Theatre--Performance

Acting Up (in Acadiana)'s production of Unbearably Lo_ely: A Tennessee Williams' Mash-Up opens tonight (Friday, February 26th) and will run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until March 13th.  All performances will take place at the Acadiana Outreach Center Brick Warehouse (125 S. Buchanan in Lafayette, Louisiana).  Shows begin at 8 pm--please allow time for parking and dress for the weather.  Tickets are $15.


For more information, visit the Acting Up (in Acadiana) website.

Theatre--Author's Note

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

IPAL's spring musical, Guys and Dolls, opens to the public on Friday, March 5th at 7:30 pm. 

Sarah Brown (Ruth Diaz) admonishing sinners (Thomas Owens and Travis Guillory)

Fugue for Tinhorns performed by (from left to right) Audie Comeaux, Michael Caffery and Milton Resweber

The Guys and Dolls gamblers, led by Nathan Detroit (Mike Labiche, center)

Sky (Brett LeBlanc) takes Sarah (Ruth Diaz) to Havana

The orchestra, led by Bob Morgan 

For more information or ticket reservations, call IPAL at (337) 364-6114.

New Blog

After talking to some friends, I have started a new blog.  It's called Acadiana Music Performances, and although the title sounds very grand, it was started primarily for providing information about the local music performances that don't get a lot of publicity.

The Times of Acadiana and The Independent both provide invaluable and heavy coverage of the local music scene, which is diverse and amazing, but because of the variety of music available here of necessity neglect some performances from time to time--for example, UL-Lafayette orchestra or ensemble performances.  I hope to be able to provide information about these types of events.

If you have suggestions for Acadiana Music Performances, please let me know by visiting here.

Theatre--Performance

Acting Up (in Acadiana) will present Unbearably Lo_ely: A Tennessee Williams’ Mash-Up, a highly theatrical experience with guest director, Justin Zsebe, who structured the mash-up with excerpts from Williams’ works.

Zsebe explains, “The driving force behind this piece is simple. Explore the work and mind of Tennessee Williams, one of the key players in American theater, while honoring his artistic meaning. It is necessary to liberate his words from the past and allow them to breathe in the theater of today, the theater of now. To approach such an immense body of work the mash-up technique was used, made popular by rogue music artists, sampling years of various material to create a new statement. Acting Up (in Acadiana) is removing past shackles and judgment to welcome all of Williams' words (plays, essays, letters and poems). Creating a piece that reflects not only his artistic spirit but breaches deeply into his thoughts and feelings concerning community, art, education, war, fear, love and loneliness all framed in a theatrical manner suited for 2010. The driving force is simple. The journey is one that challenges heart and head."  The actors in Unbearably Lo_ely include Lian Cheramie, Brian Crutchfield, DavidGuarisco, Kara Guarisco, Erica Hebert, and George Saucier. The design team is composed of Hector LaSala (sets),Chad Trahan (costumes), Brian C. Miller Richard, (lights), and AlexNunez (sound).

All performances will take place at the Acadiana Outreach Center Brick Warehouse (125 S.Buchanan St. Lafayette, LA). Shows begin at 8 PM--please allow time for parking and dress for the weather. For directions, please visit the Acting Up website. All shows will be followed by panel discussions and/or music performances, including performances by the Givers: Acoustic, The Viatones, Rex Moroux, and Machete (details on website). The performance dates are February 25th through 27th, March 4th through 6th, and 11th through 13th. Tickets are available at the door or at the Acadiana Center for the Arts (101 W. Vermilion, Lafayette,LA) on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm (cash and
checks made to Acting Up only, no credit cards). 

For more information, call (337) 309-4964 or sign up for web updates at the website.

Theatre--Audition (Musical Theatre)

IPAL is creating a musical – using the actual songs of the fifties. It will be a fun show designed to be full of singing, dancing and laughing with a dash of nostalgia. Members of the community are invited to audition for this very special show regardless of their age or stage experience. Auditions for the show, titled Remember When – IPAL’s Ole Time Rock ‘n Roll Musical will be held at the Essanee Theater in New Iberia on Sunday, March 28th from 2 to 5 pm and Monday, March 29th at from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. The show will be performed in late August.

            Set in a soda shop that has survived to modern times, the show has roles for men and women aged 15 and up.  There are nine principal roles and a host of bit parts for customers in the shop.  “Imitators” are needed including for 50’s crooners including Bobby Vinton, Doris Day, and of course Elvis Presley.  According to director Don “Doc” Voorhies, “We need singers, dancers, actors, imitators– and any combination thereof.”

            The show originated during an Oklahoma! rehearsal when cast members came up with the idea of “Doing a Show.”  A number of guys were singing a 50’s song during a mike check, the cast applauded … and a show was born! According to Director “Doc” Voorhies, “Jim Wyche created the story line and preliminary script, then Mike Parich and Cindy Hebert came on board as music and vocal directors. Songs will range from “Wake Up Little Susie” to “At the Hop” to “Blue Velvet” and there will be Twisting, Jitterbugging, poodle skirts and a host of surprises.”

              Those wishing to tryout may get audition material (music, brief plot summary) by e-mailing the production staff at ipal@cox.net or by calling Don Voorhies (364-1975).  Tryout materials may also be obtained at IPAL Monday March 8^th or Tuesday March 9 at the Essanee Theater between 6 and 7 p.m.   

