Theatre--Performance

Completely Hollywood (abridged) to be shown at Eunice Players' Theatre.

After ripping through The History of America and shredding All The Great Books, the three amigos of abridgement are back once again to take on 189 of the most beloved movies of all time and recut the celluloid into pieces. Tinseltown will never be the same after the Eunice Players' Theatre presents Completely Hollywood (abridged), directed by Debi L. Crawford and starring Kevin Miller, Kevin Courville and Van Reed.

Completely Hollywood (abridged) will run the following dates:
Thursday, September 15
Saturday, September 17
Sunday, September18
Tuesday, September 20
Wednesday, September 21
Thursday, Septermber 22
Saturday, September 24
All shows are at 7:00 p.m., except Sunday, which is at 2:00 p.m.

Ticket information will be available soon. The Eunice Players' Theatre is located at 121 South Second Street in the historic downtown section of Eunice. Be sure and check out the Theatre's website.

Theatre--Classes

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  • Firelight Performing Arts begins classes August 15, 2011. We offer:

    Theatre Classes for ages 4 through high school
    Broadway Song and dance classes for ages 4 through high school
    Private piano, voice, and guitar lessons for children as well as adults. 
    
    Information about the lessons and classes can be found on our website
    
    www.firelightperformingarts.com or by calling 962-0306 or 857-6991.
    
    

Theatre--Performance

The Iberia Performing Arts League presents Acting Unlimited Inc.’s production of FIRE EYE, A new play by Daniel Povinelli.

Former President of the United States, Noah Jones, is nearing the end of his life -- and he’s having visions. He believes God has appointed him to cradle humanity through the Great Flood. Always larger-than-life, Noah finally appears to be cracking up. Or is he? His eldest daughter, Rachel, and his long-time political strategist,
Robert, are convinced it’s all an act, and that he’s actually getting better. But Noah’s physician, Elizabeth, believes otherwise. As Noah’s predicament grows more amusing -- and puzzling -- he springs another surprise: he demands a birthday party a year early -- to celebrate his impending death! Threaded through the comedic
interplay of Noah’s delusional conversations about the Ark and his preposterous push towards a birthday-party-to-end-all-birthday-parties, all must grapple with darker secrets from their interconnected pasts as they struggle to uncover the meaning of true forgiveness.

Starring:
Bruce Coen …. “Noah (Johnny David) Jones”
Amy Williams …. “Rachel”
Amanda Shackelford …. “Elizabeth”
Jack Robertson …. “Robert”

October 13-15, 20-22 at 8 pm and October 16 & 23 at 3 pm
Essanee Theater
126 Iberia St., New Iberia, LA, 70562

(337) 364-6114

Theatre--Auditions

The Eunice Players’ Theatre will hold auditions for the final play of the 42nd season, A Nice Family Gathering on Wednesday, August 31 at 6:00 p.m. Director Jody L. Powell needs 4 men and 3 women, ages 20’s to 70’s to fill the cast. More people are needed to assist with set decoration, backstage duties, costuming, etc. Auditions for the two-act comedy by Phil Olson 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 November. For more information, or to schedule an audition time, call Jody at 337-580-1787.

Theatre--Performance

AUI/AURA presents THE COMPOUND's workshop production of

WILLIAM AND JUDITH
A New Play by Cody Daigle
Directed by Alicia Chaisson


DATES
September 17, 23, 24, 30 and October 1 at 7:30 p.m.
September 18, 25 and October 2 at 2 p.m.


THE PLAY

Judith Shakespeare flees to London after being disowned by her father for refusing to marry. She finds safe harbor in the studio of her brother, William. Judith hopes to write plays of her own and see them produced in London. William is facing a creative crisis of his own. Struggling through his late career and inching into his collaboration with John Fletcher, William must come up with a play worthy of the stage in three month's time. He's also got to cool fires at home -- his daughter, Jude, is set to marry a man of whom his wife, Anne, does not approve.

An act of creative thievery turns William's world upside down and threatens to end not only his career, but his relationship with Judith as well.

