Wanderlust to close out Theatre 810's year with All My Sons by Arthur Miller

There are only 2 weeks left of scheduled performances here at 810 Jefferson Street, but they are a GOOD two weeks, let me tell ya:

- Wanderlust Theatre Co. is proud to present, as the conclusion of the year long city-wide Arthur Miller Centennial Theatre Festival, All My Sons. An American classic, this play explores family secrets, the price we pay for the American Dream, and the moral and emotional scars of war. A family drama that established Arthur Miller as a leading voice in theater, All My Sons takes the audience to a startling and heartbreaking conclusion.

The seasoned ensemble includes Joe Riehl as Joe Keller, Christy Leichty as Kate Keller with Brady McKellar, Kristen DuBois, Aren Chaisson III, Casey Harmon, Catharine Arceneaux, Jordan Umphries, Gabe Ortego and Michael Allgood rounding out the cast. Elsa Dimitriadis directs with John W. Fiero as dramaturg.

Wanderlust's last production was the summer's original stage adaptation of Saint Exupery's The Little Prince.

December 11,12,18 & 19 at 7:30 pm
December 13 & 20 at 3 pm
Theatre 810, 810 Jefferson Street, Downtown Lafayette
Tickets are $15/general admission, $12/students and seniors 65+.

For ticket reservations, please call (337) 484-0172 or purchase online at allmysons.eventbrite.com
But that's not all! In the middle of Wanderlust's run, there are two special events we don't want you to miss out on!

- On Wednesday, December 16th, the Silverbacks will present their traditional “Holiday Show.” Each year around the Holidays, Silverbacks interpret their signature improvisations through the lens of a Holiday – a brand new, completely made up Holiday that is. With the audience’s help, Silverbacks will create their very own holiday – think “Festivus for the Rest of Us” from Seinfeld.

For this show, each of the performers will be wearing a Holiday Sweater and invite the audience to do the same. ANY Holiday themed items are welcome – the audience is invited to wear their finest Christmas, Easter, Mardi Gras, or even Groundhog day sweaters to add to the fun. Previous invented holidays were “Paper-Clip Appreciation Day” (2012), “Garden Gnome Day” (2013), and Leonardo

DaVinci's Mother's Birthday (2014). What will be 2015’s holiday?

Tickets can be purchased at the door, beginning at 6:30pm on December 16th, for $10 general admission. Those patrons arriving dressed in their Holiday Finery may purchase tickets for $8!

- Finally, (but not in a chronological way) Acting Unlimited and Theatre 810 would like to thank you all for being so supportive of us this year by inviting you to a our third annual Holiday Inspired Potluck Party! Bring a shareable snack and wear your favorite holiday attire to Theatre 810 on Tuesday, December 15 at 7:30pm and join us to visit one more time before 2016 gets here! If you'd like to participate in an optional White Elephant Gift Swap, bring a wrapped gift worth no more than $10. Gifts should be appropriate for all ages.

This is a FREE event, and you are all invited. Thank you for everything. We wouldn't be here without your support.

What are your Pre-Thanksgiving plans?

It's the Week Before Thanksgiving!
"But Theatre 810," you ask, "what's so special about the week before Thanksgiving?"

Let me tell you, friends: LOTS.

This Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the Lauren-Reilly Eliot Theatre Company will present their last three performances of "The Motherf*%cker With The Hat." This show is hilarious, surprising, and real. For tickets and information, call Theater 810 at (337)484-0172 or go to www.LREtheater.com or http://mferhat.eventbrite.com/

Next up on the calendar: Sunday, November 22, 2015 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, several theatre and performance companies are volunteering their time, energy, and creativity to help make the second Black Box Affair possible!Theatre 810, operated by Acting Unlimited, Inc., is Lafayette, LA's own blackbox theatre space. Recently described as an "indie micro-theater", Theatre 810 hosts many local theatre and performance art companies, giving them a space to produce quirky, experimental, or original works.

Join your favorite local theatre companies on Sunday, November 22nd to support Theatre 810! Your $50 ticket grants you access to an exclusive evening of food and drinks at Pop's Poboys, dessert and a silent auction at Carpe Diem Gelato & Espresso, and a show at Theatre 810! Suggested attire for this event is Dressy Casual. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at blackboxaffair.eventbrite.com . Call 337-484-0172 for more information

And finally, on Wednesday, November 25th at 7:30pm, Silverbacks Improv Theatre will be back with their annual Pre-Thanksgiving Improv Show! Join the Silverbacks while your vegetables marinate and your Turkey thaws for a night of made-up-on-the-spot entertainment.

Thank you for allowing Theatre 810 to be a part of this year's Pre-Thanksgiving memories.