Opera--Performance

The Performing Arts Society of Acadiana (PASA) concludes its daytime performances for students with the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 8 at the Heymann Performing Arts Center.

Porgy and Bess, the distinctively American opera, closes out the daytime student series with a sweeping tale of love, loss and triumph over despair. This opera features the music of great American composers George and Ira Gershwin with a cast of 30 performers and a live orchestra. Performed in English with projected supertitles, Porgy and Bess features a memorable score that includes the well-known songs “Summertime”,” I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So”. 

This daytime performance for students is presented by PASA with the sponsorship support of Capital One, the Wilkinson Family Foundation and additional grant support from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the Acadiana Arts Council.

“Porgy and Bess" is a great great production for students to attend," says Jacqueline Lyle, PASA's executive director.  "This is a great opportunity for teachers and principals to extend their students’ learning beyond the books in their classroom.”

Porgy and Bess is probably the most famous and most successful American opera and, at times, it has been the most controversial. Based on DuBose Heyward’s novel, Porgy (and the play that was adapted from the novel), it has long been considered the crowning achievement in the stellar careers of all of the authors. To this day, the story of the crippled beggar transformed by his unexpected and improbable love for Bess, is performed all over the world by theatre and opera companies. Porgy and Bess opened in New York at the Alvin Theatre on October 10, 1935. The landmark 1953 Broadway revival toured for years as a goodwill ambassador on behalf of the U.S. State Department and in 1959 the opera was finally filmed by Samuel Goldwyn. This operatic masterpiece has spawned a string of hit songs that have become international icons of the American tradition.

“A fully staged opera is so compelling and visually stunning," says Lyle.  It engages the audience from the moment the curtain opens to long after the performance ends. This opera is set in South Carolina and sung completely in English, which makes it easy for students to follow and understand.  The story of Porgy and Bess is a classic one sure to engage and entertain teachers and their students.”

In advance of the performance, PASA provides each attending student an informative study guidecalled BackStage Pass. This guide prepares students and teachers with information and activities that will enhance the value of attending the performance and underscores the educational fundamentals that are core to curricula.

Admission for each event is $5 per student or chaperone. Teachers and principals wishing to have their students attend, or seeking more information, should contact the PASA office at (337) 237-2787 or visit the PASA website.
 

Theatre--Performance

Guys and Dolls, IPAL's spring musical, is preparing to open to the general public on March 5th at 7:30 pm.

Keri Judice (top row left) and Erin Segura (top row right), along with some of the children from Runyonland.

Mike Boroto, Matthew Duggan and Charlie Robertson

Renee Judice and Francine Garzotto along with some of the children of Guys and Dolls
(from Runyonland)

For more information, or to reserve tickets, please call IPAL at (337) 364-6114.

Theatre--Performance

Omni Artiste opens Indigo Blues: A Love Song this weekend at Cite Des Arts.  Omni Artisté is proud to bring you the work of local native Judi Ann Mason, opening February 19th at 7:30.   Judi Ann Mason, who died in 2009, was a strong player in the writing industry, with such impressive credits as Good Times, Sister Act II, Livin' Fat, I'll Fly Away, and The Jeffersons. Passion and anger run deep in Indigo Blues: A Love Song, a play and a love story set in the deep South about two sisters who love the same man, that runs the weekend of February 19th through the 21st and the next.

Dr. Alex Marshall, Artistic Director

Linda Bernard, Director

Brian E. Taylor, Assistant Director

Bria Hobgood as Clara Boudreaux

Kenny Gabriel as Moses Britton

Jennifer Miller as Muriel Boudreaux

Clara in love

Muriel faces death.

WHAT:   Omni Artisté presents Indigo Blues: A Love Song

WHEN:   Friday and Saturdays February 19th and 20th, 26th and 27th at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees February 21st, and 28th at 3:00 pm.

WHERE:   Cité des Arts, 109 Vine Street, Downtown Lafayette, LA.

COST:    $15 general admission without reservation, $10 with a reservation and for students/senior citizens.

For more info or to make reservations, please call Cité at (337) 291-1122.

 

Theatre--Performance

The Firelight Performing Arts adult group Is opening their spring show, Bell, Book and Candle, next Thursday (February 25). The show will run Thursday February 25th through the 27th and March 4th through the 6th at 7:30 pm.  Tickets are available on the website or by calling (337) 962-0306. Below is a little information about the show.

Greenwhich Village witch Gillian Holroyd (Sandy Landry) has been unlucky in love and restless in life. She admires from afar her neighbor, publisher Shep Henderson (Mitch Landry), who one day walks into her apartment to use the telephone. When she learns he is about to marry an old college enemy of hers, Merle Kittridge, she takes revenge by casting a love spell on him (with assistance from her familiar, Pyewacket), but begins falling for him herself.

Meanwhile, the author of a best-selling book, Magic in Mexico, whom Shep has expressed an interest in meeting, arrives on the scene (thanks to a little magic). Sidney Redlitch (Vincent P. Barras), who is researching a book on witches in New York, acquires an "inside" collaborator when Gillian's warlock brother Nicky (John Bess) volunteers his services--in exchange for a portion of the proceeds. Add a bit of help and mischief from Gillian's Aunt Queenie (Laura Blum) and you have the makings of a spell you won't soon forget.

