Theatre--Auditions

Open auditions will be held at Cité des Arts for two original one acts by local playwright Austin Sonnier, Jr. and directed by Maureen Brennan. This production will run at Cité from September 4th through the 20th, 2008. Both pieces are set in New Orleans— one in a famous haunted house up-town and the other in the 9th Ward post-Katrina.

ACTORS NEEDED: Eleven actors, six female and five male, ages 20’s through
50’s.
WHEN: July 16th at 7:00pm and July 17th & 18th at 6:00pm
WHERE: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine Street, Downtown Lafayette between Jefferson and Third St.

For further information, please call Cité at 291-1122.

Theatre--Article

The Daily Advertiser ran an article announcing the results of the Hub City Theatre Festival.

Theatre--Classes

Firelight Children's Theatre will start its 2008-2009 season with classes commencing Monday, September 8th at 4:45-5:30p.m. for T'Lights (ages 4 to 8) and from 5:45-7:00p.m. for the Junior company, ages 9 and up. The senior company (ages 13 and up, with experience and by audition) will meet on Tuesdays, beginning September 2 from 6:00 to 8:00p.m. All classes will be conducted at the Firelight theatre studio in Milton and will consist of training in theatre arts including acting, staging, scenic design, singing and choreography. Performances will be held in November and April.

There will also be three new classes this year, featuring Broadway-style singing. The classes will focus on singing for the actor, acting for the singer, presentation, and movement. These classes will perform at Acadian Village during the Christmas season and will do a revue type show of Broadway music in the spring. The scheduled classes are as follows:

Ages 4-8: Wednesday 3:45-4:30p.m. beginning Sep. 3
Ages 9 and up: Thursday 6-7p.m. beginning Sep. 4
Adult/Teen: Monday 7-8:30p.m. beginning Sep. 8

For more information or to register, call Laura Blum at 856-0595, or visit our website at www.firelightenterprises.com.

Theatre--Hub City Theatre Festival Awards

The Hub City Theatre Festival ended on Saturday, July 12th, and the awards were announced during the closing ceremony:

Best Play
1st - Committed: Gay Marriage and Other Nightmares of Middle America by Cody Daigle
2nd - Momma Jass by Austin Sonnier

Best Production
1st - Gertrude Stein and a Companion by Win Wells presented by Firelight Theatre
2nd - Momma Jass by Austin Sonnier

Audience Favorite
1st - Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry presented by Eunice Players Theatre
2nd - The Lamp by Cindy Brown

Best Production Design
1st - Gertrude Stein and a Companion by Win Wells presented by Firelight Theatre
2nd - The Exile of Joe Gagliano by Chere Coen

Best Actor
1st - Cody Daigle for Committed: Gay Marriage and Other Nightmares of Middle America by Cody Daigle
2nd - Jerrod Arabie for The Exile of Joe Gagliano by Chere Coen

Best Actress
1st - Bria Hobgood for Gertrude Stein and a Companion by Win Wells presented by Firelight Theatre
2nd - Laura Blum for Gertrude Stein and a Companion by Win Wells presented by Firelight Theatre

Theatre--Performance

The Foundry Stage Company opens with their latest production, Eurydice, written by Sara Ruhl on Thursday, July 24th at 7:30 pm. The Foundry is Lafayette’s only theatre company run solely by high school and university students. They produce, design, direct and act in works by
contemporary playwrights. Jarin Schexnider, a founding member of this company, returns to the Lafayette area to direct their latest production. Eurydice stars local Foundry members John Oliver, Sam Oliver and Rebecca Tharp.

Eurydice takes a modern spin on a classic myth of the ill-fated love between Orpheus and his bride Eurydice. This enchanting play does more than comment on the tragedy of love— it shines with it, illuminating the weight of remembering, and even more so of forgetting.

WHAT: The Foundry Stage Company presents Eurydice

WHEN: July 24, 26, 31 and August 1 and 2, 2008 at 7:30 pm

WHERE: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette between Jefferson St. and Third St.

COST: All tickets are $10.00

Theatre--Performance

The Summer Youth Shakespeare Ensemble—-an Acting Up (in Acadiana) program--presents William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Over thirty children ranging in age from ten through senior in high school take on the roles of monsters, nymphs, and humans stranded on an island filled with magic, mischief, and mayhem. In the end the children, through the characters they play, learn about surviving adversity, loyalty, and forgiveness.

The Tempest is the culmination of the Ensemble’s 15day intensive performing arts camp, where students study all aspects of the performing arts: music, dance, design, acting, and more. The camp is equivalent to a language immersion program, allowing the young actors to perform a full Shakespearean play just eleven days after they are cast.

Staff for the program and the production include Hector LaSala (set design and instructor), Cissy Whipp (choreographer and dance instructor), Danny Devillier (composer and music instructor), Laura Sellers (costume design and instructor), and
Amy Waguespack (director). Other instructors and interns include Marla Kristicevich, Paige Krause, Mary Pierce, Lian Cheramie, Hannah Briggs, Ricky Briggs, Megan LeBleu, Brooke LeBleu, Harmony Decker, Kara Guarisco and Sam Dooley.

Performances of The Tempest take place at the Acadiana Center for the Arts on July 18, 19, 25, & 26 at 7:30 PM and July 20 & 27 at 2 PM. Tickets are available beginning Tuesday July 8th at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. Advance tickets are $10 and $5 for students through high school. All tickets at the door are $10. For ticket information call (337) 233-7060. For information call (337) 380-4021 or (337) 739-4273.

Theatre--Performance

The Abbey Players Children's Theatre Guild presents Telling Tales Again Sam? by Linda M. Abbott and directed by Marie Vaughan.

Sam is determined to be a good Narrator and a great PR man for the fairy tale kingdom as the Gingerbread Man, the Three Little Pigs and other favorites all present their tales under Sam's direction. This is a pleasant and amusing anthology of some favorite tales.

The show will run from August 1 - August 31, 2008 at the Abbey Players Theatre, 200 South State Street in Abbeville.

Theatre--Article

There are articles about the Eunice Players' Theatre summer musical Broadway on 2nd Street on the website Eunicetoday.com and in the Opelousas Daily World.

Theatre--Article/Performance

The musical Broadway on 2nd Street, the summer show of the Eunice Players, will open at 2 pm on Sunday, July 20th at the Eunice Players' Theatre. There will be a dinner theatre event at 6 pm at Nick's on Monday, July 21st. The show will run from Tuesday, July 22nd through Friday, July 25th at 7 pm.

Theatre--Reviews

The Hub City Theatre Festival has put up a blog for immediate audience comments on the participating shows.

Theatre--Performance

The Saturday schedule for the Hub City Theatre Festival at Cite Des Arts:

3:00 pm (mainstage): Exile by Maureen Brennan and Valerian Smith

4:00 pm (Second Stage): From Pen to Performance by Artistic Voices

5:00 pm (Mainstage): Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry

6:00 pm (Second Stage): Regarding Moore by Christine Baniewicz and Nick Hwang

7:00 pm (Second Stage): HCTF Interactive presentation of The Word

(Second Stage): The Yarn – What my Parents Forgot to Mention--an open mike storytelling event

(MAINSTAGE): Awards Presentation

Theatre--Performance

The Hub City Theatre Festival at Cite Des Arts will feature the following shows and events tonight:

7:00 pm (Mainstage): The Exile of Joe Gagliano by Cheré Coen

7:30 pm (Cafe): HCTF Interactive

8:00 pm (Second Stage): Momma Jass by Austin Sonnier

9:00 pm (Mainstage): Committed: Gay Marriage and Other Nightmares of Middle America by Cody Daigle

10:00 pm (Improv): Zagnuts: A Hypnomusical by Gourmet3

Theatre--Performance

The Evangeline Players announce their fall show, Neil Simon’s Oscar and Felix: A New Look at the Odd Couple. The play opens at the DuChamp Opera House in St. Martinville on Friday, August 8, and runs through Sunday, August 24. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 PM and the Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $10 per person and can be ordered by calling the DuChamp Opera House at 394-6604.


Neil Simon wrote the classic comedy, The Odd Couple, in 1963 but updated the play in 2002. The recently divorced Oscar Madison is hosting a group of guys for poker, and if the mess of his apartment is any indication, it’s little wonder that his wife left him. The only person not there is Felix Unger, the perpetual hypochondriac with marital problems of his own, sinus and psychological troubles and so much more. Oscar and Felix settle upon a temporary solution: living together as roommates. The resulting antics of the extremely neat Felix and the overt slob Oscar are typical Neil Simon, a blend of humor and pathos.