Opening Weekend has arrived for Lauren-Reilly Eliot's production of The MotherF**cker With The Hat

It's been two years since by the Lauren-Reilly Eliot Company as graced our stage, but this weekend, they're returning IN FORCE with Stephen Aldy Guirgis's The MotherF**cker With The Hat!

From the Facebook Event page:
Nominated for six Tony awards (including Best Play) and three Drama League Awards, strap yourself in for this high-octane verbal cage match about love, fidelity, addiction and misplaced haberdashery. From the playwright of "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" and "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train"; this wildly candid and colorful comedy tells the story of a couple whose desire for each other is only bested by their drive for self-sabotage. Jackie and Veronica have been in love since the eighth grade. Nothing can come between them…except sobriety…and a motherfucking hat.

Directed by Scott Gremillion

Cast: Andre Trahan, Brittany Cernek, Skip Woods, Angela Thomas and Andrew Lee Vincent

Dates: November 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 @ 7:30pm
November 15 @ 2pm

For tickets and information, call Theater 810 at (337)484-0172
or go to www.LREtheater.com or http://mferhat.eventbrite.com/

Acadiana Repertory Theatre closes out their season with a Developmental Production!

Acting Unlimited, Inc. completed their two week run of All In The Timing by David Ives on Saturday evening. Immediately after their final show, the cast and crew tore down the set, mopped up the peanut shell dust, and made way for Acadiana Repertory Theatre! Sunday Afternoon, ART began to set the stage for the Final Show of their 2015 season, a developmental production of Tiffany Antone's Twigs & Bone.

[From the Facebook Event Page:]
After her estranged parent’s phone line has been disconnected, Moira Lane begrudgingly returns to the home she abandoned eight years ago only to find things far worse than she could have feared. Her father, William, has taken to peeing in coffee mugs and her mother, Bonnie, claims to have had a miraculous birth. Believing the “baby” to be her youngest daughter reincarnated, Bonnie is convinced that Faeries in the woods have blessed the family with a second chance. As a terrible storm moves in, Moira must battle her family’s madness and navigate the years of guilt and grief feeding the storm if she has any hope of getting out alive.

Directed by Artistic Director Steven Landry, with Allen Higginbotham as production assistant starring Deborah D. Ardoin as Bonnie, Gayle James as Moira, and Kevin Miller as William.

Playwright Tiffany Antone will be joining us on opening weekend, so pick up tickets to the first three shows and get a chance to chat with the wonderful woman behind this compelling, dark, funny, and riveting script.

Performances are on October 30th and 31st and November 5th, 6th, and 7th at 7:30pm and November 1st at 2:00pm

Tickets are 15.00 general admission or 12:00 seniors and students(with an I.D.)

Tickets are available in advance online at twigsandbone.eventbrite.com. You can also call Theatre 810 at (337)484-0172 to reserve your seats. For more information about Twigs and Bone, visit acadianarep.org.

Support local theatre, support new works, love your ART!

A Weekend of Comedy and Horror and Theatre 810

This weekend, Theatre 810 has a bit of a mashup for you!

Tonight is opening night for Acting Unlimited, Inc.'s production of All In The Timing, 6 one-acts by David Ives. The cast and crew have spent this week perfecting each scene and practicing their delivery to give you a show that lives up to its title. For many of the cast members, this isn't their first time working with Ives witticisms and puns: about half of the cast, the crew, and the director were also in AUI's 2012 production of David Ive's Lives of the Saints, the company's first official production at the brand new, freshly named Theatre 810.

The show opens tonight (Friday, October 16th) at 7:30pm, and will run for two weekends: October 17, 22, 23, and 24th at 7:30pm, and Sunday afternoon, October 18th at 3:00pm. Tickets can be reserved ahead of time by calling (337)484-0172 or purchased online at auitiming.eventbrite.com


But that's not all that's lurking in the shadows of our little edge of downtown Lafayette. Silverbacks Improv Theatre have been hard at work developing a new improvised format for your entertainment: HORRORSHOW - an improvised take on psychological horror.

On Sunday evening, October 18th at 7:30pm, Silverbacks will take their signature improvisations on a twisty ride through the shadows. Taking inspiration from the great horror masters of film, fiction, and theatre, the Silverbacks will aim to deliver a show that is genuinely chilling for those who dare to partake. This show will be “Pay-What-You-Can" for all patrons. Reservations can be made ahead of time by calling (337)484-0172.

Make this weekend one to remember! Tell your friends, make some calls, and join us at Theatre 810 for comedy... and terror.

AUI presents All In The Timing by David Ives

Acting Unlimited, Inc. moved into Theatre 810 yesterday in preparation for their next show, All In The Timing, a series of comedy one-acts by David Ives.  Winner of the John Gassner Playwriting Award, All In The Timing is a critically acclaimed, award-winning evening of comedies that combines wit, intellect, satire, and is just plain fun.

