ONSTAGE2009 AWARDS GALA

Central Louisiana Community Theatre, better known as City Park Players, concluded its 61st consecutive season with a wonderful semi-formal evening event filled with great food, drinks, dancing, a silent auction, and live entertainment on November 20.  

Awards were presented during a ceremony, which also featured snippets of performances by the actors that so ably brought each play to life.  The awards are determined by votes from season ticket holders.

The Viewers Choice Awards are:

Best Performance by Female Newcomer – Presented by Rosa Metoyer and Jim Weinzettle

Christal Workman – Luisa / Black Jack: A Thief of Possession

Best Performance by Male Newcomer – Presented by Karen Riley Simmons and Kerry Lloyd

Jim Weinzettle – David / Social Security

Best Performance by Supporting Female Actor – Presented by Sylvia Davis and Brad Smith

Susan Hathorn – Rory / Black Jack: A Thief of Possession

Best Performance by Supporting Male Actor – Presented by Paula Antee and H. Wendell Isadore

Jerry Havens – Boolie / Driving Miss Daisy

Best Performance by Female Actor -- Presented by Diane Falcone and Frith Harwood

Theresa Louviere – Daisy / Driving Miss Daisy

Best Performance by Male Actor – Presented by Susan Hathorn and Stu Rigger

Jim Weinzettle – David / Social Security

Star Awards – Presented by Jean Holliday

H. Wendell Isadore – Hoke / Driving Miss Daisy

Jim Weinzettle – David / Social Security

Karen Riley Simmons – Sophie / Flyin’ West

Susan Hathorn – Rory / Black Jack: A Thief of Possession

Best Set – Presented by Helen Moore and Stu Rigger

Flyin’ West by Pearl Cleage – Set Design by Diane Falcone and Jim Weinzettle

Best Director – Presented by Kerry Lloyd and Sylvia Davis

Frith Harwood – Social Security

Best Show – Presented by Paula Antee and Bradly Smith

There was a tie between Flyin’ West by Pearl Cleage directed by Diane Falcone

and Social Security by Andrew Bergman directed by Frith Harwood.

Board of Directors President Rosa Metoyer  presented Allen Rowlen and T.J. Shuflin with a special recognition award.   She then presented the PRESIDENT'S AWARD to Karen Riley Simmons.

A silent auction included donations from Diamond Grill, Bistro on the Bayou, Lloyd Advertising, Paragon Casino Resort, Kitchen Warehouse, Limousine LifeStyles and Copeland’s as well as original art work created and donated by Dr. Henry Blount, Susan Hathorn, Glenda Kinnison-Smith, and Marcus White.  Other auction items include jewelry from Sassy Girl and pearls from Suzan Richey-Bead Boutique, private dance lessons from Randy Sims, an apple pie every month for 3 months from Atwood’s Bakery and a gumbo dinner for 12 hosted by Mr.& Mrs. Scotty Brame in their home.

The evening concluded with desert by Best Catered Events and dancing to the music of Improv Jazz Ensemble.

City Park Players, Central Louisiana Community Theatre is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to offering quality cultural activities and experiences to the entire Central Louisiana community through live theatre productions, programming, and education.  The 2009 season was supported, in part, by grants from the Louisiana Division of the Arts and Roy O. Martin Foundation as administered by the Arts Council of Central Louisiana. Event sponsors included Red River Bank and Frithland Plantation.

Additional support comes from our patrons and donors and people like you who believe that community theatre enriches our lives and enhances our quality of life.

CPP ONSTAGE2009 AWARDS GALA

ONSTAGE2009 Awards Gala – 7:00 PM Friday, November 20, 2009

Originally founded in the 1930's, Central Louisiana Community Theatre is concluding its 61st contiguous season with a wonderful semi-formal evening event filled with great food, drinks, dancing, silent auction, and live entertainment while we celebrate all the cast, crew, and volunteers that made the City Park Players 2009 season such a huge success.


Catering by Best Catered Event – Catering with a Heart – has planned special presentations to enhance our black and white theme which focuses on each of the great plays performed in the 2009 Season. Red River Bank and Frithland Plantation will sponsor 2 food stations, depicting two of the plays. There are other sponsorships available.