Inspired by a section of Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own," WILLIAM AND JUDITH" is a whimsical riff on the Shakespeare authorship controversy, a meditation on creative identity and an exploration of gender roles in the world of Shakespeare's theatre.


THE CAST

William Shakespeare...Aren Chaisson
Judith Shakespeare...Sarah Gauthier
John Fletcher...Steven Cooper
Richard Burbage....Duncan Thistlethwaite
Jude Shakespeare...Martha Diaz
Anne Hathaway-Shakespeare...Kate Schnieder
Thomas Quiney....Nick Dooley, Gerard Ducharme

TICKETS

There are three ways you can purchase tickets for WILLIAM AND JUDITH:

1. Click Here to purchase tickets online with your Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express card.

2. Purchase tickets in person, at the door. Box office will open an hour prior to curtain. Due to limited seating, AUI/AURA cannot guarantee that seats will be available for purchase at the door for each performance.

3. Call and make a reservation at 337-873-1548. Reservations will be held until 15 minutes prior to curtain. They will then be released for sale.

Tickets are nonrefundable.

For any questions about the production or to make reservations, please call 337-873-1548.

THANK YOU! And we'll see you at the show.

Performance--Theatre

Coming to Cite des Arts on September 2nd and 3rd is a show that originally opened last Halloween. The play is called 70 Scenes of Halloween, and though it is not October, we like to think of it as a "pre-Halloween show",... this year that is.

The production is rated PG-13.

The cast is lead by the comical team of Kaitlin Romero and Andrew Vincent, reprising their original roles

as Jeff and Joan Jones. Jeff and Joan live as a dysfunctional couple in their hip home. We watch as their

Halloween night changes to anything but normal. With a cast supported by Beasts and Witches (and a

raw chicken), the show is a hilarious ball of twists, turns, and moments of ..."what just happened?" that you

will never forget.

 

We are The Tea Sippers'! and we welcome you to join us for an evening of fun and laughs.

The Tea Sippers' is a teenage-run theatre troupe that was established last September. We continue

to successfully produced, direct, write, and perform plays and other works of art. We encourage all local

teens to join us as we help the local arts thrive.

 

We hope to see you at the show!

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

Playwright, Dennis Ward, serves up a blue plate special of Southern-fried comic melodrama in

this rollicking, hilarious musical about the dysfunctional Nutt family set in the Roadkill Diner.

Big Daddy Nutt, the despot patriarch of Buzzard Mountain has just died leaving his family with

nothing but debts. Desperate, his oldest daughter, Ima Nutt, sets out on a ruthless path to put

the Nutts back on top. She meets her match in Connie Coffee, the fiery, AK-47 tongued,

Roadkill Diner waitress who easily makes mincemeat of the Nutt sisters. Annie Lu Nutt, the

beautiful, talented Roadkill Diner waitress happily marries Dub Nutt, the hetereosexual, drag

queen son of Big Daddy who plans to leave their small town and become a professional

entertainer. The Nutt family members all collide into a frenzied train wreck at the grand annual

Nutt family reunion that exposes all their lurid secrets. Radio station KARP frequently

broadcasts roadkill alerts where to pick up smear of deer sponsored by Ethyl Mae’s Beauty and

Chain Saw Repair. The funny/poignant ten original songs and lyrics that assist to tell the story

are by the incomparable singer/songwriter Roddy Barnes.

 

The show runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday with performance dates September 9-11, 16-

18 and 23-25. All performances start at 7:30pm except Sunday matinees that start at 2:30pm.

Buy tickets early as this highly anticipated show could sell out quickly. For pre-sale tickets,

contact Cité des Arts. 337-291-1122. August 22th tickets are available online paypal at

citedesarts.org.

Theatre--Auditions

The Eunice Players’ Theatre will hold auditions for the final play of the 42nd season, A Nice Family Gathering on Saturday, August 27 at 10:00 a.m., and Wednesday, August 31 at 6:00 p.m.  Director Jody L. Powell needs 4 men and 3 women, ages 20’s to 70’s to fill the cast.  More people are needed to assist with set decoration, backstage duties, costuming, etc. Auditions for the two-act comedy by Phil Olson 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 November.  FMI, or to schedule an audition time, call Jody at 337-580-1787. 