The cast includes Steven “Smitty” Smith, Jr. (Oscar), Vincent P. Barras (Felix), Mac Stearns (Speed), Jay Florsheim (Murray), Walter Brown (Vinnie), Milton Resweber (Roy), Kayla Heintz (Hoolya), and Erin Segura (Inez).

Theatre--Auditions

Blaine and April Peltier sent this announcement regarding their upcoming productions of The Rocky Horror Show and Hedwig and the Angry Inch:

Auditions for the 2008 production of The Rocky Horror Show will be held on the last week of July at Cite des Arts (109 Vine Street). The audition piece is the first two verses of "Bat Out of Hell" by Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman. Hearing this song should give you an idea of the style and tone of the show this year. Copies of the material will be available to pick up at Cite des Arts very soon. Callbacks will be determined on your ability to sell THAT song. Anyone interested, however, is welcome and strongly encouraged to audition. There are at least ten roles to be cast. Some are gender-specific. Most are not. We are looking for singers with highly theatrical voices and on-stage personalities. This can be defined many ways. If you think you may have a "theatrical" voice/presence and are willing to have a REALLY GOOD TIME WORKING to make the show the best it can be, please come by and audition.


If you just want to help out backstage or with any part of The Rocky Horror Show process (costumes, props, set, etc.) please come to auditions and fill out a contact sheet. You will NOT need to audition, but we do need to see you there so we can find out what you're interested in and so you can get the job you want!

ALSO:

We and Cite des Arts are looking for musicians to play for Rocky as well as Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Payment will be involved and will be discussed. However, we are looking for artists with a passion for performing for a crowd and contributing to a show's success above people who are looking for a check. We will try to make the schedules as easy on your schedules as possible. We are trying to advance the status and improve the quality of live theatre in this region. Our actors DO NOT get paid for their time.

These shows are going to be a blast! If you would like to participate, please audition. If you have any other questions, please call me or Cite des Arts. More information will be given as soon as there is more information to give.

The Rocky Horror Show and Hedwig and the Angry Inch will perform simultaneously throughout late September and October.

Blaine Peltier

337.212.4471

Theatre--Performance

Bria Hobgood and Laura Blum in Gertrude Stein And a Companion, part of the Hub City Theatre Festival at Cite Des Arts. The show runs Thursday, July 10th at 9:00pm.

Theatre--Performance

The cast of Cindy Brown's original piece The Lamp, which runs as part of the Hub City Theatre Festival at Cite Des Arts on Thursday, July 10th at 7:00pm.

Theatre--Workshop

The Cite Des Arts NEW VOICES PLAYWRITING CAMP begins this Monday, July 14th. The deadline for registering is this Saturday, July 12th.


NEW VOICES, led this year by local director/playwright Jarin Schexnider, is a two week-long theatre workshop that offers students hands-on lessons in the art and craft of making plays. Through writing exercises, improvisation, theatre games, and group work; students will dream up, develop, and write a one-act play. These plays are then worked and rehearsed, and compiled into an afternoon of theatre that is produced at Cité des Arts for the general public.

The camp is designed for students aged 10-16. No prior theatre or writing
experience is necessary.

WHEN: 1pm – 5pm, July 14 – July 26, 2008

WHERE: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette between Jefferson St. and Third St.

WHO: for students aged 10-16

COST: $50.00

Students interested in the New Voices Playwriting Camp should contact Cité des Arts at 291-1122 for additional information and registration.

Theatre--Performance

The upcoming schedule for theatre at Cite Des Arts:

Eulalie and Grosbec(July 18–August 9): SAS and Shane Guilbeau Production.

Eurydice(July 24, 26, and 31-August 2): The Foundry Stage Company.

Gnostic Coincidence(August 14 – August 30): an original work of theatre by Steven Cooper.

Greezy Spoon(September 4-20), Cite presents an original work of theatre by Austin Sonnier, Jr.

Hedwig And The Angry Inch & The Rocky Horror Show(September 25-November 1): Six weeks of madness as Cite and Blaine Peltier and Discoproductions alternates weekend nights with these two fantastic musicals.

Theatre--Performance

The 2nd Annual Hub City Theatre Festival kicks off this Thursday
evening at 7:00pm. It will continue Friday evening and Saturday beginning at 2:00pm. Please scroll down for the full schedule of events or you can check on our website for more detailed information regarding the individual productions, workshops, and events.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

7:00 pm – MAINSTAGE: The Lamp by Cindy Brown
8:30 pm – SECOND STAGE: To Protect and Sever by Steven Cooper
9:00 pm – MAINSTAGE: Gertrude Stein and a Companion by Win Wells

Friday, July 11, 2008

7:00 pm – MAINSTAGE: The Exile of Joe Gagliano by Cheré Coen
7:30 pm – CAFÉ: HCTF Interactive
8:00 pm – SECOND STAGE: Momma Jass by Austin Sonnier
9:00 pm – MAINSTAGE: Committed: Gay Marriage and Other Nightmares of Middle America by Cody Daigle
10:00 pm – Improv - Zagnuts: A Hypnomusical by Gourmet3

Saturday, July 12, 2008

3:00 pm – MAINSTAGE: Exile by Maureen Brennan and Valerian Smith
4:00 pm – SECOND STAGE: Artistic Voices: “From Pen to Performance”
5:00 pm – MAINSTAGE: Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry
6:00 pm – SECOND STAGE: Regarding Moore by Christine Baniewicz and Nick Hwang
7:00 pm –SECOND STAGE: HCTF Interactive presentation of The Word
SECOND STAGE: The Yarn – What my Parents Forgot to Mention--an open mike storytelling event
MAINSTAGE: Awards Presentation

Theatre--Review/Article

Ray Blum of the Daily Advertiser talks about set design in the July 4th edition.

Theatre--Auditions

The fall production at The Abbey Players theatre will be the hit musical comedy, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. This entertaining look at the dating and marriage game has roles for two men and two women between the ages of 25 and 45. A violinist is also needed. Those interested in
auditioning may come with sheet music of their choice or with any prepared solo. The adult musical will be directed by Dianne Moss and will run several weekends in the fall. Exact show dates will be determined after the show is cast.

Auditions will take place at the Abbey Players theatre, 200 South State Street, on Tuesday, July 8th, at 7 pm, and again on Saturday, July 12th, at 2 pm. For more information about the show, call the Abbey Players office, 893-2442, between 9 and 11 am weekdays, or call Dianne Moss at 523-9995

For more information and a map to the theatre at www.abbeyplayers.com

Theatre--Auditions

IPAL will have auditions for its next production to run the first 3 week-ends in September. Auditions will be held Monday, July 7 and Tuesday, July 8 at 6:00 P.M. at IPAL. Rehearsals will begin the following week. That's the Spirit, by Tim Kelly, will be directed by Donna Berard. The play, with 13 (adult) characters, is an entertaining, off-the wall, cockeyed, whodunit spoof. The situations are absurd and the characters are bizarre. For more information, please contact Donna at 229-6919.

Theatre--Audition

Open auditions will be held at Cité des Arts for two original one acts by local playwright Austin Sonnier, Jr. and directed by Maureen Brennan. This production will run at Cité September 4th-20th, 2008. Both pieces are set in New Orleans—one in a famous haunted house up-town and the other in the 9th Ward post-Katrina.

ACTORS NEEDED: Eleven actors, six female and five male, ages 20’s through 50’s
WHEN: July 16th at 7:00pm and July 17th & 18th at 6:00pm
WHERE: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine Street, Downtown Lafayette between Jefferson and Third

For further information please call Cité at 291-1122.

Theatre--Festival

This is from the Theater Guy Blog. In the process of discussing the difficulty of setting up a "cooperative" of NO area theatres, David Cuthbert included this about a New Orleans Fringe Festival:

A major speaker at the Theatre Alliance meeting was Dennis Monn, talking up The New Orleans Fringe Festival, which is accepting submissions for "fearless performances for fearless audiences" through July 15. Monn, the fest's artistic director, said he is looking for "wild, weird, fresh original theater." "We don't want any productions of Oliver! unless Oliver is a crackhead," he said.