Theatre--Auditions

(It is a delight to post this from the Abbey Players, who have been on hiatus for some time to finish renovations to their facility.  Welcome back, Abbey, and everyone looks forward to your upcoming performances!)

Abbey Players are holding open auditions for their upcoming spring production of Social Security by Andrew Bergman. It will be directed by Deborah Atchette.

Auditions will take place at 200 South State Street, Abbeville, LA. They are looking for various roles filled for 3 women, 3 men, late 20's through 60's and above. Anyone looking to assist production, in any capacity, are welcomed and encouraged to attend as well! No experience is necessary. For those who have been interested in theatre for years, now is the time to go for it!


Auditions will be held Sunday, February 21st at 1pm - 4pm , and Monday, February, 22nd at 7pm - 9pm.
Production slated to run through April.

Visit the web site, or call (337) 893-2442 for more information.

Theatre--Auditions/Performance

 (This is a new project of Caroline McGee, who has taught several Master Classes in The Method here in Lafayette.  Caroling encourages any Lafayette actor who is in New York to audition for this production--they have already received 700 resumes--and everyone who is in New York for the performances to come and see the show.)

Poiesis Theatre Project is looking for a culturally and ethnically diverse cast for an ensemble production of [The] Ophelia Landscape.  This exciting new creation is an international, cross-disciplinary performance of live theatre and integrates different cultures, disciplines, acting, dance, music, video, and new media.  It takes place simultaneously in the real performing space and in cyberspace, and features a number of distinguished international performers, including  Mira Furlan, star of LOST and Babylon 5.

[The] Ophelia Landscape is based on texts from Shakespeare, Luis Buñuel, Heiner Müller, and others, and will be performed at the Mark Morris Duffy Theatre in Brooklyn, right across from the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).

Both male and female actors [ages 18-35] for different roles including Ophelia and  Hamlet  are encouraged to express their interest and send their photo/resume to the email address below.

First rehearsal: March 22, 2010.   Performance dates:  April 22 - May 8, 2010.
Director/Producer:  Naum Panovski  
Artistic Associates:  Caroline McGee & Tony Naumovski
NYC auditions will be announced late February and will be by appointment only.

For consideration, e-mail headshot & resume to: ophelia_auditions@poiesistheatreproject.org

Theatre--Auditions

The Eunice Players’ Theatre will hold auditions for the first play of the 41st season, What the Bellhop Saw on Tuesday, February 23 and Wednesday, February 24 at 6:30 p.m. Director Jody L. Powell needs 8 adult men, 3 adult women, and one girl age 10-12 to fill the cast. More people are needed to assist with set decoration, backstage duties, costuming, etc. Auditions for the two-act comedy by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore are open to everyone who wants to get involved with their local community theatre. Auditions will be at the theatre at 121 S. Second St. (between Nick’s on Second St. and Bertrand’s Office Supplies). Production for this play will be in mid April. 

For more information, call 337-580-1787.

Theatre--Performance

Experience the words of Tennessee Williams like never before with Acting Up (in Acadiana).  Their new production, Unbearably Lo*ely, a mash-up of Williams' plays, essays, poems and letters mashed and directed by Justin Zsebe is a theatrical event not to be missed.

The driving force behind this piece is simple. Explore the work and mind of Tennessee Williams, one of the key players in American theater, while honoring his artistic meaning. It is necessary to liberate his words from the past and allow them to breathe in the theater of today, the theater of now. To approach such an immense body of work the mash-up technique will be used, made popular by rogue music artists, sampling years of various material to create a new statement. Acting Up (in Acadiana) is removing past shackles and judgment to welcome all of Williams' words (plays, essays, letters and poems). Creating a piece that reflects not only his artistic spirit but breaches deeply into his thoughts and feelings concerning community, art, education, war, fear, love and loneliness all framed in a theatrical manner suited for 2010. The driving force is simple. The journey is one that challenges heart and head. Please join them for Unbearably Lo*ely.

The show opens on Thursday, February 25th at 8:00 pm and will run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm until March 13th.  It will be performed at the Acadiana Outreach Warehouse (125 Buchanan Street in Lafayette).

Theatre--Article

Ray Blum, theatre critic for the Daily Advertiser, gives his take on how to support your local performing arts companies in the Friday, February 12th edition of the paper.

Theatre/Dance--Scholarship

Guidelines for the L. Hill Bonin, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Award, administered by Performing Arts Society of Acadiana (PASA), are available for high school and college students pursuing short-time educational and training opportunities in performing arts or arts administration as well as for non-profit organizations or groups that propose performing arts productions or activities which involve and benefit high school or college students. 

Completed forms and all attachments must be submitted to the PASA office by 5 p.m. on March 1, 2010 to qualify for the 2009/2010 scholarships. To request scholarship guidelines and an application please go online to www.pasa-online.org or call PASA at (337)237-2787.

The L. Hill Bonin, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund was created to award talented and deserving students of the performing arts with funds for enhancing their talents through participation in advanced study or classes beyond those available in their present study programs.  Now awards may benefit groups that provide opportunities to students for enhancing their performing arts talents.