Theatre--Performance

The Guys tells the story of Nick, a New York City fire captain who has lost many men in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. He comes to see Joan, a writer, so that she can help him write eulogies for his fallen men. As the two characters talk about the dead firefighters, Nick opens up and they create testimonies to these men.

This is a very moving work of drama. Although rooted in the events of 9/11, the play touches on issues that transcend that specific historical moment; it’s about the place of a writer in society and about the potential power of words as healing tools. It’s also about how extraordinary events impact ordinary people.

Starring Cody Daigle and Jody L. Powell

Directed by Tammy Lamonte

Assistant Director Charlie Roy

Friday, September 9 at 7:00pm

Saturday, September 10 at 7:00pm

Sunday, September 11 at 3:00pm

You may purchase tickets for $10.00 at:

Sebastian-Dupre Fine Jewelry – 822 S Main St. 337-948-4367

Wanda’s Florist – 1224 Creswell Lane, 337-948-4459

Frey Outfitters – 1425 E. Laurel Ave, 337-546-0208

Delta Grand Theatre

120 S. Market Street

Opelousas, LA 70570

Theatre--Performance

What if William Shakespeare had a sister -- equally ambitious and equally talented -- who wanted to write plays?

Inspired by a section of Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own, WILLIAM AND JUDITH is a whimsical riff on the Shakespeare authorship controversy, a meditation on creative identity and an exploration of gender roles in the world of Shakespeare's theatre.

Judith Shakespeare flees to London after being disowned by her father for refusing to marry. She finds safe harbor in the studio of her brother, William, hoping to write plays and see them produced in London.William is facing a creative crisis of his own. Struggling through his late career and inching into his collaboration with John Fletcher, William must come up with a play worthy of the stage in three month's time. He's also got to cool several fires at home -- his daughter, Jude is set to marry a man of whom his wife, Anne, does not approve. An act of creative thievery turns Will's world upside down and threatens to end not only his career, but his relationship with Judith as well.

AUI/AURA presents this workshop production by THE COMPOUND, a newly formed theatre company in Acadiana. The play will receive its official world premiere by Playhouse Theatre Tulsa in Tulsa, OK in February 2012.

The play is directed by Alicia Chassion and designed by Duncan Thistlethwaite and Gina Baronne. The cast is as follows: Aren Chaisson (William Shakespeare), Sarah Gauthier (Judith Shakespeare), Duncan Thistlethwaite (Richard Burbage), Steven Cooper (John Fletcher), Anne Hathaway Shakespeare (Kate Schnieder), Jude Shakespeare (Martha Diaz) and Thomas Quiney (Nick Dooley/ Gerard Ducharme).

The play runs at the AUI studio space downtown at 810 Jefferson (next to Carpe Diem Gelato) on the following schedule:

Opening night special event: Sept. 17

Sept. 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 and Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Sept 18, 25 and Oct 2 at 2 p.m.

Aren Chaisson, one of the actors, will be video blogging the production.  This is the first installment.

Theatre--Performance

 Pictured Shane Guilbeau, Bob Sidman, Alexandra Culotta and John W. Fiero

Eavesdrop Theatre presents A Retrospective: Pawn’s Gambit, Getting Rid of Horace and Snuff Flick, three hysterical one-act plays, August 12-13 and August 19-20 at 7:30 p.m. and August 14 and 21 at 2:00 p.m. at Cite des Arts, 109 Vine Street, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Theatre--Performance

Theatre--Auditions

The Evangeline Players will hold open auditions for The Bishop's Wife, based on the 1947 Samuel Goldwyn movie and adapted for the stage by Dave McGrath.