There really are no borders other than "original work," Monn said. The Fringe Festival flier lists "comedy, dance, spoken word, street theater, multimedia, musical theater, performance art, puppetry, improvisational, magic, storytelling, cabaret, burlesque, variety, sideshow and other creative madness." For applications, visit www.nofringe.org.

"We're courting out-of-towners, too," Monn said. "Everyone will be paid, including the tech people. We're thinking of a performance as lasting 40 minutes, so if you have a 20-minute piece, we could pair it up with another 20-minute piece." (emphasis added)

The festival will happen over four days, Nov. 13-26, involve at least 20 groups at multiple Bywater venues, including the Marigny Theatre, the Hi-Ho Lounge, the Backyard Ballroom, the Side Arm Gallery, "a kids' stage behind the St. Roch Market and whatever other dives we can get," Monn said. R.J. Tsarov, the playwright-DramaRama organizer, is acting in an advisory capacity for the fest.

Theatre--Performance

The Summer Youth Shakespeare Ensemble announces that its production of William Shakespeare's The Tempest will run July 25, 26, & 27, 2008 at the Acadiana Center for the Arts.

For more information call (337) 739-4273 or (337) 380-4021.

Theatre--Articles

The Daily Iberian has two articles about IPAL's production of The Wizard of Oz. The first is about pianist Marcus McCullough and the second is about the teenage cast.

Theatre--Performance

Firelight Theater presents their summer children's production Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 27, 28, 29 at 7:00 pm with matinees at 3:00 pm Saturday and Sunday. Adults - $15.00, Children and seniors - $10.00. Join Firelight's cast of young actresses and actors as they present the
children's classic story of the Three Little Pigs and J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. Firelight's cast of 42, who range in age from 4 to 18 years old, will sing and dance their way into your hearts.

Theatre--Performance

Theatre--Review

Ray Blum has a review of Will Moody and Jordan Kaplan's original piece Attend in the June 27th edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Theatre--Performance

Firelight Chilren's Theatre presents their summer children’s productions of the Three Piggy Opera and Peter Pan on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 27, 28, 29 at 7:00 pm with matinees at 3:00 pm Saturday and Sunday.

Dance--Summer Intensives

Lafayette Ballet Theatre company dancers and students passed stringent admissions screenings and auditions to secure coveted spots in the nation’s most intensive ballet study programs this summer. The young women competed against advanced-level students from around the U.S. and abroad for these opportunities to build their skills under the instruction of some of the world’s top ballet professionals.

Bethany Buller, 19, of Opelousas, is attending a five-week course on full scholarship at Boston Ballet School – the official school of the Boston Ballet and the largest school of its kind in North America.
Last year, Buller was one of only 12 dancers invited to study at the elite level in the summer intensive at the School of American Ballet – the official school of the New York City Ballet. She also has studied at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Fla., on scholarship and has been invited to participate in study programs with the Houston Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, Austin Ballet, Burklyn Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Performances include Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, The Sleeping Beauty, Nymphs, Raymonda and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Buller, who has been studying classical ballet at the LBT Dance Conservatory for seven years, is a principal dancer with LBT’s professional company. She is also a student at LSU-E majoring in physical therapy.


For the third consecutive year, Richard, 19, of Lafayette, is participating in American Ballet Theatre’s prestigious New York City summer program, forfeiting an opportunity to study with Boston Ballet School.
In 2003 and 2004, Richard attended ABT’s Orange County, Calif., summer intensives. Previously, she also has attended four Boston Ballet study programs and has received invitations to attend programs with countless other acclaimed companies.

Richard began her dance education at an early age with the Performing Arts Academy in Morgan City. She has trained with LBT for 11 years and served as a principal dancer in LBT’s professional dance company prior to enrolling in the apparel design program at LSU in Baton Rouge last fall. She currently is a contracted guest artist with LBT.

Nicole Foreman, 17, of Carencro, is attending the Joffrey Ballet workshop in San Antonio for the second consecutive summer. Foreman has completed two years of study with LBT Dance Conservatory. She previously studied with The Dance Place in Carencro.

Adrienne Boudreaux, 15, of Lafayette, is attending a five-week intensive study program with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, having received upper division placement. This will mark her third consecutive year participating in this program. Boudreaux has been training with LBT Dance Conservatory for the past eight years. She is a corps de ballet level dancer with the LBT company.

Alyssa Leger, 15, of Lafayette, is one of only 190 dancers from across the U.S. and abroad to gain entry into the School of American Ballet summer intensive program in New York City. Last year, Leger attended Pacific Northwest Ballet’s five-week summer intensive in Seattle. She previously has gained acceptance into programs hosted by Ballet Austin and the Houston Ballet. Leger, who has been studying with LBT since the age of 8, is a corps de ballet level dancer with the LBT company.

Aerin Higginbotham, 15, of Lafayette, is attending the four-week American Ballet Theatre Austin program. She joined Lafayette Ballet Theatre in the fall of 2007.

Elizabeth Vied, 15, and Lauren Dionne, 13, both of Lafayette, are attending the American Ballet Theatre Alabama program in Tuscaloosa. Last year, Vied attended Ballet Austin’s summer program. She has studied with the LBT Dance Conservatory for the past four years and is an apprentice level member of LBT’s professional division. This is Dionne’s first summer intensive experience. She has been studying with the LBT Dance Conservatory for two years.

Blaike Musso, 14, of Lafayette, Alexa Daigle, 13, of Lafayette, and Lindsey Sagrera, 13, of Abbeville, are attending a three-week Ballet Austin summer intensive program.Last summer, Musso spent five weeks studying with Ballet Chicago. She is entering her sixth year of study with the LBT Dance Conservatory. This will be the first summer intensive experience for both Daigle and Sagrera, who have spent three years studying with LBT.

Lafayette Ballet Theatre is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing classical ballet instruction, educational programs and quality stage performances to Acadiana residents. Dance Conservatory – the official school of LBT – supplies more than 80 percent of the dancers to the organization’s professional dance company. For more information on LBT and Dance Conservatory, visit www.LafayetteBalletTheatre.org.

Theatre--Workshop Performance

The Evangeline Players will present Hare, a series of vignettes about rabbits being presented by the Summer Drama Camp under the direction of Adel Comeaux. Those performances will be June 28 and 29. Call the Duchamp Opera House at 394-6604 for information

Theatre--Review

The Iberia Performing Arts League is presenting The Wizard Of Oz at the Essanee Theatre on Iberia Street in New Iberia. Directed and written by Leigh Simmons, this production uses the score from the 1939 MGM film starring Judy Garland. Generally faithful to the original script, this production does have some interpolated lines. Still, it is basically the film on stage and if you love the film you will enjoy this production. The most significant change to the show is that the director has cast different people as the farm hands and Miss Gulch than the actors playing Scarecrow Tin Man, Lion and the Wicked Witch. Since they are visibly different people we lose the conflation of Kansas with Oz and it is less apparent that Dorothy has only dreamed the Oz sequence.

The production team has gone to great efforts to re-create the film as fully as possible. There are ruby slippers, a field of poppies, and Emerald City and flying monkeys. Given the limited resources of stage versus film and the additional limitations of community theatre budgets the team has been very clever and largely successful. For instance, the poppies are dancers with red capes which they turn inside out to reveal white capes for the snow that Glinda sends to cover the poppies. Glinda arrives in a giant bubble of bubble wrap! Auntie Em and the Witch really do appear in a giant crystal ball. Adults will be entertained by the cleverness of the effects.

Along with effective directing and production design take note of the music direction. Marcus McCullough does a wonderful job of masking any mistakes from the singers and he brings his usual enthusiasm to his playing. Marcus McCullough, Jennifer and Paul Tassin and Rafael Henry are local treasures for any group planning a musical and especially any group relying on inexperienced performers. And Leigh Simmons is has run a very productive Children's Theatre program which has generated an excellent talent pool for both New Iberia and St. Martinville.

Unfortunately, I saw the performance at the first dress rehearsal. While the show was excellent, there were no programs available so I cannot credit the cast members individually. But Aunt Em is a standout for mature, natural acting; the Lion is a Virginia ham; the Scarecrow is a comedic gem and the Tin Man is stalwart. Dorothy handles Toto so naturally that you forget he's a puppet. The Professor/Oz is a born show man. The Wicked Witch is as wicked as they come.

The Wizard Of Oz concludes its run the weekend of June 27th-29th. It is well worth the price of admission.