To be considered for an award, students must be enrolled in any high school or college in the parishes served by PASA, be planning to pursue a career or professional training in performing arts or arts administration, be a citizen of the United States and a Louisiana resident, and have an overall grade point average of B or higher on their high school or college transcript. For a non-profit organization or group to be eligible it must propose a production, performance, or activity that involves high school or college students and ensure that the funds will be used for the enhancement of the talents of the students in the performance.

Recipients are chosen by the PASA Bonin Scholarship committee, composed of PASA board members and a representative of the Bonin family. Recipients, after meeting eligibility criteria, are chosen on the basis of the artistic merit of the proposed training or project, planning and design of the proposal, and appropriate request and plans for the use of the funds.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the L. Hill Bonin Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund, you may mail a check to P.O. Box 52979, Lafayette, LA  70505.

Theatre--Performance (IPAL)

IPAL is entering the final weeks of rehearsal for its spring production, Guys and Dolls.  The show opens to the public Friday, March 5th at 7:30 pm.

Ruth Diaz (Sarah Brown), Brett LeBlanc (Sky Masterson) and Milton Resweber (Benny Southstreet)

Mike Labiche (Nathan Detroit) and Kim Monroe (Miss Adelaide)

Theatre--Performance (Firelight Performing Arts)

Firelight Performing Arts has provided video of Bell, Book and Candle, their next production.



Greenwhich Village witch Gillian Holroyd (Sandy Landry) has been unlucky in love and restless in life. She admires from afar her neighbor, publisher Shep Henderson (Mitch Landry), who one day walks into her apartment to use the telephone. When she learns he is about to marry an old college enemy of hers, Merle Kittridge, she takes revenge by casting a love spell on him (with assistance from her familiar, Pyewacket), but begins falling for him herself.

Meanwhile, the author of a best-selling book, Magic in Mexico, whom Shep has expressed an interest in meeting, arrives on the scene (thanks to a little magic). Sidney Redlitch (Vincent P. Barras), who is researching a book on witches in New York, acquires an "inside" collaborator when Gillian's warlock brother Nicky (John Bess) volunteers his services--in exchange for a portion of the proceeds. Add a bit of help and mischief from Gillian's Aunt Queenie (Laura Blum) and you have the makings of a spell you won't soon forget.

The Firelight cast of Bell, Book, and Candle will cast a spell on the audience! Tickets are available at the website or by calling (337)962-0306

Theatre--Performance

Guys and Dolls!, the Broadway and movie hit, will be presented by the Iberia Performing Arts League opening Friday, March 5th and running Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through March 21st. Evening performances are at 7:30 and Sunday matinees are at 3:00. All performances will be at the Essanee Theater, IPAL’s Art Deco home. Ticket or other information can be obtained by calling the theater at (337)364-6114, e-mailing ipal@cox.net, or by checking the IPAL website. Tickets can also be obtained in New Iberia at Paul’s Flower Shop, Delaune’s Pharmacy, or Accentrics on Main Street. All seats are reserved and are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

The production is directed by Katherine Caffery, and stars Brett Leblanc (Sky Masterson), Ruth Diaz (Sarah Brown), Michael LaBiche (Nathan Detroit), Kim Monroe (Miss Adelaide), Michael Caffery (Nicely-Nicely), Audie Comeaux (Rusty), Milton Resweber (Benny), Cindy Hebert (General Cartwright), and Mike Vidallier (Arvide Albernathy).

Guys and Dolls! opened on Broadway in 1950 and ran for 1200 performances. It was awarded eight Tony Awards and the 1955 movie was the highest grossing movie of the year. The show is funny and melodious and the score by Frank Loesser contains several standards including “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” “Luck be a Lady Tonight” and “Bushel and a Peck.”

In the tradition of recent IPAL musicals, Guys and Dolls! will have a large cast--over sixty singers and dancers, and will be accompanied by a sixteen piece orchestra conducted by Bob Morgan. Choreography is by Marie Broussard and Marika Murry, and music direction is by Hellon Hodge.

According to director, Katherine Caffery, “The forties and the fifties were a golden age in New York. This play captures the spirit and the fun of Broadway then. It is full of humor, spectacular dances, and a captivating romantic story. We’re working the usual IPAL magic and we are expecting to have a great show.”

This performance is supported, in part, by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the Acadiana Center for the Arts.

Theatre--Performance (Fundraiser)

Please help support UL-Lafayette's Performing Arts Department and send the cast and crew of Noises Off! to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival regional event in Amarillo, TX!

At the KC/ACTF State Festival in New Orleans UL-Lafayette came home with ELEVEN awards thanks to the hard-working cast and crew. they want the chance to show the entire region what ULL can do! If successful in Amarillo, ULL has the chance to be selected to perform this show at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, in April!

This is the last chance to see the UL-Lafayette Department of Performing Arts production of Noises Off!, a great comedy by Michael Frayn. Noises Off is a British sex farce about the opening of the play, Nothing On, which goes, terribly, horribly, hilariously wrong!

Admission:
$25 General Admission
$15 Students

When:
Friday, February 5, 2010, 7:30pm

Where:
Burke-Hawthorne Hall
House opens at 7 pm. Get there early to get a seat!