An Episcopal Bishop, Henry Brougham, has been working for months on the plans for an elaborate new cathedral which he hopes will be paid for primarily by a wealthy, stubborn widow. He is losing sight of his family and of why he became a churchman in the first place. Enter Dudley, an angel sent to help him. Dudley does help everyone he meets, but not necessarily in the way they would have preferred. With the exception of Henry, everyone loves him, but Henry begins to believe that Dudley is there to replace him, both at work and in his family's affections, as Christmas approaches.

Audition Dates: Saturday, September 10th (2-4 PM) and Monday, September 12th (6:30-8:30 PM)

Auditions are open to everyone. The cast consists of a wide range of ages, so there is something for everyone.

Theatre--Auditions

The Acadia Players are putting on Christmas Belles. Here is a synopsis: A church Christmas program spins hilariously out of control in this Southern farce about squabbling sisters, family secrets, a surly Santa, a vengeful sheep and a reluctant Elvis impersonator.

It's Christmas-time in the small town of Fayro, Texas, and the Futrelle Sisters—Frankie, Twink and Honey Raye—are not exactly in a festive mood. A cranky Frankie is weeks overdue with her second set of twins. Twink, recently jilted and bitter about it, is in jail for inadvertently burning down half the town. And hot-flash-suffering Honey Raye is desperately trying to keep the Tabernacle of the Lamb's Christmas Program from spiraling into chaos. But things are not looking too promising: Miss Geneva, the ousted director of the previous twenty-seven productions, is ruthless in her attempts to take over the show. The celebrity guest Santa Claus—played by Frankie's long-suffering husband, Dub—is passing a kidney stone. One of the shepherds refuses to watch over his flock by night without pulling his little red wagon behind him. And the entire cast is dropping like flies due to food poisoning from the Band Boosters' Pancake Supper. And when Frankie lets slip a family secret that has been carefully guarded for decades, all hope for a successful Christmas program seems lost, even with an Elvis impersonator at the manger. But in true Futrelle fashion, the feuding sisters find a way to pull together in order to present a Christmas program the citizens of Fayro will never forget. Their hilarious holiday journey through a misadventure-filled Christmas Eve is guaranteed to bring joy to your world!

Auditions will be in the Rice Theater in Crowley Tuesday (August 9th) ,Wednesday (August 10th), and Thursday (August 11th).  Auditions start at 6, but they ask that people interested in auditioning arrive 15 minutes ahead of time to fill out the required paper work.  Rehearsals will be on Sunday afternoons from 2-5.

Theatre--Performance

The Acadiana Repertory Theatre is proud to announce its premier production: Doubt, A Parable by John Patrick Shanley. 

Performances will take place at 7:30 pm on September 9th and 10th at the Bayou Bijou theatre in the Student Union on the campus of U. L. Lafayette. Ticket prices are $12 and are available at the door or via our website at www.acadianarep.org

Reservations can also be made by calling 337.385.3921 or by emailing info@acadianarep.org

Directed by Garland J. Theriot, Doubt stars Shana Ledet Qualls, Steven R. Landry, Etienna R. Wright, and Kristina Marshall.

Theatre--Performance

Eavesdrop Theatre presents A Retrospective: Pawn’s Gambit, Getting Rid of Horace and Snuff Flick, three hysterical One-Act plays, August 12-13 and August 19-20 at 7:30 p.m. and August 14 and 21 at 2:00 p.m. at Cite Des Arts, 109 Vine Street, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Written by ULL Emeritus Professor of English John W. Fiero and directed by Daniel Ladmirault, this rollicking production examines the power of persuasion against three distinct backdrops: an exclusive all male social club, an upscale suburban neighborhood and a Hollywood movie set. “These plays cast a humourous spotlight on the ‘Alpha Male’ and those who love him,” says Ladmirault. “ They also serve to bring awareness to a very brilliant local comic playwright who has largely gone unnoticed, except for the lucky few who know John Fiero and his work.”

The cast members are Shane Guilbeau, Alexandra Culotta, Bob Sidman, John W. Fiero, Christy Leichty, Carmen Nicholson, Elizabeth Austin, Amanda Newberry, Stacy Broussard and Daniel Ladmirault. Matthew Humphrey is the Stage Manager/ Assistant Director and Grady Roy is the Light and Sound Technician.