Theatre--Workshop

For the sixth year in a row, Cité is offering its New Voices Playwriting Camp, a summer theatre workshop for young people.

New Voices, led this year by local director/playwrite Jarin Schexnider, is a two week-long theatre workshop that offers students hands-on lessons in the art and craft of making plays. The camp is designed for students aged 10-16. No prior theatre or writing experience is necessary. Through writing exercises, improvisation, theatre games, and group work, students will dream up, develop, and write a one-act play. These plays are then worked and rehearsed, and compiled into an evening of theatre that is produced at Cité des Arts for the general public.

WHEN: 1pm – 5pm, July 14 – July 26, 2008
WHERE: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette between Jefferson St. and Third St.
WHO: for students aged 10-17
COST: $50.00
Students interested in the New Voices Playwriting Camp should contact Cité des Arts at 291-1122 for information on registering.

Theatre--Newspaper series

The Times of Acadiana is now running a weekly page devoted entirely to local theater. The page, called ON STAGE THIS WEEK, gives the highlights of local productions with a witty analysis of each in a “Perfect For” and “Perfectly Awful For” format.

Theatre--Performance

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

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

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

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

The pieces selected for this year’s festival are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Theatre--Review

Ray Blum reviews Ezra Istre's Multiplicity (at Cite Des Arts)in the June 20th edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Theatre--Audition

The fall production at The Abbey Players theatre will be the hit musical comedy, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. This entertaining look at the dating and marriage game has roles for two men and two women between theages of 25 and 45. A violinist is also needed. Those interested in
auditioning may come with sheet music of their choice or with any prepared solo. The adult musical will be directed by Dianne Moss and will run several weekends in the fall. Exact show dates will be determined after the show is cast.

Auditions will take place at the Abbey Players theatre, 200 South State Street, on Tuesday, July 8th, at 7 pm, and again on Saturday, July 12th, at 2 pm. For more information about the show, call the Abbey Players office, 893-2442, between 9 and 11 am weekdays, or call Dianne Moss at 523-9995

For more information and a map to the theatre at www.abbeyplayers.com

Theatre--Review

Opelousas Little Theatre will continue its production of Proof, David Auburn's Pulitzer and Tony award winning play, June 19 through 21 (7 PM), with a matinee on Sunday, June 22 at 2 PM. Tickets can be purchased at Sebastien Dupre Fine Jewelry (337-948-4367).

I strongly recommend this production to all you theatre buffs, even if you've already seen the Cite Des Arts (Lafayette) version, which just ended [Don Voorhies wrote a useful synopsis and review of it for this blog.].

Briefly, a solitary notebook containing the "proof" of a theorem is found in the locked drawer of the desk of a recently deceased mathematician, Robert, by one of his doctoral students, Harold. Who proved the theorem? Was it Robert, nutty as a fruitcake during much of the time when the proof was presumably written, or his care-giving daughter, Catherine, who had little formal mathematical education?

Elizabeth Satterly (Catherine) was perfectly cast in this lead role, even though she is apparently six or seven years younger than the character. Director Dana Reed was wise in casting a student of the legendary theatre guru, Walter Brown.

Gabe Ortego (Harold), a stalwart of OLT, was convincing as Catherine's first lover and as a mathematical protege of Robert.

Ed Dubuisson (Robert) was very touching and affecting in the pivotal scene where Catherine realizes that her beloved father is mentally incapacitated.

Roxanne Guillory (Claire), Catherine's older sister who is married and not a mathematician, effectively completes the cast in the difficult role of the only "normal" character.

Although I may be putting math-phobes to sleep, I’d like to tack on an addendum to my recent notes on Proof, the current production of The Opelousas Little Theatre. The premise of the play is that a young amateur could prove a major mathematical theorem. If the area of mathematics alluded to in the play is “number theory” the answer is a qualified “yes”. Theorems in this area can be easy to understand- not lots of fancy terms- but devilishly difficult to prove. Here are a couple of such “theorems” – one proved, so it is a true theorem, and one not, so it is a conjecture.

One of the most famous is Fermat’s Last “Theorem” (1637). Here’s what it says. Consider the equation x^N + y^N = z^N where x, y, z, and N are all positive whole numbers (integers). Fermat claimed that if N is bigger than 2, there are no whole numbers x, y and z which will solve the equation. [When N=2 it’s easy, 3² + 4² = 5² . ]

Math historian Howard Eves noted, “Fermat’s Last Theorem has the peculiar distinction of being the mathematical problem for which the greatest number of incorrect proofs have been published.” Of course, the fact that there was a money prize probably led to the enthusiasm with the problem. Anyway, Andrew Wiles proved the theorem in 1993, over 350 years after Fermat claimed a proof.

Christian Goldbach, a minor Prussian mathematician, communicated the following conjecture to Leonard Euler, a major Swiss mathematician and physicist, in 1742.
“Every even integer greater than 2 can be written as the sum of two primes.” Remember a “prime” is a whole number that can be divided only by itself and 1. ‘5’ is a prime number but ‘4’ is not. Example: 60 = 7 + 53 = 13 + 47 = 17 + 43 = 19 + 41 = 23 + 37.

- Hasn’t been proved yet. Maybe that’s what Catherine proved. Have to wait for the sequel.

--Dr. Robert "Bob" Sidman

Theatre--Article

There is an article in the May 30th edtion of the Opelousas Daily World about the upcoming production of Proof by the Opelousas Little Theatre. The article also includes details about the OLT's upcoming auditions for their next production, Wit.

Theatre--Performance

The Opelousas Little Theatre presents Proof, opening on June 12th and running through the 22nd. Shows will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday of both weeks. There will be a Sunday matinee on June 22nd.

The play concerns Catherine, the daughter of Robert, a recently deceased mathematical genius and professor at the University of Chicago, and her struggle with mathematical genius and mental illness. Catherine had cared for her father through a lengthy mental illness: Can Catherine prove the proof's authorship?

Theatre--Performance

IPAL is preparing a special production of The Wizard of Oz, directed by Leigh Simmons with assistance from Donna Berard and Suzi. Eith performances are scheduled over two wekks (June 10-20). Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances will start at 7 pm and Sunday matinees will begin at 3 pm.

This muscial is the Royal Shakespeare Company verion, which is close to the movie version. It is based on the book by L. Frank Baum, witih music and lyrics from the MGM motion picture by harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. The background musci is by Herbert Stothart. the book is adapted from the origianl screenplay by John Kane. Choral directors are Hellon Hodge and Suzi Thornton. Cathy Melancon is charge of soctumes and choreography is by Trudi Perret. Pianist is Marcus McCullough. The production is sponsored by Community First Bank.

The cat includes 52 young actors from area and home schools. With a cast this big, IPAL suggests that tickets be purchased early.

Theatre--Performance

This Thursday is the premier of Mulitplicity, an original play written and directed by Ezra Istre. What if everyone you see is not who you think they are? How far would you go to find the truth? Come and see hypocrisy at its best.

When: June 12th - 14th
Where: Cité des Arts
Cost: $10 on Thursday and $12 on Friday & Saturday

Theatre--Review

Hail St. Mary for the graciousness to again offer the Acadiana community a summer youth musical. For four years, St. Mary Mother of the Church has been host and sponsor of a Broadway musical bringing together students from elementary school to college. The effort has been tremendous, the musicals have been uplifting, and the success has been notable.

This year the presentation is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel. The second of the Broadway duo’s great musicals, it is based on Farenc Molnar’s 1909 drama Liliom. Liliom was actually considered for the team’s first collaboration but the rights were denied. But with the great success of the team’s Oklahoma! permission was eventually given and work began leading to the 1945 opening, the Tony Award, and much more. The somewhat somber story deals with a carnival barker (Billy Bigelow) a shy factory worker (Julie Jordan) and a host of characters from a small New England fishing village. Notable songs include “If I Loved You,” “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,” “What’s the Use of Wond’rin’ and “You’ll Never Walk Alone".

