"Always...Patsy Cline"

"Always, Patsy Cline"

     Tickets are now on sale for the musical "Always, Patsy Cline", starring Angie Benoit McBride and Cindy Veillon Mattei. 

Please contact Turning Point at 337-457-2156 or David's LTD at 337-546-0163 to purchase tickets or stop by either location in Eunice. 

Performance dates are June 15, 18, 19, 22, 25, 28, 29 at 7:00pm and June 16 & 23 at 2:00pm.  Dinner theatre with be June 26 at 6:00pm. 

Remember this musical is not part of the season ticket.  

Make sure to purchase your tickets early because they will sell fast!

Meet the Cast of "The Glass Mendacity"

ALLEN HIGGINBOTHAM as Mitch O'Connor

Allen first performed on the EPT stage in the play Rumours and returned after 20 years to play the role of Bill Ray in last year’s On Golden Pond.  A native of Eunice, he lived in Lafayette for a time where he worked in retail and attended UL for a degree in film. He moved back to Eunice three years ago and now manages the Café Mosaic on Second Street. He wants to thank Jody, who was in the play Rumours with him, for dragging him gratefully back onto the stage. He also wants to thank Jacob Winters and the staff at Café Mosaic for all their support in allowing him to return to his first love.

ERIN SEGURA as Laura Dubois

Erin is a 2005 graduate of Northwestern State University with degrees in Liberal Arts and Dance.  Since then has moved to Lafayette and has been very active in theatres across Acadiana.  Her favorite roles include Shelby in Steel Magnolias at Teche Theatre in Franklin, Rita in Educating Rita at Cite' des Arts and Iberia Performing Arts League, Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream with Acting Unlimited, Inc. in Lafayette, Xanthias in The Frogs with Acting Unlimited Repertory Academy in Lafayette, and most recently, Mona Lipshitz (Merry Murderess #6) in IPAL's Chicago.  Her most recent role onstage was that of Lucy Harker in AUI's production of Dracula last fall.  Erin loves theatre as a hobby and appreciates the friendships she's made through community theatre that last long after the show is over.

DEBORAH D. ARDOIN as Blanche Dubois

Debbi is a long-time member of Eunice Players' Theatre, and a company member of Acadiana Repertory Theatre, based in Lafayette. She is a multiple Irving Award winner at EPT for her dramatic and comedic roles, including the roles of Mom in A Nice Family Gathering, Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Annie in Misery, and most recently Lottie Molloy in The Murder Room.  She was seen last year in The Vagina Monologues presented by V-Day Lafayette 2012, and as Halie in Buried Child at Cite’ des Arts in Lafayette.  Debbi has also directed several plays at EPT including Agnes of God, ’night, Mother, Broadway on 2nd St. (co-director) and Providence (co-director), and the musicals The Fantasticks and The Sound of Music.  She is currently employed by the State of Louisiana, Office of Aging and Adult Services.  

KATRYN SCHMIDT as Maggie the Cat

Katt brings a lot of passion and experience in stage and film work.  Some of her credits include Bella in Lost in Yonkers, Mrs. Webb in Our Town, various female roles in Parallel Lives: The Kathy and Mo Show, The Vagina Monologues, and more recently, Anne in Edward Albee's At Home At The Zoo.  Katt is excited to be performing for the first time at Eunice Players' Theatre and is grateful to be working with such a talented director, cast, and crew. 

MARY GAIL LAMONTE DEVILLIER as Amanda Dubois

Mary Gail has been enamored with acting since high school when she saw her first stage play, a production of The Glass Menagerie and declared, "I can do that."  Years later she indeed did portray the story's matriarch, Amanda Wingfield, on two occasions, including once here at EPT with her daughter, Jody Lamonte Powell, cast as Laura. She has had lead or supporting roles in over 25 plays, over 62 years. Prior credits include Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy, Emma in Over the River and Through the Woods, for both of which she won the Eunice Players' Theatre's Best Actress Irving Award, and Louise in Always...Patsy Cline, all directed by Jody.

Mary Gail retired in 1998 after a 33 year career as a Children's Protective Services Worker. After the recent death of her second husband, she returned to Opelousas to be near her family. She has three children and eight grandchildren, one of whom lives in heaven. She is grateful to Jody, her frequent and favorite director, for casting her in such a delicious role and allowing her to be part of such a talented group of actors.  