There will be a silent auction featuring donations from Diamond Grill, Bistro on the Bayou, Paragon Casino Resort, Kitchen Warehouse, Limo LifeStyles and Copeland’s as well as original art work created and donated by Dr. Henry Blount, Susan Hathorn, Glenda Kinnison-Smith, and Marcus White. Other auction items include jewelry from Sassy Girl and pearls from Suzan Richey-Bead Boutique, private dance lessons from Randy Sims, an apple pie every month for 3 months from Atwood’s Bakery and a gumbo dinner for 12 hosted by Mr & Mrs Scotty Brame in their home.

Awards will be presented during a ceremony which will feature snippets of performances by the actors that so ably brought each play to life. We will recognize the best performances as voted upon by our season ticket holders.

After the awards presentation, Best Catered Events has deserts planned that will tickle your taste buds. There will be drink specials at the cash bar, also based on the shows, served in glasses designed for City Park Players.

City Park Players, Central Louisiana Community Theatre is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to offering quality cultural activities and experiences to the entire Central Louisiana community through live theatre productions, programming, and education. The 2009 season is supported, in part, by grants from the Louisiana Division of the Arts and Roy O. Martin Foundation as administered by the Arts Council of Central Louisiana.

Additional support comes from our patrons and donors and people like you who believe that community theatre enriches our lives and enhances our quality of life.
Tickets are available for $50 or 2 for $75 if purchased in advance. Call 442-1800 or email cityparkplayers@gmail.com for more information.

To Kill A Mockingbird Cast Photo courtesy TJ Shuflin

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird - A Play by Christopher Sergel Directed by Belle Rollins

CITY PARK PLAYERS PRESENTS – A CPP Readers Theatre Presentation of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird - A Play by Christopher Sergel Directed by Belle Rollins  A Rapides Public Library “The Big Read” Featured Event

Sunday, November 1, at 2:00 pm
Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center • Tickets: $5
and
Saturday, November 7, at 6:00 pm
Dinner Theatre at Kent House Plantation • Tickets: $30
Featuring the culinary talents of Chef William LeRoux and a
Silent Auction benefitting Friends of the Rapides Library

The familiar characters, the small town setting, and the major racial themes of Harper Lee’s classic novel are compressed in this faithful adaptation of the novel to the stage. Scout is as spunky, warm-hearted, and curious about life in the stage play as she is in the novel and film, and Atticus Finch is just as passionate an advocate for justice. Tom Robinson is as Job-like, and the Ewell family as hate-filled and ignorant as we expect them to be. The supporting cast, with their asides and small town gossip, convey the social setting of the 1930s. Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior—to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. *General audiences

Michael Robertson as Atticus • Samantha Garrett as Scout • Shane Havens as Jem - Zeb Matthews as Dill • Michael Boudreaux as Tom • Andrea Martin as Calpurnia -Stu Riggar as Judge Taylor • Michael Dalme as Prosecutor Gilmer With Paul Barbee • Anthony LaCroix • H. Wendell Isadore • Reverend Chadwick Godfrey • Dominic Brooks • Jim Leggett • Bradley Smith • Jerry Havens • Paula Antee • Theresa Louviere • Kathleen Pharis

Tickets: (318) 442-1800, Kent House Plantation (318) 487-5998

Rapides Public Library Westside Branch (318) 442-2483

Rapides Public Library Main Branch (318) 442-1858

A premiere community theatre, City Park Players is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to offering quality cultural activities and experiences to the entire Central Louisiana community through live theatre productions, programming, and education. This production is supported, in part, by grants from the Louisiana Division of the Arts and Roy O. Martin Foundation as administered by the Arts Council of Central Louisiana. The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.  Additional support comes from our patrons and donors and people like you who believe that community theatre enriches our lives and enhances our quality of life.

Black Jack:A Thief of Possession

BlackJack Opens October 8

City Park Players is pleased to announce the upcoming presentation of BlackJack : A Thief of Possession, October 8 -18 at the Hearn Stage in downtown Alexandria, LA. Performances are scheduled Thursday – Saturday Evenings at 7:30 and on Sundays at 2:30 in the afternoon.