In this production Lance Bordelon (Billy) and Shelby Runyan (Julie) carried off their difficult lead roles with distinction. Bigelow’s “Soliloquy” was impressively mature. Ashley Lopez, as Carrie Pipperidge, was outstanding in voice, characterization, and comedic style. Andy Best, as Enoch Snow, Sr., was suitably dour. Jason Petitjean, who had a host of jobs in the show (as did much of the cast) was particularly effective with his deep bass voice in song and lilting Irish accent as the star keeper. Parker Guidry (Jigger Craigin) is the “bad guy” of the plot. But his performance was anything but bad. In all his time on the stage, from the opening “Carousel Waltz” to his final appearance he oozed malevolence. In song, in dance, in attitude, he provided motivation for the eventual actions of Bigelow. High school senior Allison Schilhab played the very adult role of Mrs. Mullin convincingly while high school freshman Brittany Monaghan as cousin Nettie Fowler was Bustin’ Out each time she sang! Keep it up! Aside from these eight, there were twenty-six others in the cast. They too were excellent, versatile, and with so much time on stage were always in character.

Some mention must be made of many of the wonderful production values of this show. The choral singing, of which there is a lot, was of concert quality. Music director Margaret Kresse is to be congratulated. Marcus McCullough conducted an eighteen piece orchestra that never overpowered the show.

Great choreography by Matt Couvillion, well known in Acadiana dance circles, filled the stage. Bravo (yet again) for your work! There are three major dance sequences in Carousel - the opening “Carousel Waltz”, the “Blow High, Blow Low” sailors’ dance, and the “Beach Ballet.” Done on a difficult stage configuration, the movements were fresh and vital. The “Beach Ballet” was particularly well done and created real emotion to drive the play to its conclusion. Rodgers and Hammerstein first effectively integrated ballet into a Broadway musical in Oklahoma! In Carousel they continued their fine work. Couvillion and his dancers did it justice.

A final accolade must be given to Margaret Kresse, Director and Musical Director of this show, as well as heart and soul of the St. Mary summer musical program. Retiring after this show, she has done much for youth theater in Acadiana. Through her efforts (each play taking something like nine months to stage) she has contributed mightily to building theater for the future. She will be sorely missed.
--Donald "Doc" Voorhies

Theatre--Performance

Picasso at the Lapin Agile, presented by The Abbey Players, places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904(just before the renowned scientist transformed physics with his theory of relativity and the celebrated painter set the art world afire with cubism). In his first comedy for the stage, the popular actor and screenwriter Steve Martin plays fast and loose with fact, fame and fortune as these two geniuses muse on the century's achievements and prospects as well as other fanciful topics with infectious dizziness. Bystanders, including Picasso' agent, the bartender and his mistress, Picasso's date, an elderly philosopher, Charles Dabernow Schmendimen and an idiot inventor introduce additional flourishes of humor. The final surprise patron to join the merriment at the Lapin Agile is a charismatic dark haired singer time warped in from a later era.

Shows are Friday and Saturday nights at 8 pm.

Theatre--Submissions

Acting Up (in Acadiana) is calling for submissions for The Patriot ACTS II to be performed in October 2008. Songs, film, video, original short scripts, poetry, anything will be considered as local artists extract socio-political sentiments in the wake of the 2008 presidential election. The Patriot ACTS II is the sequel to the original series staged in October of 2004. This multi-disciplined, theatrical series made people laugh and cry (and sometimes want to scream); what happens this time will depend on the artists involved. Submissions will be accepted through July 20, 2008. Notification of artists whose works are accepted will take place by August 1, 2008. Acting Up (in Acadiana) will hold auditions to fill necessary roles at the end of August. For more information or to submit, contact Acting Up (in Acadiana) artistic director Amy Waguespack at (337) 739-4273.

Theatre--Audition

Auditions will be held at Cite des Arts on Saturday, June 7th from 11 am-1 pm and Sunday, June 8th from 1p-3 pm for the world premiere on an original play by local writer Chere' Dastugue Coen and directed by local actor/director Bruce Coen. The Exile of Joe Gagliano is a funny yet touching portrayal of the Gagliano family forced to leave their home and livelihood after Hurricane Katrina to seek refuge in Lafayette.

Characters:
Joe Gagliano 40's-50's
Marie Gagliano 40's-50's
Lisa Gagliano 15
Wayne Gagliano 18
Kevin Spears 40's-50's: Joe's best friend

A New Orleans "Y'at" accent is preferred for all the characters but not essential.

Theatre--Audition

Someone is needed to play the part of Shawn, the waiter and love interest in The Lamp, a one-act play that will be presented for one performance during the Hub City Theater Festival at Cite Des Arts in July.
This male character will play the love interest of Charlene, the main character, who will be around 50 years old. Shawn should be a younger man, ranging in age from about late 20's to late 30's.
Auditions will be Wednesday, June 4th from 6:00-8:00 pm at Cite.

For more info, call Cindy at (337) 839-9291 or 322-5166.

Theatre--Article

There is an article in the Daily Advertiser about the St. Mary's Catholic Church production of Carousel in the June 2nd edition.

Theatre--Workshop

The Opelousas Little Theatre is holding their Theatre Summer Camp for children ages 5through 17. The Opelousas Daily World had an article about it in the May 28th edition.

Theatre--Online

There is a MySpace page about the upcoming auditions for the Opelousas Little Theatre's production of Wit.

Theatre--Article

There was an article in the May 30th edition of the Opelousas Daily World about Proof, which will open on June 12th at the Opelousas Little Theatre. The page includes information on dates, times and tickets.

Theatre--Auditions

Auditions will be held at Cité des Arts on June 9th and June 11th at 6:00pm for two original plays written by Steven Cooper.

TO PROTECT AND SEVER
This is a short comedy about the threat of terrorism, domestic spying, and the education of our youth. This show is to be presented at the Hub City Theatre Festival the first week of July.

Characters:
Sgt. McRuffle: Man- 30- 40
Teacher: Male or Female- 25-35
Kid 1: Male or Female- 13-18 (actor/actress can be older, but must look young)
Kid2: Male or Female- 13-18 (actor/actress can be older, but must look young)
Two Swat Team Members: Males 20-35

GNOSTIC COINCIDENCE
This is a full length play about two strangers becoming friends, their dreams, and the lessons they desire to learn. This show will run at Cite des Arts from August 14th-28th. Rehearsals will be in July and early August.

Characters:
Buzzbee: A very aware man of the street who is fighting an inner battle.
Male: 28-40
Ralph: A business man who is reaching a crossroads in his life.
Male: 28-40
Love: A muse that guides the characters in their dreams.
Female:20-40
Competition: A shadow character that challenges the characters in their dreams. Male: 20-35

The right age for the actors playing the characters is not as important as what
the actor can bring to the characters. Mr. Cooper is looking for the right ensemble to bring this play to life.

WHEN: June 9 and 11 at 6:00pm
WHERE: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette between Jefferson St. and Third St.

For additional information, please contact Steven Cooper at
barrelmaker76@gmail.com.

Theatre--Article

Cody Daigle of the Daily Advertiser has an article about the renovations to Burke-Hawthorne Theatre, home to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette's Department of Performing Arts and to the structure of the Performing Arts' curriculum in the May 31th edition.

Theatre--Review

Drama can present real life in such a way that theatergoers enter another world. Recent area productions have done that. The Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts’ Steel Magnolias carried us (male and female alike) to the world of the “Beauty Salon.,” The University of Lousiana at Lafayette's Performing Arts Department's production of Closer carried us to merry-new-England, and not-so- merry modern love. Cite’ des Arts’ current production of David Auburn’s Proof brings us into the world of mathematics and very the real people who inhabit it. As with many modern dramas, the play debuted at the Manhattan Theatre Club, and moved on to Broadway. But this one then won the Pulitzer Prize, the Drama Desk Award, and the Tony Award for Best Play of 2001.

The essential story involves four characters. Robert (Bill Matthews), an older and respected mathematician has died after descending into some form of mental illness, and has left numerous notebooks full of ravings (mathematical and otherwise). He had been cared for by a college-dropout daughter Catherine (Betty Boudreau) who may or may not have inherited some of her father’s genius. Another sister, Claire (Kayla Lemaire) is in for the funeral and has none of her father’s traits. A former student of Robert’s, Hal (Steven Cooper), who is the only cast member NOT a member of this family, comes on the scene. The story is a mystery (who actually did the proof), a love story (father-daughter, boy-girl, man-profession) and a drama (about doubt, pride, fear, reality, illusion). It is a heady mix. And it is carried out with both intensity and insight under the able direction of Christy Leichty.