 Pictured Amanda Newberry, Elizabeth Austin, Daniel Ladmirault and Stacy Broussard 

 Pictured Amanda Newberry, Elizabeth Austin, Daniel Ladmirault and Stacy Broussard

Tickets for all performances are $10 for general admission and $8 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased at the door or on-line at www.citedesarts.org. For additional information, call Cite des Arts (337) 291-1122. Join Eavesdrop Theatre on Facebook.

Theatre--Review (AUI/AURA at Cite)

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


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


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


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


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


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

Theatre--Auditions

The Evangeline Players are holding open auditions for The Bishop's Wife, based on the 1947 Samuel Goldwyn movie and adapted for the stage by Dave McGrath, on Saturday, September 10th (from 2 to 4 pm) and Monday, September 12th (from 6:30 to 8:30 pm) at the Duchamp Opera House.

Auditions are open to everyone.  The cast consists of a wide range of ages.

Theatre--Performances

 August 4-6

Thursday, August 4:

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(continuing--AUI/AURA at Cite)

Schoolhouse Rock Live!

(continuing--Eunice Players' Theatre)

Friday, August 5:

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(continuing--AUI/AURA at Cite)

Gypsy

(continuing--Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts)

Saturday, August 6:

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(opening--AUI/AURA at Cite)

Schoolhouse Rock Live!

(continuing--Eunice Players' Theatre)

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

The pop culture phenomenon comes to the musical stage. Schoolhouse Rock Live!, the Emmy Award-winning 1970's Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math, science and politics through clever, tuneful songs is lighting up the stage at the Eunice Players' Theatre.  Familiar songs include "Conjunction Junction", "Three Is A Magic Number", "My Hero, Zero", "Rufus Xavier Sasaparilla", "Lolly Lolly Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here", "Do the Circulation", "Interplanet Janet", "I'm Just a Bill", and more.

 

Dates for evening performances (7:00 p.m.) are:
Friday, July 29th
Tuesday, August 2nd - Dinner theatre night ($10 extra)
Thursday, August 4th
Saturday, August 6th

Dates for matinee performances (2:00 p.m.) are:
Sunday, July 31st
Sunday, August 7th

 

 

Tickets are available at the door or can be purchased in advance by calling 457-2156 or 546-0163.

Cast members in the pictures are: Kristi Burleigh, Taylor LaCalle, Angie B. McBride, Gabe Ortego, Deborah D. Ardoin, Jersten Seraile, John Burleigh, Walter Duncan McBride, Andy Doucet, John Christian Lyons
Not pictured: Jeanne Aucoin

This Week in Theatre

I'm having trouble getting Blogger to accept some changes, so until it starts working again, here is the week of theatre for July 25th through the 31st:

Week of July 25-31

Monday, July 25:

Tuesday, July 26:

Wednesday, July 27:

Schoolhouse Rock Live!

(opening--Eunice Players Theatre)

Thursday, July 28:

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(continuing--AUI/AURA at Cite Des Arts)

Friday, July 29:

Gypsy

(opening--Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts)

Schoolhouse Rock Live!

(continuing--Eunice Players' Theatre)

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(continuing--AUI/AURA at Cite Des Arts)

Cinderella 

(continuing--Opelousas Little Theatre)

Saturday, July 30:

Gypsy

(continuing--Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts)

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(opening--AUI/AURA at Cite)

Cinderella

(continuing--OLT)

Sunday, July 31:

Gypsy

(continuing--Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts)

Schoolhouse Rock Live!

(continuing--Eunice Players' Theatre)

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(continuing--AUI/AURA at Cite)

Cinderella

(continuing--OLT)

Theatre--Performance

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

Theatre--Article (AUI/AURA)

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

Theatre--Article (Acting Up)

Acting Up (in Acadiana)'s Summer Shakespeare Youth Ensemble is featured in an online article of the Independent.