Directed by Cara Bacque, the one-acts feature performances by many local actors and actresses: Amy Brown, Andrew Mills, Annette Diaz, Brady McKellar, Breanne Hernandez, Catharine Arceneaux, Cody Dunstan, Elaine Kibodeaux, Erin Segura, Jordan Umphries, Joseph Diaz, and Phillip Spear.

This is the third production of Acting Unlimited, Inc.'s  2015 season, following Super-Wellesian by Rory Jobst in February and The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice in August.

Performances of All In The Timing will take place at Theatre 810, located at 810 Jefferson Street, Lafayette, LA on October 16, 17, 22, 23, and 24 at 7:30pm, with a matinee on Sunday, October 13 at 3:00pm. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased online at auitiming.eventbrite.com.  For more information, call Theatre 810 at (337)484-0172

Don't Miss The Tea Sippers' Latest Offering: The Compleat Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged]

After a stellar opening weekend, The Tea Sippers' Theatre Company will return with their final weekend of performances this Thursday, October 8th at Theatre 810.

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) is a play written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield that parodies the plays of William Shakespeare with all of them being performed (in comically shortened or amalgamated form) by only three actors.

The cultural touchstone that is THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) was born when three inspired, charismatic comics,having honed their pass-the-hat act at Renaissance fairs, premiered their preposterous masterwork at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1987. It quickly became a worldwide phenomenon, earning the title of London's second-longest-running comedy after a decade at the Criterion Theatre. THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) is one of the world's most frequently produced plays, and has been translated into dozens languages.

Josiah Price, Joey Mills & Austin Boudreaux have wonderful chemistry and stage presence together. Their comedic timing is on point and you can truly tell they're having fun with the show.

This is a show you shouldn't miss. Remaining performances will take place at Theatre 810 at 7:30pm on 8, 9, and 10.

Buy your tickets online at abridged.eventbrite.com

Silverbacks return in Duos

 

On Wednesday, September 23rd at 7:30pm, Improv comedy group Silverbacks is happy to bring back “Duos.”

Improvisers will perform sets of scenes with just two performers – exploring deep relationships between two characters. The Silverbacks are also happy to announce that this show will be “Pay-What-You-Can.” All ages are welcome at Silverbacks shows.

Wednesday September 23, 2015 at 7:30 pm
Theatre 810 - 810 Jefferson St. Lafayette, Louisiana 70501
PAY WHAT YOU CAN
Reservations by calling: (337) 484-0172

Elaine and Sarah Mikayla, 2014 Duo Show. Photo by Gwen Aucoin

Rick and Steve, 2014 Duo Show. Photo by Gwen Aucoin

Nico and Jason, 2014 Duo Show.
Photo by Gwen Aucoin

The Diamond Devil Revue returns to 810!

The Diamond Devil Revue is coming back to Theatre 810 for another EARLY show!

"Take a ride on the dark side with the devilishly decadent dames and gents of The Diamond Devil Revue on Saturday, September 19 at 8 p.m.

Witness some of Lafayette's finest burlesque performers under one roof - Lucy Furr, Mia Moore, FiFi L'Amour, Martini Bear, and Shirley Yours, with your host, Mr. Buttz."

You must be 18 years or older to attend this show.

Tickets can be purchased for $12 online at http://diamonddevil.eventbrite.com/ or at the door for $15 on the evening of the show.

Acadiana Rep presents David Hilder's DROWN

Bonita jumped off a pier and never came up for air. Now she and her survivors have to figure out where they’re going next. With Drown, Hilder has received recognition such as being selected as a finalist in 2014 for the Princess Grace Award, a semifinalist in 2014 for both the Bay Area Playwrights Festival and the National Playwrights Conference at the O’Neill Center. Drown was also presented at the Great Plains Theatre Conference as a Mainstage Presentation.

DROWN is directed by Debbi Ardoin and features Kayla Petitjean, Steven Landry, Isaac Dowden, Sarah Palmintier, and Jennifer Felder

Performances are September 4,5,10,11, and 12 at 7:30pm and Septebmber 6th at 2:00pm.

Tickets can be purchased online at artdrown.eventbrite.com or you can reserve your seats by calling 337-484-0172.

Join us opening weekend to meet the playwright, David Hilder!