Black Jack is a play by Rosary Hartel O’Neill directed by Dan Forest. It follows an eccentric New Orleans family as it is squeezed into the close quarters of a Mississippi Riverboat cruise for the New Year’s holiday. Irene, the matriarch of the family, suspects a rift in her estranged daughter's second marriage. Her Latin assistant sets her sights on the grandson, a successful rock star. Kaitlyn, the daughter, is convinced that she is channeling the poet Baudelaire, and certain that her husband, Beau, a brilliant novelist, is having an affair with a larger-than-life character, Rory DeBango. Everyone dons costumes for a New Year's Eve Party, casting off their old identities. As fireworks explode, cracks are revealed in the family’s façade and ugly truths belie frivolity.

Theresa Louviere is the wealthy New Orleans Garden District matriarch, Irene Soniat DuBonnet. Her daughter, Kaitlyn Dubonnet Ellis, is portrayed by Kim Patton. Beau Ellis is played by Casey Scarbrock and Susan Hathorn is Rory DeBango. Bunky Dubonnet Legere is played by Danny Higdon with Christal Workman as Luisa.

We are especially excited to welcome the playwright, Rosary Hartel O’Neill, to Alexandria on October 10 for the Saturday evening performance at 7:30pm. There will be a Talkback Forum in the Lobby after the presentation of the play.

Rosary is the author of fourteen plays, produced internationally by invitation of the American embassy in Paris, Bonn, Tibilisi, Georgia, Budapest, Hungary, London and Moscow. Her play Uncle Victor was chosen Best New American Drama by the Cort Theater, Hollywood, and celebrated in the Chekhove Now Festival in New York. Blackjack was selected for Alice's Fourth Floor Best New Play Series. She was founding artistic director at Southern Rep Theater from 1987 to 2002. she has been playwright-in-residence at the Sorbonne University, Paris; Tulane University, New Orleans; Defiance College, Ohio, the University of Bonn, Germany and Visiting Scholar at Cornell. And she is the mother of four fabulous children: Barrett, Dale, Rachelle and Rory.

In the continuation of our Community Connections initiative we salute Central Louisiana Arts & Healthcare, a not for profit organization whose mission is to bring innovative arts experiences into healthcare settings. They work to enhance the environment of hospitals and healthcare facilities by providing public performances in lobbies and waiting areas, rotating art galleries, and in-room healing arts experiences for patients and families. We invite you to view the "Chairs For Charity" exhibit on display in the lobby of The Hearn Stage. Twelve chairs creatively decorated and painted by Studio Artists at Ethel Dixon's Studio are being auctioned (final bidding takes place Oct. 16). Proceeds will go to help Central Louisiana Arts & Healthcare continue its healing arts programs.

Reservations are urged. Tickets are available for purchase at the box office before the show. Ticket prices: Adults $12 – Seniors (over 65) $10 - Students $5. The Hearn Stage is located at 3rd & Johnston in Downtown Alexandria in the Rapides Foundation Bldg. Discounted group ticket sales are available. Please contact City Park Players at (318) 442-1800 or email cityparkplayers@gmail.com.

Flyin' West Opens August 6

City Park Players is pleased to announce the third production of our 2009 season; a drama entitled Flyin’ West by Pearl Cleage as directed by Diane Falcone.

This powerful drama is about a family of sisters who abandon the oppressive racism of the post-Reconstruction South to take advantage of the Homestead Act and own their own land in Nicodemus, Kansas (www.nicodemuskansas.com). Facing problems ranging from the inevitability of long, cold winters, to the threat of domestic violence, to the continuing spectra of racial conflict, the women of Flyin' West include Rosa Metoyer as Miss Leah, the old woman whose memories of slavery and its aftermath comprise a living oral history; Karen Riley Simmons as Sophie Washington, whose determination to protect her land and those she loves puts to rest forever the requirement that western archetypes be white and male; Natalie C.F. Phillips as Fannie Mae Dove, the gentle sister, trying to civilize the frontier with fine china and roses, who finds herself falling in love with their soft-spoken neighbor, Wil Parish played by Doogie Golatt; and Margrek Dorsey as Minnie Dove Charles, the headstrong baby sister whose mulatto husband, Frank, portrayed by Jerry Havens, introduces a danger into the household that tests their sisterhood in unexpected ways.