Theatre--Performance

Due to the overwhelming response to IPAL’s presentation of Beauty and the Beast, Jr. an extra performance has been added. The added performance will be Saturday, July 23, at the special time of 2:00.  Tickets will be available at the IPAL Ticket Outlets beginning Wednesday, July 20, on a first come, first served basis.  Outlets are Dalaune’s Pharmacy, Paul’s Flowers, and Accentrics on Main Street.

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

The Opelousas Little Theatre is holding auditions for Clue: The Musical.


The internationally popular game is now a fun filled musical which brings the world's best know suspects to life and invites the audience to help solve the mystery: who killed Mr. Boddy, in what room and with what weapon. The audience receives forms to help them deduce the solution from clues given throughout the fun filled evening. Three audience members choose from cards representing the potential murderers, weapons and rooms; there are 216 possible solutions! Only one hard nosed female detective is qualified to unravel the merry mayhem. Comic antics, witty lyrics and a beguiling score carry the investigation from room to room.

Directed by Walter Duncan McBride, this show calls for 4 female and 4 male singers. Additional cast is needed backstage to operate a living, moving set. Seven or more stage cast is needed, so please attend auditions if you wish to help.

Auditions will be held at Opelousas Little Theatre on July 20,21 @ 6 to 8 pm and July 23 @ 4 to 6 pm. Interested parties should be prepared with a 3 to 5 minute monolouge and song with music (karaoke).

The actual show will be held at the Delta Grand Theatre in downtown Opelousas on September 22, 23, 24, 29, and 30 October 1 - 7pm to 9pm with Sunday matenees on Sempter 25 October 2 - 2pm to 4pm.

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

 The Abbey Players are holding an additional night of auditions for their production of the 2005 Tony award winning The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Wednesday, July 20th at 6 pm.  The show will run for 14 performances from September 30th to November 12th (with the exception of the weekend of October 14th due to the Cattle Festival in Abbeville).  The show will be directed by Scott Meddows with musical direction by Jason Pennington.

The audience participation show is most simply a spelling be.  The show is very comedic and improvisation is a necessity for some of the cast members.  The music has pop influences and the female characters should have strong belt/mix voices.  There is minimal dance.

Please come to the audition with 16 bars from a Broadway musical number prepared to sing the entire number.  Cold readings will be done from the script.  

For more information, go to the Abbey Players website.

Theatre--Article

The Daily Iberian has an article about IPAL's summer production of Beauty and the Beast Jr. in the July 14th edition of the newspaper.

Theatre--Workshop

In conjunction with the preparations for Schoolhouse Rock Live!, the 3rd Annual Eunice Players’ Theatre Children’s Theatre Workshop will be held on Saturday, July 23rd  from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Kids ages 7-13 will enjoy a fun-filled morning of singing, acting and games while learning the basics in the performing arts. The fee is $10.00 and space is limited so register early! For information, please call 337-546-0163 or 337-457-2156. Also, checkout the theatre website at euniceplayers.blogspot.com and the theatre's Facebook page. The workshop will be held at the theatre at 121 S. Second St. in historic downtown Eunice.

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

Tickets are currently on sale at The Fad of Franklin, La. for the Teche Theatre's Summer Production of Gypsy. Show dates include July 29th, dinner theatre 6:00PMshow, July 30th, Wine and Cheese 6:30PM, July 31st. Dessert Matinee 2:00PM. Other show dates are General Admission shows August 3rd,4th,and 5th at 7:30PM.

July 29,and 30 include general admission starting at 7:00PM and 31st at 2:45.  For More Info and Prices call The Fad at (337)828-2486.

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

Remember "Conjunction Junction" or "The Preamble" or perhaps "Do The Circulation"?  This is just a taste of some of the groovin' fun songs from the 1970's pop culture phenomenon that taught history, grammar, math, science and politics through clever, tuneful songs that Eunice Players' Theatre is bringing to the musical stage in their production of Schoolhouse Rock Live!