The Little Prince lands at Theatre 810

Wanderlust Theatre Co. has returned to the Theatre 810 stage with another thought provoking, whimsical production with their Original Stage Adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s allegorical classic The Little Prince.
"A cast of nine performs and incorporates original film footage, puppetry and unconventional theatre techniques to bring one of the most widely read books in the world to life. The Little Prince tells the tale of how a tiny man who falls from the sky befriends and ultimately changes the life of a stranded aviator.
This close knit ensemble of nine created the original adaptation together. It includes Catharine Arceneaux, Aren Chaisson III, John W. Fiero, Casey Harmon, Rick Manuel, Brady McKellar, Mike Munzing, Morgan Munzing and Wesley Saucier. The Little Prince is produced in cooperation with the Children's Museum of Acadiana, Lafayette Public Library System, and Acadiana Open Channel."

Wanderlust Theatre Co. was responsible for the gigantic puppets at this year's Festival International, and adds The Little Prince to its successful season lineup which has included Inherit the Wind and Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play.



The show will take place at Theatre 810 on August 14,15, 20 & 22 at 7:30 pm, with matinees August 16, 23 at 3 pm. Tickets are $10/general admission, $8/children under 12

For ticket reservations, call (337) 484-0172 or purchase online at thelittleprince.eventbrite.com

August Awesomeness!

Poster by Destin Briant

August has arrived with a rush of creativity! Have we got a doozy of a month scheduled for you:

Yesterday, August 1st, Cult of the Stage Monkey of UL-Lafayette put on a free improv show to warm themselves up for the fall semester.

Today (August 2nd), at 2:00pm, the Level 2 Improv Students will perform in their student showcase, using all they've learned from Steve Benelli (of Silverbacks Improv Theatre) to entertain the public. This show is free! Join us today to cheer these brave students on!

This weekend, we welcome the return of Ricky Briggs & Friends! Ricky Briggs & Friends bring you another show filled with laughs, lungs, tears & maybe a few other bodily impulses. Don't miss it!!! Friday, August 7 & Saturday, August 8 at 7:30pm. Tickets only $10! To get tickets in advance call 337-484-0172 or purchase them online at rickyandfriends.eventbrite.com.
(Performances by: Ricky Briggs, Hannah Briggs, Andrew Hunter II, Mike Ledoux, Katherine Durel, Belle Saucier, Mackenzie McAnally, Ian Faul, John Charles II, Jesse Lasala, and Henri Hebert-Allemond.)

Next weekend, Wanderlust Theatre Company will bring us their much anticipated original adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s allegorical classic The Little Prince! A cast of nine performs and incorporates original film footage, puppetry and unconventional theatre techniques to bring one of the most widely read books in the world to life. The Little Prince tells the tale of how a tiny man who falls from the sky befriends and ultimately changes the life of a stranded aviator.

This close knit ensemble of nine created the original adaptation together. It includes Catharine Arceneaux, Aren Chaisson III, John W. Fiero, Casey Harmon, Rick Manuel, Brady McKellar, Mike Munzing, Morgan Munzing and Wesley Saucier. The Little Prince is produced in cooperation with the Children's Museum of Acadiana, Lafayette Public Library System, and Acadiana Open Channel.

Wanderlust's last work was seen as the official street animation for Festival International de Louisiane in April. It followed this season's productions of Inherit the Wind and Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play.

August 13-15, 22 at 7:30 pm
August 16, 23 at 3 pm
Theatre 810, 810 Jefferson Street, Downtown Lafayette
Tickets are $10/general admission, $8/children under 12

For ticket reservations, call (337) 484-0172 or purchase online at thelittleprince.eventbrite.com

 

Poster inspired by artwork of cast member Morgan Munzing.

Silverbacks Improv Theatre will be back on August 19th at 7:30pm for another one of their signature improv shows! This will be the last month of their Summer Pricing Special, so Pay-What-You-Can and join us for a night of spontaneous entertainment!

For a change of pace, at 7:00pm on Friday, August 21, Theatre 810 will host An Evening with Andrew Duhon; Featuring Max Zemanovic and Sean Bruce.Norwood Recording Co. presents an intimate acoustic evening with New Orleans based singer/songwriter Andrew Duhon featuring percussionist Max Zemanovich. Lafayette singer/songwriter Sean Bruce will be the opening act with supporting musicians Chad Viator (guitar) and Trey Boudreaux (upright bass). This will be the first of many listening events brought to Theatre 810 in hopes of capturing the art of songwriting in a quiet, comfortable, and smoke free venue. Order your tickets online at eveningwithandrewduhon.eventbrite.com.

Acting Unlimited, Inc. will hold auditions for their October production of David Ives' All In The Timing on Sunday, August 23 and Monday, August 24th at 6:30pm. Those auditioning will be provided with sides for cold readings. No prep needed!

And, as a fitting end to a month that started with improv, an Improv Rumble will take place on Friday, August 28th at 7:30pm. Members of Silverbacks Improv Theatre and Cult of the Stage Monkey will be combined into mixed teams and battle head-to-head to entertain you, the audience. The winning team will be chosen by an audience vote. Silverbacks member Elaine Kibodeaux called the last Improv Rumble in 2013 "one of the best, most cooperatively fun competitions I've ever been a part of."