Before continuing, and in the spirit of “full disclosure,” this reviewer in his real life is a mathematician (more accurately a math teacher) whose world view has been affected by the very real mathematicians he has met personally and professionally. He knows the frequently stereotyped world of mathematics as a world more passionate and artistic than any other. It is true that mathematicians use symbols on a page –but those are but their language. Their real work is about the underlying realities of universe - what the finger of God has writ in the sands of logic, of structure, and ultimately of reality. Mathematicians use words like “beautiful” or “subtle” or “elegant” to describe their work. To “normal” people it all seems mysterious.

Auburn’s play and director Leichty’s interpretation thereof captured this world artfully. While there are a few math jokes scattered in the play, no real knowledge (or memory of high school Algebra) is needed to follow the plot. Accepting the very real passion of mathematicians is. Opening with a dimly lit flashback scene, the play goes in and out of the real world and the mathematical world as Robert(deceased) and Catherine move in and out of the light. Isn’t that the way we think of mathematics? Sometimes there, sometimes not. The action quickly commences as the relationships of the characters develops. The visiting sister (Claire) is a practical, correct, controlling New Yorker--with all the abrasiveness and superficiality of that city. She quickly conflicts with Catherine, the gifted college-dropout who took time out from her life to care for a father. Catherine has all the grittiness and strength of her home--Chicago--the “Hog Butcher of the World … Stormy, husky, brawling City of the Big Shoulders.” A young mathematician (Hal) arrives and his motivations are soon thrown into the mix. Is he there to truly pay tribute to his mentor; is his relationship with Catherine a real one; is he there for his own professional advancement? The mystery of the show revolves around who actually did the “proof” and various clues to its authorship. Was it Robert in a lucid interlude, or does Catherine perhaps have her father’s mathematical gifts (and instability)?

In the hands of the wonderful Cite’ cast and crew the complexities of the story, the conflicts, and the emotions felt by these characters swirl around us. Director Christy Leichty keeps the entire enterprise under control, with a neat balance between the mathematical world and the real world. The quiet first scene is a pastoral leading to tempests in the second act. The subject matter is the world of abstract mathematics and three fourths (75%, .75, 12/16) of the characters are mathematicians. But we relate to them as the real people they are. Center stage in the drama is Betty Boudreau, whose Catherine is strong, fragile, abrasive, yet tender. Boudreau switches mood and relationship quickly and effortlessly and is a pleasure to watch. Kayla Lemaire’s Claire treads a fine line between “villainy” and “caring sister.” She is an outsider in the group, not caught up in this mathematical world. She is the voice of reality for better or worse. Steven Cooper as the young mathematician, Hal, is an outsider too-–the only non-family member. That separation is clear and he carried out the “professional mathematician” aspect of his role convincingly. He was especially effective in the personal relationship he established with Catherine–-be it love, doubt , support or argument. Bill Matthews as Robert brought a reality and an abstractness to the part-–the reality and abstractness that are part of mathematics. Matthews only previous acting was in high school. Bravo on your re-debut. The simple, evocative, need I say elegant, Craftsman Style “porch” designed by Duncan Thistlewaite, executed by Sarah Briggs and lit by Will Moody helped transport us from a small theater in Lafayette to another world.

This Proof is a short one, and ends on June7. The literate script, the excellent cast, and the first rate production make it a must see you will love. Go, enter Cite’s alternate reality, and you’ll need no more proof!
--Donald “Doc” Voorhies

Theatre--Article

There is an article by Herman Fusilier about the Cite Des Arts production of Proof in the May 30th edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Theatre--Review

The Cite Des Arts production of Proof is reviewed by Ray Blum in the May 30th edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Theatre--Workshop

DRAMATIKS PRODUCTIONS presents
YOUNG PEOPLE’S SUMMER THEATRE WORKSHOP

Dramatiks Productions and Jennifer Miller-Frank presents a summer theatre workshop June 7th - July 1lth 2008 at Cité des Arts. Focusing on improvisation, concentration, characterization, projection, technique, teamwork, theater terminology and more, students will also have the opportunity to take part in the finale show The Big Bad Musical.

WHEN: Classes meet Saturdays from 9:00am – 11:00am.
(Additional rehearsals will be required two weeks prior to performance date)
WHO: boys and girls, ages 10 – 17
WHERE: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette between Jefferson St. and Third St.
COST: $150.00 (this fee includes a $30.00 costume and script fee)

For additional information and registration, please contact
Jennifer Miller-Frank at 337-780-8555.

Theatre (Playwriting)--Workshop

NEW VOICES PLAYWRITING CAMP: A two-week theatre workshop for young people

July 14 – July 26, 2008
Cité des Arts
337-291-1122

Got a story to tell? Ideas to share? If you’re looking for a creative way to
spend part of your summer, then Cité des Arts has a solution for you. For the sixth year in a row, Cité is offering its New Voices Playwriting Camp, a summer theatre workshop for young people.

New Voices is a two week-long theatre workshop that offers students hands-on lessons in the art and craft of making plays. Through writing exercises,
improvisation, theatre games, and group work; students will dream up, develop,
and write a one-act play. These plays are then compiled into an evening of
theatre that is produced at Cité des Arts for the general public.

The camp is designed for students aged 10-16. No prior theatre or writing
experience is necessary.

WHEN: 1pm – 5pm, July 14 – July 26, 2008
WHERE: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette between Jefferson St. and Third St.
WHO: for students aged 10-17
COST: $50.00

Students interested in the New Voices Playwriting Camp should contact Cité des Arts at 291-1122 for information on registering.

Theatre--Auditions

Children's Theatre Guild will hold auditions for Telling Tales Again, Sam? directed by Marie Vaughan on Saturday, June 14th and Sunday, June 15th at 2pm at the Abbey Players Theatre at 200 South State Street in Abbeville.
Please contact Marie Vaughan at (337)893 2442 from 9-11 am weekdays for more information.

Theatre--Performance

Picasso at the Lapin Agile, a long running Off-Broadway absurdist comedy, places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904, just before the renowned scientist transformed physics with his theory of relativity and the celebrated painter set the art world afire with cubism. In his first comedy for the stage, the popular actor and screenwriter plays fast and loose with fact, fame and fortune as these two geniuses muse on the century's achievements and prospects as well as other fanciful topics with infectious dizziness. Bystanders, including Picasso' agent, the bartender and his mistress, Picasso's date, an elderly philosopher, Charles Dabernow Schmendimen and an idiot inventor introduce additional flourishes of humor. The final surprise patron to join the merriment at the Lapin Agile is a charismatic dark haired singer time warped in from a later era.

Directed by Jerrod Arabie Assistant Director - Pamela Broussard

Regular performance tickets are $12.00 and run every Friday and Saturday from May 10th - June 14th...at 8pm.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! HURRY ABBEY PLAYERS SHOWS FREQUENTLY SELL OUT!

Purchase tickets ONLINE or by calling 337 893 2442.

Theatre--Performance Schedule

Cite Des Arts announces their schedule of theatrical performances for the next few months:

May 22 – June 7: Cité des Arts presents Proof
June 12 – 14: Multiplicity, a new original work of theatre by Ezra Istre
June 20 – 21: Theatre Production by The Foundry Theatre Company
June 26 – 28: Firelight Children’s Theatre presents Three Piggy Opera and Peter Pan
July 10 -12: Cité des Arts presents the 2nd Annual Hub City Theatre FestivalJuly 18 – August 9: SAS and Shane Guilbeau Production
August 14 – August 30: Gnostic Coincidence, an original work by
Steven Cooper
September 4 – 20: Cité des Arts presents Greezy Spoon, an original work by Austin Sonnier, Jr.
September 25 – November 1: Alternating shows of the Cité des Arts’ production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Blaine Peltier and Discoproductions’ production of The Rocky Horror Show.

Theatre--Performance

Cité des Arts continues this Thursday with the production of the Pulitzer Prize winning play, Proof. If you did not get out to see it on opening weekend, make sure you get your reservations in for one of the upcoming shows! The staff at Cité and the cast received wonderful feedback and comments from the audiences that were here this past weekend.

Written by David Auburn and directed by Christy Leichty, Proof features a great cast including Betty Boudreau, Steven Cooper, Kayla Lemaire and Bill Matthews. And the other star of the show is the set! Designed by Duncan Thistlethwaite with lighting designed by Will Moody, the back area and porch of a house which is the scene for the entire play, is inviting to everyone who walks in the door. It is well worth checking out!

The show runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30pm through Saturday,
June 7th.