Director Angie B. McBride is very proud to have an extremely talented cast, who are working very hard to provide a top notch show. Cast members are Deborah D. Ardoin, John Christian Lyons, Gabe Ortego and Jeanne Sonnier of Eunice, Kristi and John Burleigh of Ville Platte, Duncan and Angie McBride and Taylor LaCalle of Lawtell and Andy Doucet, Jersten Seraile and pianist, Debbie Bertinot from Opelousas.

Dates for evening performances (7:00 p.m.) are:
Wednesday, July 27th
Friday, July 29th
Tuesday, August 2nd (Dinner theatre)
Thursday, August 4th
Saturday, August 6th

Dates for matinee performances (2:00 p.m.) are:
Sunday, July 31st
Sunday, August 7th

The ticket price for this family-friendly show is $10.00 per seat, and for children 5 and under, $5.00 per seat.  Tickets may be purchased by calling David’s Hair Salon at 337-546-0163 or Turning Point at 337-457-2156. Mastercard and Visa are accepted.  Dinner theatre will be on Tuesday, August 2nd at 6:00 pm. The kid-friendly meal is catered by Nick’s on Second St. for an additional $10.

Also again this year, Mrs. McBride will hold the theatre's annual Children's Workshop, scheduled for Saturday, July 23rd. Please watch for future articles for more details and for ticket purchasing information. You can also check out our Facebook page and our blog at www.euniceplayers.blogspot ​.com for the latest information and pictures.

For more information, call Debi at 337-457-2156.

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

Auditions for the upcoming Abbey Players’ production of the 2005 Tony Award winning The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will happen Saturday, July 16^th at 2PM and again on Monday, July 18^th at 6PM at the Abbey Players’ Theatre located at 200 South State Street in Abbeville.  This audience-participation show is most simply, a spelling bee. All the "kids" are played by adults. This show is very comedic, and with audience members onstage, improvisation is a necessary task for Panch and Peretti, but useful to all cast members.  The music has pop influences, and the female characters should have a strong belt/mix voice. Minimal dance.  Please come to the audition with 16 bars from a Broadway musical number, but be prepared to sing the entire number. Cold readings will be done from the script of The Bee.  Check out the website, http://www.abbeyplayers.com or the Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Abbey-Players/213459352012740, for more information.

Theatre--Columnist

Daily Advertiser theatre critic Ray Blum has written his final column for the paper.  Ray has been a tireless supporter and friend of local theatre, and he will be missed by all.

Theatre--Performance

AUI/AURA presents 

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE's

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

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

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

July 24 and 31 at 3 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Theatre--Website

There is a new theatre website in Louisiana called, appropriately enough, Theatres of Louisiana.  It has information about most of the theatre goings on throughout Louisiana.  It's a wonderful source for information about productions all over the state.

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

Open auditions will be held for an original two act musical at Cite Des Arts.


WHEN:   Audition Dates are Thursday, July 14th from 6:30 - 8:30  PM and Saturday, July 16th from 1:00-­4:00 PM 
WHERE:  Auditions will be held at Cité Des Arts, 109 Vine St. (off of Jefferson, Downtown Lafayette)    
WHAT:  An original 2-Act Musical Comedy based on a wayward Preacher and his 2 crazy cousins.   
 NEEDED:  5 male Actor/Singers. 8 female Actor/Singers.  Ages 18-­ 40 (flexible)  Choir members.   
REQUIRED:  Please be prepared to give a cold reading of a short dialogue from the play and sing a short simple song.  You are  welcome to bring a short (1-minute) monologue and a song of your choice.
 
EXTRA:  You are also welcome to bring a resume and head shot if you have them,  but it is not required.   We are also seeking volunteers for backstage -­ crew, costumes, makeup, set construction, etc.  You may email John at  tsejohn@msn.com or Jane at janebilleaudeaux@gmail.com.  Come and try out for an entertaining and original musical!

Performance dates are:  Sept. 29, 30, Oct. 1, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, & 15.