Banner image from the 2013 Improv Rumble at Theatre 810.

We hope you're as excited about this August as we are, and we look forward to seeing you in our little corner of downtown!

THIS IS OUR YOUTH comes to Theatre 810

Candace Grace, Dustin Babin, Ryan Broussard

  From the production's Facebook Event:

"This Is Our Youth is a comedy play by American dramatist and screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan, which premiered Off-Broadway in 1996 and on Broadway in 2014.

The play takes place in Dennis Ziegler's apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Dennis's friend Warren Straub, a dejected 19-year-old, has just been kicked out of his house and stolen $15,000 from his abusive lingerie-tycoon father. Dennis, the more wily and domineering of the two, spends some of the money on cocaine, hoping to sell it to a friend for much more. Jessica Goldman, an "anxiously insightful" fashion student, comes over and Warren hopes that he can use the money to entice her into bed.The play explores timeless issues of adolescence and maturity.

Shows will be held at Theatre 810 July 23, 24th and 25th starting at 7:30pm. Address is 810 Jefferson Street. Lafayette, LA 70501. Tickets will be $10 at the door or click on the link below to buy online. Cast includes: Candace Grace, Dustin Babin and Ryan Broussard. For more information email Broussard1033@yahoo.com"


You can order your tickets online at http://thisisouryouth.eventbrite.com/

Acadiana Rep returns to 810 this week with The Woman's Part by Cody Daigle-Orians

Etienna Wright, serving serious face in
ART's poster for THE WOMAN'S PART

First off: Congratulations to The Diamond Devil Revue, who popped 810's Burlesque Cherry with a packed-house show on Saturday night! We can't wait to have you Devils back!

Next up at Theatre 810, Acadiana Repertory Theatre brings us THE WOMAN'S PART, another original work from local favorite, Cody Daigle-Orians!

The Woman's Part celebrates women in theatre, both at the dawn of their professional entrance to the business and in today's world. Act One takes place in 1669 London, and follows Aphra Behn, the first professional female playwright, as she brings her first play "The Forc'd Marriage" to the stage. The second act takes place in 2015 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where an all-female theatre company plans to mount "The Forc'd Marriage" in an attempt to save their struggling company. Camaraderie, creativity and compromise face both sets of women artists in pursuit of a life in the theatre.

THE WOMAN'S PART is directed by Steven R. Landry and assisted by Gabe Ortego. The cast is made up of many familiar faces: Etienna Wright, Jordan Umphries, Deborah D. Ardoin, Cindy Hebert, Jody L. Powell, Chloe Abbott, Erica Jure, Bonnie Kyzar, John Snyder, and Allen Higginbotham.

Shows are June 19, 20,& 25, 26, 27 at 7:30pm with a matinee on Sunday, June 21 at 2:00pm. Tickets can be purchased online from Eventbrite at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-presents-the-womans-part-by-cody-daigle-orians-tickets-16769964415, reserved by phone at (337)484-0172, or reserved by email at theatre810@gmail.com.

Also this month: Silverbacks Improv Theatre will return on Wednesday, June 24th at 7:30pm with a SUMMER themed improv show. In celebration of summer jobs, summer schedules, and summer wallets, Silverbacks are having a Summer Special pricing for their 810 shows: Instead of a set ticket price, they invite you to Pay What You Can for the summer months! 

We've certainly got a busy summer ahead of us, and we can't wait for you to see everything going on at Theatre 810!

We're Revving Back Up for the Summer!

It's been on the seemingly quiet side here at Theatre 810 for the spring, but we've been keeping ourselves busy, none-the less!

This past weekend, we hosted a special show, dubbed "Improv and Pirates," which was actually a setup that ended in a wedding proposal! With the help of Silverbacks Improv Theatre and The Whiskey Bay Rovers, a man brought together his beloved's friends and family to surprise her with a special show geared directly towards her. In the finale, a friend of the couple came out to sing a special song, which turned into a duet as the man stepped up to serenade his girlfriend, after which, he proposed, surrounded by friends, family, improvisers, and pirates. She said yes, of course! Congratulations, Jason & Eden! Thank you for sharing your special moment with us!

May certainly ended with a bang, and June is looking to be pretty fantastic as well!

The deadline to sign up for Improv Classes with members of Silverbacks Improv Theatre is swiftly approaching!

