer with no lines which will be cut if no one auditions for it. Most chorus have some solo moments and lines.

The leads should all play late teens to mid-thirties; the supporting roles play forties or older. Chorus can be any age from 6-90. Jane Ashton is the same age as Fiona and Tommy. Jeff can be older than Tommy.

If you have any questions or you need music, call Walter Brown at 337-235-6284 or email 
wfj5552@cs.com. 

A Midsummer Night's Dream will require 15-20 actors, including those with special skills as dancers, singers, acrobats or musicians.  Actors of all ages, sizes and levels of acting experience are encouraged to audition.

Interested actors should prepare a 2 minute monologue from any play by Shakespeare (comedies preferred, not Midsummer). Some actors will also be asked to do cold readings from the script.  Interested singers may prepare a 30-second a capella vocal piece. Interested dancers, acrobats and musicians should be prepared to discuss their previous experience and training.

For questions about the Midsummer audition (or help with choosing an audition monologue), email actingunlimitedinc@gmail.com.

Theatre--Review (AUI/AURA at Cite)

Ray Blum reviews AUI/AURA's productions of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and The Frogs (and the collaboration of Walter Brown and Cody Daigle) in the Friday, January 14th edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Theatre--Auditions

AUI/AURA is pleased to announce auditions for their summer production of William Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream at Cite Des Arts (109 Vince Street In downtown Lafayette) on Saturday, February 12th and Sunday, February 13th from 1 to 5 pm (on both days). This production will run in late July and/or early August. It will be directed by Cody Daigle and Cara Hayden.

The company is opening auditions to all interested actors in the community, with a special interest in actors under the age of 25. The production will require 15-20 actors, including those with special skills as dancers, singers, acrobats or musicians.

Actors of all ages, sizes and levels of acting experience are encouraged to audition.

Interested actors should prepare a 2 minute monologue from any play by Shakespeare (comedies preferred, not Midsummer). Some actors will also be asked to do cold readings from the script.

Interested singers may prepare a 30-second a capella vocal piece.  Interested dancers, acrobats and musicians should be prepared to discuss their previous experience and training.

AUI/AURA encourages everyone interested in participating to attend the audition, despite any previous experience with Shakespeare. A good attitude and a lot of energy are what interest the company most.

Theatre--Workshop

AUI/AURA is excited to announce an audition workshop to help actors prepare for the upcoming auditions for the summer production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The workshop will be led by the show's director, Cody Daigle, and AURA member and director, Ruth Diaz.

Participants will go through some exercises in the fundamentals of iambic pentameter, speaking Shakespeare's verse and good audition etiquette. There will also be time to work with the workshop leaders on your selected monologue.

The workshop is open free of charge to all interested actors. AUI/AURA asks, however,for RSVPs in advance of the workshop if you would like time for your individual audition monologue.


The workshop will be held at Cite Des Arts (109 Vine Street in downtown Lafayette) on January 22nd from 1 to 5 pm.  For more information, and/or to RSVP, e-mail AUI/AURA at actingunlimitedinc@gmail.com.

Theatre--Staged Reading

AUI/AURA will present the first workshop reading of Why We Fall,  a new play by local playwright, Cody Daigle.

After an attempt at suicide, 17-year old Lee Fielding and his mother, Maura, attempt to move forward. Matters are complicated as Lee develops a potentially dangerous friendship with Nela, a fellow classmate, and struggles to contain a truth about his teacher, Matt.  Why We Fall explores how we find ourselves at rock bottom and what we do to dig ourselves out.  Why We Fall will receive a staged reading by On The Square Productions, a Manhattan-based theatre company, in New York City in March. This workshop is part of the show's development process for the New York reading.

The reading will take place on Saturday, February 12th and Sunday, February 13th at 7:30 pm at Cite Des Arts in downtown Lafayette. Admission is free. A talkback will follow the performances.