In the continuation of our Community Connections initiative we will recognize NextSTEP of Central Louisiana whose mission is to break the cycle of violence through the provision of housing and supportive services designed to help families transition from the oppression of domestic violence to lives of independence and fulfillment. NextSTEP (Successful Transition to Empowerment Program): Saving lives, one home at a time, will provide information to theatre goers about the program, its goals and progress. Their board of directors will be our guests on opening night, Thursday August 6th at 7:30pm.

Performances continue on Friday and Saturday August 7 & 8 at 7:30pm , Sunday, August 9th, a matinee at 2:30pm. Evening performances at 7:30pm will resume the following Thursday, Friday and Saturday, August 13, 14, & 15. There will be a 2:30pm matinee on Sunday August 16 to close out the run of this show.

Reservations are urged. Tickets are available for purchase at the box office before the show. Ticket prices: Adults $12 – Seniors (over 65) $10 - Students $5. The Hearn Stage is located at 3rd & Johnston in Downtown Alexandria in the Rapides Foundation Bldg. Discounted group ticket sales are available. Please contact City Park Players at (318) 442-1800 or email cityparkplayers@gmail.com.

Announcing the Cast for Flyin' West

City Park Players is pleased to announce the third production of our 2009 season; a drama entitled Flyin’ West by Pearl Cleage as directed by Diane Falcone, which will be presented at the Hearn Stage in Downtown Alexandria August 6 -16.

Flyin' West is a powerful play about a family of sisters who abandon the oppressive racism of the post-Reconstruction South to take advantage of the Homestead Act and own their own land in Nicodemus, Kansas (www.nicodemuskansas.com). Facing problems ranging from the inevitability of long, cold winters, to the possibility of domestic violence, to the continuing spectra of racial conflict, the women of Flyin' West include Rosa Metoyer as Miss Leah, the old woman whose memories of slavery and its aftermath comprise a living oral history; Karen Riley Simmons as Sophie Washington, whose determination to protect her land and those she loves puts to rest forever the requirement that western archetypes be white and male; Natalie C.F. Phillips as Fannie Mae Dove, the gentle sister, trying to civilize the frontier with fine china and roses, who finds herself falling in love with their soft-spoken neighbor, Doogie Golatt as Wil Parish; and Margrek Dorsey as Minnie Dove Charles, the headstrong baby sister whose mulatto husband, Frank, portrayed by Jerry Havens, introduces a danger into the household that tests their sisterhood in unexpected ways.

On With The Shows

Social Security closed on Sunday, June 14. The audience numbers are in and we are so pleased that so many people were there to enjoy the presentations. We are very proud of our cast which included vetrans and newcomers alike. Janet Starn reminded us all that, in the words of Sophie Greengrass, we are still alive. In so many ways.

Special thanks to Director Frith Harwood for bringing Social Security back to the stage. It still resonates when you have great direction and fabulous talent on stage. Jim Weinzettle received the most stars and we were so thrilled that he stepped out of his normal every day "mild mannered man" role. Susan Hathorn was Barbara, what more can we say. And she did an amazing job gathering the props and pieces that are so vital to the successful production. Allen Rowlen and Paula Antee as Martin and Trudy, put aside their own personalities to become the Heymans. Jim Leggett did a great job assuming the role of Maurice Koenig, "a hundred year old jew." He looked terrific! We must not forget to thank Mark Gilette, for so much help backstage and for the portrait of Sophie. Newcomer Greg Conner manned the light and sound board quite well. Lighting designer, Ron Rachal, was, as usual, just the best. There are countless others who helped to make the show a success and we thank them all.

And the audiences made each performance so much fun.