The 4-week Level 1 course, exploring the fundamental skills and games behind improvisational theatre, will be taught by Sarah Mikayla Brown and will begin on June 6th at 10:00am. Register to secure the very last spot in the class online at https://improvlevel1.eventbrite.com/

The 4-week Level 2 course, with Steve Benelli, is designed for those who have some previous beginner training in Improv and work on in-depth techniqes, skills, and games behind improvisational theatre, beyond the fundamentals. Register online today at https://improvlevel2.eventbrite.com/

On June 7th, The Tea Sippers' Theatre Company will be hosting a Tony Awards Gala at Theatre 810.

The Teasippers say, "The purpose of this event is to bring the community together to watch the annual Tony Awards, show appreciation for the arts, and to celebrate the success of our local theatre companies. Admission for this event is free of charge, but donations are strongly suggested. All proceeds will go toward funding next year's gala and keeping local theatre alive. Food will be provided for all guests. Please feel free to contribute a dish of your own. THE MORE FOOD THE BETTER!"

This year, the event will be a COSTUME PARTY! The hosts encourage guests to be  creative, wearing costumes from any genre; Movie or theatre stars, characters, etc. There will be a costume contest held after The Tony Award event ends. The party starts at 6:00pm!


In another Theatre 810 first, The Diamond Devil Revue is set to bring its fun and flirty brand of Burlesque to our little Black Box.

The Diamond Devil Revue, the new Lafayette burlesque troupe, will perform at Theatre 810 on Saturday, June 13 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance at http://diamonddevilrevue.eventbrite.com/ and $15 at the door. Only ages 18 and up will be admitted.

The show will feature thrilling acts and teases by favorite Lafayette burlesque performers such as Lucy Furr, Mia Moore, Sugar Bits, and pin-up model Jezzie Jay. The Diamond Devil Revue is hosted by Mr. Buttz and will also feature Martini Bear and Shirley Yours, introducing FiFi L'Amour. Don't miss out on this spectacular new show right here in Lafayette!

PHEW! That's a lot of fantastic stuff, And that's only our first 2 weeks!

Next week, we'll have more information on Acadiana Repertory Theatre's next show, The Woman's Part by Cody Daigle-Orians, scheduled to open on June 19th (thewomanspart.eventbrite.com) and more shows from our friends at Silverbacks Improv Theatre!

Be sure to subscribe to our Google Calendar of Events so you won't miss a single event!

Silverbacks to offer Multi-Level Improv Courses starting this June!

Steve Benelli and Sarah Mikayla Brown of Silverbacks Improv Theatre

In response to the interest of the community, Silverbacks Improv Theatre in collaboration with Theatre 810 will begin offering a regular serving of improv classes, starting this June. In this first session, members of Silverbacks Improv Theatre will offer two options for classes, Improv 1 and Improv 2.

Improv 1 is an entry-level course that will be equally relevant to those who are interested in performing improv, and those are simply looking to think outside the box and have some fun. Teacher Sarah Mikayla Brown will teach improv fundamentals in a laid-back environment. Improv comedy is a great way to exercise the brain and to learn effective brain storming and communication skills.

Teacher Sarah Mikayla Brown is a Lafayette native and ULL graduate who went on to live in Chicago and found the Chicago Fringe Festival, as well as study improvisation at the Annoyance Theater. Now living in Lafayette, she is a member of two professional ensembles, Acting Up! in Acadiana and Silverbacks Improv Theatre. She is the co-creator of the popular play, “Cajun Face.”

Improv 2 is intended for those who have taken an introductory lesson in improv in the past, or who have had equivalent experience. This class will focus on teaching students how to build characters and to begin on the skills needed to create improvised scenes. Improv 2 will be taught by Steve Benelli.

Benelli is a native of New Orleans but has been living in Lafayette since 1998 when he became a founding member of the UL-Lafayette based improv troupe, Cult of the Stage Monkey – Lafayette. He served as a longtime director of COSM before resigning that post a few years ago prior to becoming a founder of Silverbacks Improv Theatre. Steve is also a musician and is a member of the pirate band, The Whiskey Bay Rovers.

Silverbacks Improv Theatre (Lafayette, LA) mixes special improvised brews for audiences across the U.S. Favorite improv creations include Film Noirs, 90's Sitcoms, and Sci-Fi's. The Silverbacks are always energetic, nerd-tastic, and not afraid of costumes. The Silverbacks consists of members who have trained and performed in places as far as Mississippi, Texas, Illinois, California, and D.C. with a combined total of over 50 years of improv experience. Silverbacks Improv Theatre performs monthly at Theatre 810 and for Lafayette’s 2nd Saturday Art Walk at Cité des Arts.

Registration is available through Eventbrite. Space is limited, so sign up to secure your spot today!