KEVIN MILLER as Big Daddy Dubois

Kevin has been seeking psychological refuge in theatre, since grade school and has been a regular fixture at Eunice Players’ Theatre for decades, where he has been honored with several Irving Awards for his acting in comedies including Complete History of America (abridged), as well as the dramas Misery and The Subject was Roses. He is a member of Acadiana Repertory Theatre troupe in Lafayette and has enjoyed performing on different stages around Lafayette, including The Rehearsal and Carol: A Broken Chain last year.

This time, in addition to collaborating with some of his favorite local talent, he is enjoying the challenge of working with the very talented actors and actresses which our director has, fortunately, lured to our stage from Lafayette, Carencro, and Opelousas. When not doing his "grown-up" gig as a chiropractor, in Ville Platte, he enjoys time with his children and grandchildren. Kevin would like to give special thanks to Marsha, for taking up the slack at home, once again, so he can enjoy himself on stage. 

JOHN SNYDER as Stanley Kowalski

A native of Opelousas now living in Carencro, John has studied contemporary theatre at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette and The American Theatre for Actors in New York City, as well as classical theatre at The British American Drama Academy at Oxford. He has also studied long-form improvisational theatre at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York where he was a main stage performer, and helped to develop the long-form, The Documentary.  John has performed in a myriad of productions in Louisiana, New York, and England, some of which include Much Ado about Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Lost in Yonkers, Of Mice and Men, and The Heidi Chronicles.  He was seen on the EPT stage in the 1990’s in Playing Doctor, and in Lend Me A Tenor, for which he won a Best Actor Irving Award.

John has two children, Jack, age 9, and Drew, age 8, and is engaged to Aimee Calandra.  He manages an Allstate insurance agency in Opelousas.

BRICK as Himself

After a thorough search on the internet, Brick comes to EPT via ebay.  Brick’s earlier career was in modeling, where he specialized in military uniforms.  His versatility and flexibility have allowed for photo shoots in Star Wars and comic book hero attire, as well as a 70’s cool dude.  Brick has television credits to his name, having been seen on “30 Rock” as a doorman.  He was drawn to the role in this play after having seen the red smoking jacket which he finds so comfortable, he wears throughout the entire play.  This play marks Brick’s stage debut.  He thanks Katryn for keeping him engaged in the action, and helping him get comfortable with stage movement.

Tickets On Sale for "The Glass Mendacity"

Pictured L-R:  Mary Gail Lamonte DeVillier of Opelousas, Deborah D. Ardoin of Eunice, Kevin Miller of Eunice, Katryn "Katt" Schmidt of Lafayette, and John Snyder of Opelousas. 
  

Tickets are now on sale for "The Glass Mendacity", written by Maureen Morley and Tom Willmorth, and directed by Jody L. Powell.  The cast includes Deborah D. Ardoin, Mary Gail Lamonte DeVillier, Allen Higginbotham, Kevin Miller, Katryn Schmidt, Erin Segura, John Snyder, and introducing....Brick.

Performance dates are March 14, 15, 21, 22, 23 at 7:00 p.m., with a matinee on Sunday, March 17 at 2:00 p.m.  Dinner Theatre (steak and trimmings) is Wednesday, March 20 at 6:00 p.m. at Ruby’s Restaurant, next door to the theatre.  Individual tickets for the show are $10; dinner theatre is an additional $15. Tickets can be purchased at David Ltd. Salon at 204 S. Second St. in Eunice, or by calling David at 546-0163 or Debi at 457-2156 to charge by phone.  The theatre is located at 121 S. Second St. in Eunice.  This play includes very brief use of mature language and smoking of herbal cigarettes.

Season tickets are also available; the season ticket is $20, which allows the bearer entrance to 3 of the season's shows, the ability to make seating reservations, an invitation to the Irving Awards, and a ballot for the awards.  Patron and angel packages are also available.

Eunice Players' Theatre Opens 44th Season With A Comedy

As the Eunice Players’ Theatre opens its 44th season, Jody L. Powell brings to the stage “The Glass  Mendacity”, written by Maureen Morley and Tom Willmorth.  The two-act comedy is a spoof of Tennessee Williams’ most famous plays, "The Glass Menagerie", "A Streetcar Named Desire", and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"

Williams’ plays are family dramas, and as such, they are filled with fragile and damaged Southern characters who are driven to madness, alcoholism, deceit, and fantasy. Thus, they are easy targets for lampooning and parody, which is just what the authors of this play have done with them. In addition, the authors have taken family members from each play, mixed them up, and created an entirely new outrageous brood. Audiences with a strong familiarity of Williams’ plays will get the most out of the show, but the humor of "The Glass Mendacity" is broad enough to make it appealing to all.