Theatre--Performance

Providence, an original work by local playwright Cody Daigle (which was presented in a staged reading at Cite Des Arts, followed by a full production by the Eunice Players), is getting a staged reading at New Jersey Repertory in Long Branch, New Jersey on March 1st. The reading will be followed by a Question & Answer session. NJ Rep's staged readings are the selection pool for the company's upcoming season, and NJ Rep is one of New Jersey's prominent professional companies.

The New Jersey Repertory Company, is a non-profit corporation in New Jersey, dedicated to bringing professional quality , yet affordable family theater to the community.Many of the Company's performers and alumni have appeared or are currently appearing on Broadway, television and in numerous commercials and print ads. Others have been seen in major films, the Radio City Christmas Show, Atlantic City or have traveled throughout the United States and Europe with professional touring companies.

Theatre--Workshop (Stage Combat)

Frederick L'ecole des Arts in Arnaudville is hosting a class, taught by Steven Cooper (with the assistance of Nick Dooley), on unarmed stage combat. Stage Combat is an art form much like dance that creates the illusion of violence on stage while maintaining the safety of the combatants involved. In the unarmed workshop the students will be introduced to numerous techniques utilized in unarmed combat and will culminate the class by performing a short choreographed fight.

Steven is a recognized actor/ combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. He has choreographed fights for a number of regional theatre companies across the country and has taught stage combat for Maine Shakespeare Festival’s Summer Conservatory, Alaska Theatre of Youth, and Summer Youth Shakespeare Ensemble. Some of the shows he has choreographed combat for include The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged, Othello, Macbeth, Gnostic Coincidence, and Life is a Dream. He has a degree in theatre from Northwestern State University. He currently teaches theatre with the Lafayette Parish Talent Program.

Dress: Students should wear comfortable clothes they can move in and sneakers. Sandals or open toed shoes are not allowed.

Saturday February 27th
1:00 to 4:00pm
Town Market Centre
1013 Neblet
Arnaudville, LA
Teen To Adult
$30 fee

Theatre--Audition

The Acadia Players will be holding auditions for their summer play, Grease on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, February 9th throught the 11th, 2010 from 6-8 pm each night at the Historic Crowley Rice Theater.

Performances of Grease are scheduled for Thursday, June 10th, Saturday, June 12th, Sunday, June 13th, Wednesday, June 16th and Thursday, June 17th at the Grand Opera House of the South.

Those wishing to audition should be prepared to sing a solo number from the musical, and be prepared to sing in a duet to "Summer Nights". Cast will be selected from those ages 13 and up. A list of characters and list of songs will be available later this week at the Crowley Flower Shop.

For more information, please contact Jimmy Broussard, director, at (337) 789-1322.

Theatre--TV

As part of the Eunice Players' Theatre's 40th anniversary season celebration, KATC Channel 3 will be on hand Thursday, January 28 to feature the theatre during a live remote broadcast. Good Morning Acadiana anchor Tom Voinche will return to his old stomping grounds to host the show from the EPT stage. Voinche is a former EPT actor and board member.

EPT president David Manuel is pleased to announce that the theatre will be featured several times during the entire morning show's broadcast from 5:00 to 7:00 a.m. Although the hours are early, he is inviting EPT supporters to come to the theatre and be a part of the live audience. "We welcome anyone who has worked on a show, has a season ticket, or wants to experience EPT for the first time. "

During the broadcast, Voinche will interview current board members, review pictures of EPT from days gone by, and reveal the magic behind the scenes that comes from the lighting and sound booth, the makeup counter, and the dressing room.

Manuel notes that the KATC show will be the springboard into the Irving Awards to be held Saturday, January 30. Invitations have gone out to current season ticket holders, as well as former members and performers who helped build EPT and keep it successful over the past four decades. Still, anyone with a connection to EPT who hasn't received an invitation and wants to attend the invitation-only event should call Manuel at 337-546-0163 or Debi Crawford at 337-457-2156.

"This is a time to celebrate the legacy left by the founders and the contribution that EPT has made to Eunice and the surrounding area," Manuel stated. "Join us in supporting live local theatre by coming out Thursday morning, and all season long." Season tickets will go on sale the night of the Irving Awards and can be purchased from any board member in the following weeks.

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

The dancers cast in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the spring musical presented by the UL Opera Theatre, have been announced. They are Kristina Doiron, Courtney Scott, Rebecca LaFleur, Katie Parris, and Ashley Arnold. Melinda Caubarreaux is the choreographer.

The show will open in March.

Theatre--Performance

The video footage is from AUI's production of Life is a Dream, entering its final weekend on Friday, January 22. Fight choreographer is Steven Cooper, and the video is courtesy of Cooper as well.

For more information, or for reservations, please contact Cite Des Arts at (337) 291-1122.

Theatre--Performance

Gillian Holroyd is just the average, modern-day witch, living in a New York apartment with her familiar Pyewacket, a cat to help her do her bidding. But when a handsome publisher, Shep Henderson becomes her tenant, she decides that she wants him. So, Gillian casts a spell over Shep, something that delights Gillian's Aunt Queenie, another witch, and her brother Nicky, a warlock. Throw into the mix Sidney Redlitch, a drunken author researching a book on witchcraft, and there's a comedy of untold proportions.