1. Improv 1 – A Silverbacks Improv Class in Collaboration with Theatre 810 (Teacher Sarah Mikayla Brown)
Dates: June 6, June 13, June 20, June 27
Time: 10am – 12pm
Ages 16+
Register by Calling Theatre 810 at (337) 484-0172 or at: https://improvlevel1.eventbrite.com

2. Improv 2 – A Silverbacks Improv class in Collaboration with Theatre 810 (Teacher Steve Benelli)
Dates: June 6, June 13, June 20, June 27
Time: 2:30 – 4:30pm
Ages: 16+
Register by Calling Theatre 810 at (337) 484-0172 or at: https://improvlevel2.eventbrite.com/

Acting Unlimited invites YOU to audition for The Addams Family: A New Musical!

Acting Unlimited will hold auditions for The Addams Family (the musical) on May 16, 17, and 18 at Theatre 810 (810 Jefferson St., Lafayette, LA). Saturday auditions will be held 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and auditions on Sunday and Monday will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Those auditioning must prepare one minute of a musical theatre song, will be asked to read scenes from the script, and will be taught a dance combination. No accompanist will be available.

Performances of the production will be August 7 to 16, Friday through Sunday at Burke Theatre on UL’s campus. Rehearsals will begin in early June. All roles in the musical are available, including all of the quirky Addams family clan: Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Fester, Grandma, and Lurch. There are several supporting roles for a young man, a woman in her 40s, and a man in his 50s. The chorus of deceased ancestors can be of any age and any voice range. The production is directed by Travis Guillory.

The Addams Family is a new musical comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice that opened on Broadway in 2010. The show features an original story, and it's every father's nightmare. Wednesday Addams, a teenage girl with a passion for the macabre, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart, “normal” young man from a respectable family. And if that weren't upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father, Gomez, an eccentric Spanish patriarch, and begs him not to tell her sultry, aloof mother, Morticia. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he's never done before - keep a secret from his beloved wife. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday's new, all-American boyfriend and his conservative parents. They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky. They're all together ooky - The Addams Family.

For more information, contact Travis Guillory at trvsguillory@yahoo.com or contact Acting Unlimited at actingunlimitedinc@gmail.com or (337)484-0172.

Join the event on Facebook for updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/1600853486828581/1614846055429324/

Student Performances coming to Theatre 810!

This week, Students from Lafayette Parish will take over downtown, bringing their unique performances and art to the spotlight.

The Student Arts Expo is an annual event designed in increase public knowledge and appreciation of the arts with performances and visual arts exhibits representing nearly every school in the Lafayette Parish School System by students in grades preK–12.

This event is in its 6th year and brings more and more people to Downtown Lafayette every year.

This year, Theatre 810 is proud to host several groups of students. First off, the LPSS Talented Senior Students will take the stage mid-week.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015: 6:00pm- Madeline G.
                                   7:00pm- Lillian F.
Friday, May 8, 2015: 7:00pm- Sam F.

3 Seniors. 2 Nights. 1 Theater. The LPSS Talented Program will present two nights of Talented Theatre Senior Shows at Theatre 810. Throughout the school year, these students have collaborated with their peers and teachers to create individual original shows. The shows’ themes vary from Commedia dell’arte, the exploration of conformity, and performing art vs. performance art. Running time will vary between 20-40 minutes per show. Events are free and open to the public.

On Saturday, May 9th, the Student Arts Expo will be going on at various spaces downtown. The Festivities at Theatre 810 will take place from 4-8pm, and are free to the public. The schedule for Saturday, May 9th is as follows:

4:00pm- Paul Breaux Talent Theatre Class

4:30pm- High School Monologues and Scenes

5:00pm- Middle School Monologues and Scenes

6:30pm- “Gone” by Cody Daigle

7:30pm- Film Screenings


The Student Arts Expo is presented by Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette Parish School System and Cox, with support from Downtown Lafayette and Lafayette Consolidated Government.

Silverbacks Improv Theatre celebrates 3 years of spontaneity!

Silverbacks Improv Theatre will celebrate their 3rd anniversary by offering an Audience Appreciation show tomorrow, Wednesday, April 29 at 7:30pm. Not only is this show FREE for all who attend, but audience members will also be treated to free popcorn and candy! Silverbacks conducted a poll, asking followers what their favorite improv games were, and have used the Top 10 results to make up an evening of crowd-pleasing shortform games.