In this mingling of characters where families are merged and relationships are shifted, Big Daddy Dubois is played by Kevin Miller of Eunice.  He is well known on the Eunice stage for dramatic and comedic roles from “The Subject Was Roses”, all of the “abridged” and “Tuna” plays, and more.  In Lafayette, he was most recently seen in “The Rehearsal” and he is a member of Acadiana Repertory Theatre, having recently been in their production of “CAROL: A Broken Chain”.

Big Daddy’s wife, Amanda Dubois, who still recounts the number of gentlemen callers she had in her youth, is played by Mary Gail Lamonte DeVillier of Opelousas.  Mary Gail has been seen on the Eunice stage in many roles including that of Amanda Wingfield (from whom her current character is drawn) in “The Glass Menagerie”, Daisy in “Driving Miss Daisy” and Louise in “Always…Patsy Cline”.

Together, they are the parents of Brick, so rendered catatonic by self-pity and alcohol that he comes across as a real stiff.  He is played by a certain gentleman from Tennessee, whom the audience must see to appreciate.

Blanche Kowalski, the tragic nut case, is played by Deborah D. Ardoin of Eunice.  Debbi is a long time member of EPT, and a current member of Acadiana Repertory Theatre.  She was most recently seen in “The Murder Room” and “A Nice Family Gathering” in Eunice, and “Buried Child” in Lafayette.

In this twisted reality, Blanche is now married to the working-class brute Stanley Kowalski, played by John Snyder of Opelousas.  John has studied contemporary theatre at ULL and The American Theatre for Actors in New York City, as well as classical theatre at The British American Drama Academy at Oxford. Eunice audiences may remember him from years past in “Lend Me a Tenor” and “Playing Doctor”.

Maggie the Cat, the scheming seductress, is played by Katryn Schmidt of Lafayette.  No stranger to the stage, Katryn’s work includes roles in “Lost in Yonkers”, “Our Town”, and “The Vagina Monologues”.  Her film work includes “Lord Byron”, which was screened at the Sundance Festival in 2011.

Erin Segura of Lafayette plays Laura Dubois, keeper of a glass menagerie and the dreamer whose shyness is underscored by her limp. Erin has an extensive theatrical resume throughout Acadiana including the roles of Shelby in “Steel Magnolias” at Teche Theatre in Franklin, Rita in “Educating Rita” at Iberia Performing Arts League in New Iberia, and Lucy Harker in “Dracula” in Lafayette. 

Rounding out the cast is Allen Higginbotham of Eunice, playing Mitch, a combination of the gentleman caller and the lawyer acquaintance who properly greases the wheels and can’t keep his eyes off of Blanche.  Allen joined the cast of “Rumours” on the EPT stage 20 years ago, and made his way back to the boards in last season’s “On Golden Pond”.

Evening performances will be held March 14, 15, 21, 22, and 23 at 7:00 p.m.  A matinee will be held Sunday, March 17 at 2:00 p.m.  Dinner theatre (with steak and trimmings) is scheduled for Wednesday, March 20 at 6:00 p.m. at Ruby's on Second St., with the performance immediately following.  Individual tickets for the show will be on sale soon.  More information can be found on EPT’s Facebook page.

Eunice Players’ Theatre to Hold Auditions For "The Glass Mendacity"

The Eunice Players’ Theatre will hold auditions for their opening play of the 44^th season, “The Glass Mendacity" by Maureen Morley and Tom Willmorth, on Monday, February 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the theatre at 121 S. Second St. in Eunice (between Ruby’s on Second St. and Bertrand’s Office Supplies).  Director Jody L. Powell needs 3 adult men and 4 adult women to fill the cast.  More people are needed to assist with set decoration, backstage duties, costuming, etc.  Rehearsals for the Tennessee Williams-based comedy will be held throughout February and March with production scheduled for mid- to late-March.  Auditions are open to everyone who wants to get involved with their local community theatre.  FMI, or to schedule an audition time, call Jody L. Powell at 337-580-1787.