Theatre--Auditions

Eavesdrop Theatre will hold auditions for Snuff Flick, Pawn's Gambit and Getting Rid of Horace, three hysterical one-act comedies by local playwright and retired UL English professor John W. Fiero. 

Auditions are Saturday, July 9th and Sunday, July 10th from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at Cite des Arts, 109 Vine Street, Lafayette, Louisiana.  Roles to be cast include seven males, ages 18 - 80 and three females ages 18 - 60.  Auditions are open and all interested  are encouraged to attend.  Auditioners will be asked to perform a cold reading from the script.  Please bring a headshot and resume if available. 

The production will be directed by Daniel Ladmirault.  Performances are August 12-14 and 19-21 at Cite des Arts.  For audition-related questions, email danny@danielladmirault.com.

Theatre--Master Class/Workshop

Cite des Arts will sponsor another session of Caroline McGee’s Master Acting Workshop for actors of all ages and experience.


Ms. McGee recently mentored a number of local students for successful acceptance to top-flight institutions including NYU Tisch Drama, California Institute of the Arts, Columbia and Brown universities, Second City/Chicago, and more.   This session will focus on legendary master acting techniques developed by Lee Strasberg and Michael Chekhov.  Improvisation/exercises will be based on Anton Chekhov, Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill, and Sam Shepard.  For an application and more information: mcgeec50@yahoo.com

Ms. McGee served as Director at The Lee Strasberg Institute/NYU Tisch Drama Studio, The Catholic University MFA Acting, and currently teaches at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Art Film & TV.

Theatre--Performance

Cite des Arts will present a staged reading of Revolting Women/WOMANBOMB at 6 pm on Friday July 15.  Tickets for the performance are free and can be reserved by calling 337-291-1122

Awarded “Best Acting” in The 2010 International United Solo Festival held at New York City’s Theatre Row, 42 Street, Revolting Women/WOMANBOMB explores the world of a 17-year old female suicide bomber and those of us left behind to pick up the pieces.

Local actors Martha Diaz and Christy Leichty will join playwrights Allan Graubard and Caroline McGee to portray the roles of the suicide bomber, a BBC journalist, and two mothers mourning their daughters.

A woman walks into a public place and explodes. Do we know her? Do we want to? Do we care?  Revolting Women/WOMANBOMB tracks an encounter with a tragic event and how media influences our perceptions of it – when suicide becomes a political weapon.

Ms. McGee served as Director at The Lee Strasberg Institute/NYU Tisch Drama Studio, The Catholic University MFA Acting, and currently teaches at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Art Film & TV.

Allan Graubard’s recent works include Roma Amor, Invisible Heads/Surrealists in North America, and For Alejandra Pizarnik; the plays One in the Other, Gordogan; and reviews in Leonardo (MIT Press), Pacific Rim Review (Exstasis Editions) & PEN Center/NY.

Theatre--Performance

Coming to Cite des Arts this July are two shows directed, designed, and written by a local Lafayette theatre groupcomposed of high school students. The Tea Sippers' Theatre Group (Plus One Coffee Drinker) will be presenting Bang Bang You're Dead by William Mastrosimone and an original play by Andrew Lee Vincent, The Outside.

Both performances are rated PG-13 and will run as a double feature on the nights of July 8th, 9th, 15th, & 16th at 7:30 PM.

Bang Bang You're Dead follows the life of a young teenager after multiple acts of murder. The play opens the door to another world, letting us meet her victims and the sorrow they all face. Learning that she will have to live with the pain forever, Jade must swallow the consequences of her actions.

The Outside is a play written by Andrew Lee Vincent. It follows the lives of multiple everyday people and strings their lives together. Set in a local park, these strangers will meet, love, hate, kill, cheat, steal, and ask for comfort. Noticing that what's on the outside isn't always what's most important.

The Tea Sippers' Theatre Group (Plus One Coffee Drinker) is a local theatre group that formed last October, beginning with the play, 70 Scenes of Halloween written by Jeffery Jones. The group has since grown and continues to bring theater to Lafayette. The group consists mainly of teens from Lafayette High School and its Performing Arts Academy.