The origin story of Silverbacks Improv Theatre has its roots in ULL’s Cult of the Stage Monkey. Operating on UL’s campus for over 15 years, Cult of the Stage Monkey featured many of Silverbacks players. Long after graduation, a few of them got together and decided it was time to bequeath the student troop to the students, and to branch off into a professional troupe. Elaine Kibodeaux, Steve Benelli, Andrew Lee, and Rick Manual are all founding members of Silverbacks. They were joined by Sarah Mikayla Brown and Nico Zaunbrecher in 2012, both recent transplants from Illinois. In the past year, Silverbacks were proud to welcome Monique Morton, a Second City trained improviser, back in Louisiana from California. Nominated as “Best Local Live Entertainment” by the Times of Acadiana, the Silverbacks have gained a reputation for fun live performances and always pushing the creative envelope. Recently, the Silverbacks have been asked to perform at neighboring theaters in Houston and Baton Rouge. They hope to continue their wacky improvised journey over the next three years, to even bigger audiences.Silverbacks Improv Theatre
Wednesday April 29, 2015 at 7:30 pm
Theatre 810 - 810 Jefferson St. Lafayette, LA 70501
FREE!!!
Reservations by email: theatre810@gmail.com

Clockwise from top left: Sarah Mikayla Brown, Elaine Kibodeaux, Steve Benelli,
Monique Morton, Rick Manuel, & Nico Zaunbrecher of Silverbacks Improv Theatre.

Expectation - a theatrical experiment created by Alicia Chaisson

Alicia Chaisson will present EXPECTATION, an original performance by a pregnant mother and her two-year-old at Theatre 810 in Downtown Lafayette April 10 & 11, 2015 at 7:30pm. EXPECTATION is a theatrical exploration of learning to adjust as a means of coping with the complexities of life: motherhood, relationships, work, self-care, and the urge to create. Developed throughout her second pregnancy, Alicia Chaisson will perform at 38 weeks pregnant. The show features her two-year-old daughter, Penelope, whose willingness to cooperate will affect the performance.

Alicia Chaisson is currently a Talented Theatre teacher at Lafayette Parish. She graduated from New York University in 2006, and trained at the Playwrights Horizons Theater School, where she worked rigorously in the Creating Original Work program.  She is an almunus of the New York Neo-Futurists, where she was a writer/director/performer.  Mrs. Chaisson served as director and company manager for Nightmare: New York's Most Terrifying Haunted House and box office manager for The Public Theater in New York. Since relocating to Lafayette in 2011, Ms.  Chaisson has been active in the Acadiana theatre scene, directing plays such as AUI’s “Urinetown” and The Compound’s “William and Judith”. She also works as a birth doula with MotherBirth.

Tickets are $8. For reservations, call (337)484-0172

ART to hold open auditions for Cody Daigle's "THE WOMAN'S PART"

THE WOMAN'S PART will open June 19th, 2015

Acadiana Repertory Theatre will return to the stage of Theatre 810 in June with the developmental premiere of  Cody Daigle's "The Woman's Part," but before they can do that, they'll be holding open auditions in a couple of weeks. The following is their description of the show and the parts they're looking to fill, as taken from their facebook event:

"The Woman's Part celebrates women in theatre, both at the dawn of their professional entrance to the business and in today's world. Act One takes place in 1669 London, and follows Aphra Behn, the first professional female playwright, as she brings her first play "Forced Marriage" to the stage. The second act takes place in 2015 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where an all-female theatre company plans to mount "Forced Marriage" in an attempt to save their struggling company. Camaraderie, creativity and compromise face both sets of women artists in pursuit of a life in the theatre.

ART is in need of a woman in her 40s-50s, 2 women in their 30s, and a woman in her mid to late 20s to round out a cast that includes company members and theatre veterans Etienna Wright, Debbi Ardoin, Jody Powell, Erica Jure, John Snyder, and Allen Higginbotham and will be directed by ART Artistic Director, Steven Landry with Gabe Ortego serving as Assistant Director and Logan Hensgens serving as Stage Manager.

Auditions will be April 19th from 2-4pm and April 20th from 6:30pm-8:00pm at Theatre 810. Members of the cast will be there to read with you and sides from the show will be provided. Table work begins in early May and the show will open on June 19th, running for two weekends.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email the director, Steven Landry, at stevenlandry@acadianarep.org.

We look forward to seeing you there!"

Silverbacks Go To The Movies

Silverbacks Improv Theatre enjoys presenting special concept shows such as Soap Operas, Murder Mysteries, and Noirs. This March, the group will expand its repertoire into “Film” territory. The group will begin by improvising three “Trailers” for movies. The audience will then choose which movie they’d like to see, and the performers will deliver a one-act play of the concept.

The audience will also enjoy complimentary popcorn and candy!
 
  


Silverbacks Improv Theatre Presents: Silverbacks Go to the Movies
Wednesday March 25, 2015 at 7:30 pm
Theatre 810- 810 Jefferson St. Lafayette, Louisiana 70501
$7 admission, $5 with student I.D.
Reservations by calling: (337) 484-0172

Attending this show will also give you the chance to check out the newly renovated box office and seating area at Theatre 810!