In the Wings with TPI (Sept. 2022)

After two long years away from our home theater at Jean Lafitte Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center, exciting things are happening at Thibodaux Playhouse once again! 

In July, TPI staged Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Kyle Davis and Melinda Adams, which rose to incredible success, selling out its entire run and earning rave reviews from its audiences.

Here’s what some of our audience members had to say in written reviews about the production:

“Now that’s entertainment! What a wonderful showcase of talent!”

“I had a great time at Little Shop and can’t wait for the 63rd Season!” 

“Another successful performance by the playhouse. Audiences loved the show and the interaction with the cast and crew afterwards. Heard a lot of positive feedback and enthusiasm for future shows. Younger members of the audience enjoyed it as well.”

As the curtain closes on Little Shop of Horrors, TPI looks forward to the start its 63rd Season (its first full season since the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020). 

Kicking off the season is Arthur Miller’s famous historical drama The Crucible. Directed by Mason Clark with Assistant Director Leah LeBeouf, The Crucible tells the story of the Salem Witch Trials through the eyes of those who witnessed (and succumbed to) it.

A change of pace from the comedic plays and musicals audiences have come to know and love, the Playhouse is taking a crack at the classics, offering audiences a different kind of theatrical experience that will grip them from beginning to end.

“It’s a fantastic show,” says Damon Stentz, who plays the role of Deputy-Governor Danforth. “You know [TPI] can do comedy, but you have to see us do drama.”

“This is a powerful show that takes a look at our country’s history as well as well as the here and now– even today, we find mass hysteria– people blaming one another,” says Brittany Bourque (Rebecca Nurse). “It allows [audiences] to self-reflect while enjoying a powerful and captivating dramatic work with an equally powerful and captivating cast.” 

As they prepare for the show’s opening next month, cast and crew members have been hard at work in rehearsals. In addition to memorizing their lines and blocking, cast members have hit the books– looking to historical records and even court documents from the Salem Witch Trials to learn as much as they can about the real lives of the people they are portraying.

“I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the period and on Puritan beliefs– how outsiders were treated,” says lead actor Malcolm Parfait (John Proctor). “[…] and it’s enlightened my views on the characters.”

With an exceptionally talented twenty-one-person cast filled with both new and familiar faces, The Crucible brings a new level of acting talent to the Thibodaux Playhouse stage. 

“I get to work with such amazing and talented people,” says Carissa Theriot (Elizabeth Proctor). “I love seeing the passion the cast has put into this production.” 

“I’m starstruck every time I come to rehearsal,” says Kristen Rodrigue (Abigail Williams). “This cast is ridiculously talented– they really bring these characters to life.”

Emma Zeringue (Mary Warren) says this show differs from other productions she’s been in because of its intensity and the weight that each character’s actions hold.

“The stakes are very high in this show,” she says. “In other shows I’ve been in, the characters didn’t have as serious a story to tell.” 

Thibodaux Playhouse, Inc. is beyond excited to invite you back into our seats to experience the The Crucible.

The Crucible runs October 21-30, 2022, and performances are as follows:

• Friday, October 21, 2022 @ 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, October 22, 2022 @ 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, October 23, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

• Friday, October 28, 2022 @ 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, October 29, 2022 @ 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, October 30, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here or by calling our box office at (985) 446-1896.

“Talent– Thibodaux Playhouse brings a lot of talent,” says Steve Crispino (Reverend Samuel Parris). “Although this show is on the serious side, it is extremely entertaining.”