Ray Blum directs this Firelight Performing Arts production in Youngsville (501 Church Street.) It stars Sandy Landry as Gillian Holroyd, Mitch Landry as Shepherd Henderson, Laura Blum as Aunt Queenie Holroyd, John Bess as Nicky Holroyd, and Vincent P. Barras as Sheldon Redlitch. Performances will be at 7:30 pm Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturday evenings from February 25th through March 6th. For tickets, call 857-6991 or 962-0306 or visit the website.

Theatre--Performance

Shawn Roy, director of the UL-Lafayette Opera Theatre, has announced the cast for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the spring production.

Edwin Drood--Alex Hollerman
Chairman--Nicholas Manzo
John Jasper--Holden Greene
Rosa Bud--Lana Carver and Jenee Luquette
Helena Landless--Meghin Taylor and Ashlee Richard
Neville Landless--Evan Melancon
Reverend Crisparkle--Brian Egland
Princess Puffer--Carolyn Broussard
Bazzard--Beverly Harlton
Durdles--Ken Harrelson
Deputy/Waiter--Nathanael Trahan

Citizens of Cloisterham - Kelly Griffin, Jenny Dupre, Brittany Monaghan and Jennifer Andrews

Theatre--Review (AUI)

Ray Blum's review of AUI's production of Life is a Dream is in the Friday, January 15th edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Theatre--Weekend

This weekend features the continuation of Life is a Dream (AUI at Cite Des Arts).  There are also more auditions.  The UL-Lafayette Opera Theatre has a second day of auditions for The Mystery of Edwin Drood on Friday (with a special dance audition following the singer/actor audition), and Jim Phillips and Christy Leichty are holding auditions for The Lawyer Who Stopped Talking at Cite Sunday afternoon.

Support local theatre--come see a show or audition for one!

Theatre--Performance

Acting Up (in Acadiana), the professional, multi-disciplined performing arts company in residence at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, presents The Doggie Monologues III, the 2010 Student Showcase, and an original play written by Lian Cheramie, George Saucier, Harmony Decker and Acting Up (in Acadiana) students. Performances will take place Friday, January 22nd at 7:30 pm and Saturday, January 23rd at 2 pm and 7:30 pm. The Doggie Monologues III personifies the stories of animals who live or who have lived at Lafayette Animal Aid, a no kill shelter. Both humorous and touching, the production aims to educate the public about the mission of LAA and to teach the young actors how they can make a difference through their art. Directed by Amy Waguespack, with assistants George Saucier, Kara Guarisco, and Megan LeBleu, The Doggie Monologues III features performances by over 40 actors ages 7-16.

Wish List and monetary donations will be accepted for LAA. Included in the wish list are:
FOR THE DOGS: Purina Dog and Puppy Chow, Milkbones, Durable dog toys, Pet taxis, all sizes, Igloo dog houses, Leashes, Collars (preferred are Martingale collars), Grooming brushes, Flea and Heartworm preventative, for all weights, Puppy milk, Kuranda dog beds (visit the LAA website for details)
 FOR THE CATS: Purina Cat and Kitten Chow, Cat Toys, Tidy Cat cat litter, Flea preventative , Small and medium pet taxis, Nutri-Cal, Heating Pads, Kitten milk, Giant litter pans
For the LAA Volunteers: Postage stamps, Towels, blankets and sheets (used is fine, but no polyfill, please), Paper towels, Toilet paper, Garbage liners (heavy duty), Dishwashing liquid, Scrubbing brushes, Bleach, Rubber and disposable gloves, Flea spray (indoor/outdoor), Brooms and dustpans, Sponge and spring mops, Dish scrubbers, General office supplies (paper, staples,etc).

All performances will take place at Acadiana Center for the Arts, 101 W. Vermilion, Lafayette. All tickets are $10 at the door. Tickets purchased the week before the show at the AcA will be $10 for adults and $5 for children high school aged and younger. For more information about The Doggie Monologues III, contact Acting Up (in Acadiana) at http://www.actingupinacadiana.com/, by e-mail at actingupinacadiana@gmail.com, or (337)309-4964.

For more information about Lafayette Animal Aid, visit the website at  http://www.lafayetteanimalaid.org./

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

The UL-Lafayette Opera Theatre will hold its open auditions for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, scheduled for Thursday, January 14th and Friday, January 15th, in Room 111 (the Art Gallery) of the Student Union on the UL-Lafayette campus.

The seperate dance audition will be held at the same location immediately following the actors/singers auditions.

Theatre--Performance

The ball has dropped, the new year is here, and the 2010 season at Opelousas Little Theatre is underway. The first show of the season is always a Showcase. Showcase is a variety show that OLT put on to draw local talents from the community as to let them present their specialities on the OLT stage. Another purpose is to call attention to OLT and to promote the local arts and the talent of the townsfolk. Also, it is a chance to for the directors of the season to pursue castmembers for the upcoming schedule of shows. On the bill there are actors, dancers, bellydancers, singers, and all are amazing talents with tons of heart and dedication. Young and old, OLT forms one big disfunctional family of hilarity and drama that only the OLT can produce. So, lovers of good music, hard laughing, and a little serious drama must not miss this chance to see the best that this local community has to offer. Rehearsals are going great and the cast is working hard. The set is fully complete and the theatre is lonesome for large audiences. It's been a blast so far and the show hasn't even started yet. Tickets are available at Sebastion Dupre Fine Jewelery at (337)948-4367. The show will run January 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 28th, 29th, and 30th at 7 pm. Sunday matinees will run January 24th and 31st at 2 pm. For more information feel free to contact at 337-543-8762.