WHEN: May 29 – 31, June 5 –7 (Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays), 7:30pm
WHERE: Cite Des Arts, 109 Vine Street, downtown Lafayette between
Jefferson St. and Third St.
ADMISSION: $15 for Adults; $10 for Senior Citizens and Students
For information and reservations, please call 291-1122

PLAY SYNOPSIS
The story focuses on Catherine, a troubled young woman who has spent years
caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathematician. Now,
following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions; the arrival
of her estranged sister, Claire; and the attentions of Hal a former student of
her father’s, who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that her
father left behind. Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and
the discovery of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the most difficult
problem of all: How much of her father’s madness – or genius will she inherit?

Theatre--Review

Steel Magnolias, the Richard Harling dramedy about six women in Truvy’s Beauty Salon, is a staple of community theater across America. The show is filled with pithy one-liners, as well as personal conflict (this IS a beauty parlor after all) and more substantive themes of interpersonal relations (we are stuck with our family but can choose our friends) and the consequences of choices we make. It is especially endearing to Louisiana, as it is set in our very own Natchitoches. Made into a movie, and performed in virtually every theater venue in Acadiana, the Teche Theater of the Performing Arts gave its take on the show – and a successful take it was.

The ensemble cast was wonderful. Each actress took a personal slant on her character, her humor, and her own tragedy. By the end of the play, they seemed like friends of mine. While all six cast members were excellent, particularly outstanding were Erin Segura as Shelby and Denise Hodge as Ouiser. Segura’s character was a standout, maintaining the upstate accent throughout. She was assertive, flippant, and altogether modern in contrast to the other “ladies.” Hodge was a hysterical – from the moment she took the stage eyes focused on her bombastic, spitfire take on Ouiser. Hodge’s every line was given with confidence, character, and punch and got more than an appropriate laugh. I was surprised to find out during the curtain call that this was her very first time on stage … she seemed to be a veteran! Speaking of first timers, Director Ed “Tiger” Verdin was making his directorial debut. His staging was virtually flawless. The many levels of the stage, made it easy to see all characters from any point in the theater, so all were clearly heard and seen. Interestingly, a simple window frame and door frame separated the shop from the beautiful townscape outside … and did the job perfectly well. In the hands of a creative director and crew, such miracles are possible!

The Teche Theater, with its multiple levels of seating, was a perfect environment for this show and every member of the “house staff” made the audience feel welcome and part of the family. It is almost as though we were at Truvy’s Beauty Salon sitting in the “waiting seat” and next on the hot seat! Many consider Steel Magnolias a “chick show” and that it is. The audience was over 80% on the distaff side. But show is a chance for everyone (i.e., men) to look into this particular slice of the world, the people, and the problems in it.
--Donald "Doc" Voorhies

Theatre--Audition Cancellation

The following AUDITIONS have been CANCELLED at Cité des Arts for the one act comedy, The Lawyer Who Stopped Talking.

Saturday, May 24: 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Sunday, May 25: 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Monday, May 26: 6:00pm – 8:00pm

THESE WILL NOT BE RESCHEDULED. Cite apologizes for any inconvenience.

Theatre--Review

The Daily Advertiser is carrying Ray Blum's review of the IPAL production of The Queen of Bingo in the May 23rd edition.

Theatre--Audition

Auditions for The Lamp, a one act drama/comedy, will take place at Cite des Arts June 2nd and June 4th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm. This play will be performed as part of the Hub City Theater Festival, July 10th-12th at Cité des Arts. The Lamp is an original piece by Cindy Brown.

The play includes 3 female characters and 2 male characters....
Charlene- A widow 45-55 years old
Ruby- Charlene's best friend, 45-55 years old
Loretta- another of Charlene's friends, 45-55 years old, attractive and vain,
speaks her mind
Genie- A male character probably over 40
Shawn- A male character quite a bit younger than Charlene

WHEN: Monday, June 2nd and Wednesday, June 4th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm
WHERE: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette between Jefferson St. and Third St.

For additional information please contact Cindy Brown at 839-9291 or
322-5166, or e-mail her at jasmine276@aol.com.

Theatre--Auditions

Auditions will be held for the one act comedy, The Lawyer Who Stopped Talking, an original piece by Jim Phillips. The performance of this play will take place during the Hub City Theatre Festival, July 10-12th at Cité des Arts. Some characters will play multiple roles and some roles are non-speaking.

WHEN:Saturday, May 24: 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Sunday, May 25: 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Monday, May 26: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
WHERE: Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette, between Jefferson St. and Third St.

For additional information, please contact Jim Phillips at 337-290-1601.

Cast of Characters, The Lawyer Who Stopped Talking:

Tom Harris, Esquire: A man in his 30s-50s;
Scenes 1-4 The main character, a lawyer

Denise Harris: A woman in her late 20s-30s;
Scenes 1&4 Tom’s soon to be ex-wife

Maha Baba: A man in his late 40s-50s.
Scenes 1-4 Denise’s guru

Alice Barkley: A woman in her late 70s;
Scenes 2-4 Tom’s first devotee.

Director / Stage Manager: A man/woman in 20s-60s
Prologue

Bob: A man in his 20s-60s;
Scenes 1&4 Denise’s divorce lawyer.

Mr. Gunn: A man in his late 30s-40s;
Scenes 3&4 Detective

Sonia: A woman in her early 20s;
Scenes 1-4 Assistant detective

Lawyer No. 1: A man in his 30s-50s;
Scene 3 From Tom’s law firm

Lawyer No. 2: A man/woman in 30s-50s;
Scene 3 From Tom’s law firm

Television reporter: A man/woman in 20s-30s;
Scene 3

TV camera operator: A man/woman in 20s-30s;
Scene 3

Group of devotees: 6-10 men/women in their teens-50s
Scene 3

The Breather
Cloth Over Head
Tie-dyed Stretcher
Arrow Meditator

Theatre--Auditions

The Evangeline Players will produce the Neil Simon comedy The Odd Couple as part of their 2008-2009 season. Performances of this classic will be the first three weekends in August 2008. Vincent P. Barras will be directing and the parts of Felix and Oscar are pre-cast. They are searching for six supporting characters. There are four poker-playing buddies (males from 20s to 60s) who have small scenes in all three acts. There are two females needed to play the Pidgeon sisters from England, so British accents are important. The two females can be any age from 20s-40s.

Tryout dates are Monday, May 19th and Tuesday, May 20th from 6-8 pm. People do not need to be at both audition dates. If you cannot make those dates, please contact Vincent P. Barras at 519-0865 to make other arrangements.

Those cast will be notified and given scripts by May 23rd. Rehearsals will begin on Monday, June 9th, but the poker scenes as well as the Pidgeon sister scenes will rehearse one day a week for the first five weeks with more frequent rehearsals as we near opening night.

Theatre--Performances

Set aside July 10 – 12, 2008 for the Second Annual Hub City Theater Festival.

After a successful 2007 premiere year, the Hub City Theatre Festival returns this summer with something for every theatre lover out there. Cité des Arts will again produce the event and HCTF director, Cara Hayden, is very excited about the number of submissions that have been received this year. According to Hayden, one of the main missions of this Festival was to create a sense of community among the theatres throughout the Acadiana area and also to provide the opportunity for the number of talented individuals in the area to submit original works.

Besides one-act theatre pieces, the Festival will also feature theatre workshops and presentations as well as showcase improv works. Information will be updated as the schedule comes together. Come celebrate a weekend of theater!
________________________________________________________________

Theatre--Performance

Cité des Arts theatre season continues with The Pulitzer Prize winning play, Proof.

Written by David Auburn and directed by Christy Leichty, Proof opens May 22nd for a three week run, closing on Saturday June 7th.

On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Catherine, a troubled young woman,
has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathe-matician. Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions; the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire; and the attentions of Hal (a former student of her father’s), who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that her father left behind. Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the most difficult problem of all: How much of her father’s madness – or genius will she inherit?

WHEN: May 22 – 31, June 5 –7 (Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays)
WHERE: Cite Des Arts, 109 Vine Street, downtown Lafayette between
Jefferson St. and Third St.
ADMISSION: $15 for Adults; $10 for Senior Citizens and Students
For information and reservations, please call 291-1122

Notice

This is just an announcement to let you all know that the next couple of weeks are going to be really busy for me (birthdays, graduations, etc.). I will do my best to keep the blog current, but I may be late updating. I'll be back as soon as I can.

Theatre--Review

Ray Blum has a review of the Abbey Players' production of Picasso at the Lapin Agile in the May 16th edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Theatre--Performance

The Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts has released the cast list for their production of Steel Magnolias, which will open on May 22nd. The cast will be:
Truvy: Faye Coots
Annelle: Julia Franks
Clariee: Allison Jones
Shelby: Erin Segura
M'Lynn: Mary Ann Fournier
Quiser: Denise Hodge

Theatre--Article

The May 15 edition of the Daily Advertiser includes an article by Cody Daigle on the possibility of professional theatre in Lafayette. The article includes comments by Amy Waguespack (Acting Up in Acadiana)and Nyalls Hartmann (UL-Lafayette Department of Performing Arts), as well as Duncan Thistlethwaite and Cheryl Castille (Cite Des Arts) and others.

Theatre--Article

The May 12th edition of the Daily Advertiser has an article by Cody Daigle about the Lafayette Parish High School Arts Academy and the proposed changes to it.

There is also an article (also by Cody Daigle) about the new black box theatre which the Arts Academy students and teacher constructed from an old classroom.

The Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn opens on May 22 for its three week run at Cite Des Arts.

On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Catherine, a troubled young woman, has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathmatician. Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions; the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire; and the attentions of Hal a former student of her father's, who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that her father left behind. Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the most difficult problem of all:How much of her father's madness or genius will she inherit?

Directed by Christy Leichty.

WHEN: May 22-31, June 5-7 (Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays)

For information and reservations, please call Cite at 291-1122

Theatre--Performance

Dramatiks Productions presents A Dragon In The Mix, written by Sue Ann Gunn and directed by Jennifer Miller-Frank. In one large palace, combine a queen, her mother, ladies-in-waiting and assorted princesses. That's the recipe four mischievous fairies are cooking up in this witty fairy tale spoof. It is a one act comedy andfamily fun at its finest.

WHEN: May 16 &17, 2008 at 7:30 PM
WHERE: Cite Des Arts, 109 Vine Street, downtown Lafayette between
Jefferson St. and Third St.
ADMISSION: Adults, $10.00 ; Students and Senior Citizens $8.00

For additional information and reservations, please contact Cité at
337-291-1122

Theatre--Audition

Bruce Coen is still looking for one male in his 20's and 2 males 40-60 for Multiplicity at Cite Des Arts. For information, call Bruce at 739-4389 or Cite at 291-112.

Theatre--Audition

Tryouts for The Odd Couple have Changed.

Tryout dates are Monday, May 19th and Tuesday, May 20th from 6-8 pm. People do not need to be at both rehearsal dates. If you cannot make those dates, or if you need more information about where the tryouts will be held, please contact Vincent P. Barras at 519-0865 to make other arrangements.

Theatre--Review

Patrick Marber’s Closer, produced by the University of Louisiana—Lafayette’s Department of Performing Arts at Fletcher Hall Auditorium is not a theatrical version on the well-known television program. It is a witty and biting dissection of what passes for romance in the modern era. It is for mature audiences. It succeeds as piece of art because it allows one to look to the lives of others and perhaps realize something meaningful to one’s own life. As Marber himself notes, he is “not concerned with the “good” or “bad” here, nor in passing judgment on the characters. This is what they said. This is what they did. How they behaved is really none of my business. The audience will see them as they like, and may well disagree with each other, but hopefully they’ll recognize something true.” Marber’s play won much recognition: the Olivier Award in London, The New York Critics Award, and two Tony nominations. UL-L’s presentation was up to that proud lineage.

It is characters and how they are brought to live by first-time director Sarah Gauthier that brings the show to life (and to what passes for love). The four-character ensemble plays their roles superbly both as individuals and in various pairing. No individual ever dominates. Allison Barron (Anna) and Sarah Hitchcock (Alice) play the female half of the relationships wonderfully, while Hunter Burke (Dan) and Blaine Peltier (Larry) play the male half strongly. As Anna, Barron is artistic, sophisticated, and yet vulnerable. She evokes sympathy throughout. Hitchcock’s Alice is common, dependent, wounded and simply “disarming.” Burke’s Dan, an “obit writer” comes full circle in the story. At first reserved, then dynamic, later wounded, and then reserved again, he evokes the fantasies (real and unreal) of many a man. His is the opening and the closing. Peltier’s Larry (a doctor in the story) is loud, bombastic, selfish, and yet sympathetic. He plays the part with bravado!

The emotions this group evokes are diverse. What are they so sad about? Love--or what passes for it. What happens in the course of the story? At the end, the characters are not so innocent anymore. Everyone says loving things to everyone. But they find that falling in love, not being in love, is what is addictive. After all of the humor, the arguments, the electricity, the excitement, the sad comment is “What do you have to do to get intimacy?” The greatness of this particular show, and the staging at UL-L, is that the characters--all of them—hurt, and make the audience hurt for and with them. By the end, it is not cartoon characters on stage; it is the real people for whom the audience can care. Little more can be asked from a night’s entertainment.

Production values are high. Jenna Fontenot’s set is minimalist, but invokes a strong sense of place. The set focuses attention on the characters rather than on itself. Meagan Mod’s choreography of the opening of Act II develops Alice’s character as much as her words do. And, again, Sarah Gauthier’s direction was right-on. The accents were consistently British, but not intrusive. Silence, touches and the lack thereof carried the real meanings as much as the words. Even the typing on a computer was done in character. The lighting, the music, the costumes focused attention on the characters and their development.

A word of warning: The language, the situations, the discussions are for mature adult audiences with strong adult content. Much would be “bleeped” on the airwaves! However nothing untoward “goes on” onstage. A thank you: In all of the publicity I saw concerning the play that was perfectly clear, and appropriate warnings (wisely) restricted the show to 17 years old and over! This show only plays two more night, May 9 and 10. If you are interested in a moving, thoughtful experience, by all means see it.

--Donald "Doc" Voorhies

Theatre--Performance

The hilariously funny comic duo of Shane Guilbeau and Sandra LaBorde Broussard are returning to the Cité des Arts' stage with their productions of Grosbecs and Eulalie. This is a fundraiser for Comeaux and Lafayette High Schools Speech and Drama Clubs. The students receive all the funds brought in from these shows.

WHEN: Friday, May 9th at 7:30pm and Saturday, May 10th at 2:00pm and 7:30pm.
WHERE: Cite Des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette between Jefferson St. and Third St.
TICKET PRICES: $10.00

For reservations please call 337-291-1122.

Theatre--Performance

Imagine if you will ... Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein, both in their early twenties, before either became well-known, just happen to meet by chance in a bar in Paris circa 1904. Picasso at the Lapin Agile, the long running Off-Broadway absurdist comedy, places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904, just before the renowned scientist transformed physics with his theory of relativity and the celebrated painter set the art world afire with cubism. In his first comedy for the stage, Steve Martin (the popular actor and screenwriter) plays fast and loose with fact, fame and fortune as these two geniuses muse on the century's achievements and prospects as well as other fanciful topics with infectious dizziness. Bystanders, including Picasso's agent, the bartender and his mistress, Picasso's date, an elderly philosopher, Charles Dabernow Schmendimen and an idiot inventor introduce additional flourishes of humor. The final surprise patron to join the merriment at the Lapin Agile is a charismatic dark haired singer time warped in from a later era.

May 9th, 2008, 8pm is Patron's Premiere night! This event is open to the public. For $35.00, you get dinner served at 7 pm by a prominent Acadiana restaurant, two complimentary drinks from our antique bar, dessert and a ticket to the show. Regular performance tickets are $12.00 and run every Friday and Saturday from May 10th - June 14th at 8 pm.

Purchase tickets online or by calling 337 893 2442.

Theatre--Auditions

The Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts is holding auditions for its production of Annie Warbucks on May 26, 27, 28 and 29 at 7 pm. For more information, call 337-828-2787.

Theatre--Performance

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Department of Performing Arts presents Closer. Written by Patrick Marber and directed by Sarah Gauthier, the play follows a brilliant exploration into the brutal anatomy of modern romance, where a quartet of strangers meet, fall in love, and become caught up in a web of sexual desire and betrayal.

The play runs May 8, 9, and 10 in Fletcher Hall Auditorium at 7:30pm. It is free admission for all, but because of the strong Adult content, no one under the age of 17 will be admitted to the show.