Theatre--Auditions

Auditions will be held on Sunday, January 17th from 3:00 to 5:00 pm, and Monday, January 18th from 6 to 7:30 pm at Cite Des Arts in downtown Lafayette for the production of The Lawyer Who Stopped Talking, an original comedy written by Jim Phillips and directed by Christy Leichty.


Cast needed for the principal roles:
     4 men, ages 20 to 60
     3 women, ages 20 to 60

Cast needed for secondary roles:
     2 Lawyers, a television reporter, a television camera person, a character called "stage manager" and    several persons for a crowd of "devotees". These roles can be any combination of men or women.

A piece will be provided to read.

Performances will be held at Cite des Arts the first two weekends of March. Rehearsals will begin Sunday, January 24th.

WHEN:
     Sunday, January 17th from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
     Monday, January 18th from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

WHERE:
     Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., Downtown Lafayette, between Jefferson St. & Third St.

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

Editor's Note

I am still looking for people interested in reviewing local theatre/dance productions.  If you are interested, please contact me through the link provided.

Theatre--Weekend Roundup

Today (Saturday, January 9th) is a busy one for local theatre.  Omni Artiste is holding auditions for its upcoming production of Indigo Blues at Cite Des Arts and Firelight Enterprises is holding auditions for its upcoming musical production of Oliver! at its theatre.  Two companies are continuing their runs of newly opened shows, and the word of mouth about the shows is that both are excellent.  Unwrap Your Candy (Ovation TheatreWorks at The Center for Acadiana Film and Media) and Life is a Dream (Acting Unlimited, Inc. at Cite Des Arts) both begin at 7:30 pm.  There is also a special one time performance of Lovesick Blues: An Evening with Hank Williams, Jr. at the historic Liberty Theatre in Eunice.

Even though the weather is cold, support local theatre!  Audition for or go to a show!

Theatre--Performance

From the author of Quills comes a deliciously macabre collection of four short plays. Alternately chilling and hilarious, Unwrap Your Candy is a delectable evening of bedtime tales for adults guaranteed to keep you awake for nights on end. Inspired in equal parts by Alfred Hitchcock, Roald Dahl and The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Unwrap Your Candy boasts a versatile cast of five and minimal production requirements. Together, the plays examine the danger of being a child, the terror of being an adult and even the perils of being an unsuspecting audience member. Spine-tinglers for the twenty-first century, the collected one acts in Unwrap Your Candy are guaranteed to jolt the senses and stimulate the mind. In the title play, Unwrap Your Candy, five actors portray actual members of the theatre audience and prove far more intriguing than the play they've come to watch. (3 men, 2 women.) In Lot 13: The Bone Violin, a stunning young violin prodigy skyrockets to international prominence, only to meet a shocking and supernatural fate. (3 men, 2 women.) In Wildwood Park, a neurotic real-estate agent shows a house filled with unspeakable secrets to a potential buyer who harbors an almost insatiable thirst for tabloid atrocities. (1 man, 1 woman.) And in Baby Talk, a woman is unwound when her precocious baby begins to speak early while still inside her womb. (3 men, 1 woman.)

Unwrap Your Candy is being presented by Ovation TheatreWorks, which produced it last season of shows in 2003.  Ovation has recently "reorganized" and this is its first new production.


Unwrap Your Candy will run Thursday (January 7th), Friday (January 8th) and Saturday (January 9th) at the Acadiana Center for Film and Media (AOC).  Shows begin at 7:30 pm.

Theatre--Performance

In 1635, Pedro Calderon De La Barca rewrote an earlier script for La Vida Es Sueno (Life Is A Dream) to strengthen the themes and plot lines. The result is one of the gems of Spanish literature. Calderon's play tackles themes of free will, corruption, spirituality, existentialism and... the difficulty of knowing what is real and what is illusion.


Acting Unlimited, Inc. is presenting Life Is A Dream in a modern English translation by playwright John Clifford. The production has been conceived and designed by Artistic Director Danny Povinelli and is co-directed by Walter Brown. It stars Kayla Smith as Rosaura, Martha Diaz as Clarin, Danny Povinelli as Segismundo, Milton Resweber as Clotaldo, Jenny Felder as Estrella, Steven Cooper as Astolfo and Walter Brown as Basilio with Scott Bailey as the King's attendant and Nick Dooley and Aaron Dufrene in multiple roles. The music is arranged by Apiyo Obala.

In an imaginary Poland, the king, Basilio, is dying. He wants to right a terrible wrong. When his son, Segismundo was born his horoscope predicted that he would bring violence and revolution to the Kingdom. To prevent this, Basilio had Segismundo secretly locked into a tower where he has only one visitor--Clotaldo who is both jailor and tutor to the Prince. Now, Basilio wants to bring Segismundo to court to test him as a Prince and discover if the horoscope's warnings can be circumvented.

The play resonates with the problems people in general but young people in particular have in defining themselves and their place in the world. It's a struggle to create an identity and a code of ethics or morals. How can anyone be sure of the choices they have made? Are we tools of our genes and culture or can we step away from those constraints to make ourselves as we wish to be?

The whole theme of Life Is A Dream revolves around the idea of accepting what you are given and then transcending it--taking the cards life gives you and bidding a winning hand. Segismundo symbolizes this awakening to one's own possibilities through his imprisonment, his false start as a prince and then his successful revolution against the past. The revolution itself is a symbol of the struggle of the psyche to be its own master.

WHEN:
     Fridays and Saturdays (January 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd) at 7:30pm
     Sundays (January 10th, 17th, 24th) at 2:00pm

WHERE: 
     Cite des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette between Jefferson St. & Third St.

COST:
     $15 for Adults, $12 for Senior Citizens (65 and older) and students. Student and Senior prices for the Sunday matinees will be $10.

For reservations please contact Cite at 337-291-1122.

Theatre--Auditions

Dr. Alex Marshall is holding auditions for Indigo Blues, by Judi Ann Mason. This production is rescheduled from an earlier date and is a part of Omni’s season tribute to Louisiana playwright, Judi Ann Mason. This piece, which will be directed by Dr. Alex Marshall, has been an audience favorite for many years. The three-character play deals with two Louisiana sisters and a longtime rivalry between them over the same blues playing saxophone player who mysteriously appears on their doorstep after 30 years.


Cast Needed:
     2 African-American women, ages 35 – 45
     1 African-American male, age 35-45

When:
     Saturday, January 9th, 2:00pm – 4:00pm
     Sunday, January 10th, 4:00pm – 6:00pm
     Monday, January 11th, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Where:
     Cite des Arts, 109 Vine St., downtown Lafayette between Jefferson St. & Third St.

Theatre--Performance

Hugh Harris as

Hank Williams, Sr.

On Saturday, January 9th, 2010 at 6:00 pm at the Historic Liberty Theater (200 West Park Avenue in Eunice, LA), there will be a one time performance of Lovesick Blues: An Evening with Hank Williams, Sr.  Tickets are $12.00 a person with all seating reserved.  For tickets in advance, contact the Eunice mayor's office at 337-457-7389.  Tickets will also be available at the Liberty Theater ticket window on Saturday, January 9th at 4:30 pm.

Theatre--Performance

Ovation TheatreWorks begins its new season with a presentation of Doug Wright's Unwrap Your Candy, an evening of dark one-act comedies. In Wright's world, the everyday becomes dangerous, the ordinary becomes threatening, and the comforting becomes terrifying.  Wright is a Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright whose works include Quills and I Am My Own Wife.

The show opens Thursday, January 7th at 7:30 pm at the Acadiana Center for Film and Media (the corner of Lee and Main in downtown Lafayette) and will run through Saturday, January 9th.

Unwrap Your Candy... cast:
     Lot 13: The Bone Violin
          AUCTIONEER--Gina Baronne
          THE MOTHER--Cara Hayden
          THE FATHER--Cody Daigle
          THE PROFESSOR--Duncan Thislethwaite
          THE DOCTOR--Mattie Hartman

     Wildwood Park
          MS. HAVILAND--Cara Hayden
          DR. SIMIAN--Cody Daigle

     Baby Talk
          ALICE--Mattie Hartman
          THE BABY--Duncan Thistlethwaite
          THE PSYCHOLOGIST--Cara Hayden
          THE HUSBAND--Cody Daigle

Theatre--Performance

Life is a Dream (La Vida Es Sueno), the latest production of Acting Unlimited, will open on Friday, January 8th at 7:30 pm.  The cast and crew are entering the final phase of preparation for opening, finishing the set and getting ready for technical rehearsals.  The pictures below show the last stages of rehearsals.

The set

Walter Brown working on one of the final pieces of set construction

The set

Rosaura (Kayla Smith), Clarin (Martha Diaz) and Astolfo (Steven Cooper).

Astolfo (Steven Cooper) and Estrella (Jennifer Felder)

Rosaura (Kayla Smith)

Segismundo (Daniel Povinelli)

Clarin (Martha Diaz) and Clotaldo (Milton Resweber)

King's attendant (Scott Bailey), Basilio (Walter Brown), Clotaldo (Milton Resweber) and Segismundo (Daniel Povinelli)

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

Firelight Performing Arts announces auditions for its spring musical, Oliver, to be held from 2:00 to 5:00 pm on Saturday, January 9th and Sunday, January, 10th from 2 to 5:00 pm.  Both the auditions and the performances will be held at Firelight’s theatre (located at 501 Church Street in Youngsville), with scheduled performances in April and May. The cast includes children and adolescents as well as adult performers. The majority, but not all, of the roles require acting, singing, and dancing abilities. The children must be enrolled in Firelight classes (for enrollment, call 857-6991 or visit our website at www.firelightenterprises.com). There is open casting for adults, whose roles include Fagin, Mr. Bumble, Widow Corney, Bill Sykes, Nancy, Mrs. Bedwen, Mr. Sowerberry and Mrs. Sowerberry. All performers not selected for major roles will be included in the chorus. Contact directors Laura or Ray Blum (via telephone at 857-6991 or by e-mail)  for audition requirements and materials. Come try out and maybe even pick a pocket or two.

Theatre--Review (Year End)

Ray Blum's year end review of the year in theatre in Acadiana can be found in the January 1, 2010 edition of the Daily Advertiser.  Congratulations to all the shows in Acadiana in 2009, and "break a leg" to all the 2010 shows!