Now we are on to the next production, Flyin' West by Pearl Cleage, a drama, set in the late 1800's. The characters face problems ranging from the inevitability of long, cold winters, to the possibility of domestic violence, to the continuing spectra of racial conflict. Director, Dianne Falcone, has announced the cast:

Sophie Washington............Karen Riley Simmons
Miss Leah............................Rosa Metoyer
Fannie Dove.......................Natalie C. F. Phillips
Will Parish..........................Doogie Golatt
Minnie Dove Charles...........Margreek Dorsey
Frank Charles......................Jerry Havens

We have begun rehearsals and will open this production in August. Check back here for updates and additional information. We look forward to seeing you at the theatre.

Last Weekend to See Social Security

Don't miss seeing Jim Weinzettle and Susan Hathorn as David and Barbara Kahn, the sophisticated New York couple whose lives are complicated by Barb's sister Trudy and her husband Martin Heyman, (portrayed by Paula Antee and Allen Rowlen) when they suddenly bring the sisters' controlling mother, Sophie Greengrass (portrayed by Janet Starn), to stay in Manhattan indefinitely. The laughs never stop as Frith Harwood directs this 1980's adult comedy which also features Jim Leggett as the 98 year old artist, Maurice Koenig.

Evening performances this week resume on Thursday, June 11, at 7:30pm and continue on Friday and Saturday. The show closes with a matinee on Sunday, June 14, at 2:30 in the afternoon. Tickets are $12 for general seating. Seniors over 65 pay only $10 and students, just $5. Your donations help City Park Players continue to present productions year after year. Reservations are urged. Call 318-442-1800 or send an email to cityparkplayers@gmail.com

Auditions This Week for Flyin'West

Audition for Flyin' West by Pearl Cleage (www.pearlcleage.net), presented by City Park Players August 6-16. The auditions are set for Monday & Tuesday, June 8 & 9 at the Hearn Stage downtown. Flyin' West is a powerful play about a family of sisters who abandon the oppressive racism of the post-Reconstruction South to take advantage of the Homestead Act and own their own land in Nicodemus, Kansas (www.nicodemuskansas.com). The play has 4 female and 2 male characters. Please, if you know others who might be interested, pass this notice on to them. A brief synopsis of the play follows. See you at the auditions!

Flyin' West by Pearl Cleage - Synopsis

In the late 19th century, more than 60,000 African Americans gathered in Nashville, Tennessee to embark on a new life in the Western frontier. In an unprecedented movement that came to be known as “The Great Migration,” former slaves and free Blacks began an exodus out of the south and staked their futures on the promise of a piece of land in the free state of Kansas. One of the communities that would form as a result of this great journey was Nicodemus, Kansas.

Set in the all-black town of Nicodemus, Kansas in 1898, Flyin’ West tell the story of courageous, Black pioneers who have come west to build a new life for themselves, free from the racism and oppression of the South. Each of the characters in the play brings a different experience to the story. Miss Leah (age 73), was born into slavery and came west with the first settlers of the Great Migration. Sophie, Fannie and Minniehave been thrown together by circumstance, and have become like sisters to each other. They have homesteaded a piece of property in Kansas together.

Born into slavery, Sophie (age 36) is determined to make Nicodemus a model community, where blacks can enjoy all the benefits of a free life. Fannie (age 32 and born free), wants to be a writer. She has struck up a relationship with a local black man, Wil Parrish (age 40), who was born into slavery, lived among the Seminole Indians, and has come to Kansas by way of Mexico.

Trouble begins when Minnie (age 21 and born free) returns from Europe where she has been living with her husband, Frank (age 36 and born into slavery), a successful poet in London. Frank, the son of a white slave-owner, is waiting to hear if he will receive the inheritance his father promised him before he died. A very light-skinned Black, Frank “passes” for white, and subsequently loses all his money in a card game with white speculators. When a telegram arrives announcing that his white half-brothers have denounced him and his right to his inheritance, Frank suddenly sees the value in Minnie’s share of the homestead.

City Park Players Presents Community Connections for Social Security

City Park Players is proud to be part of what makes Central Louisiana a great place to live. We are building partnerships with other community agencies whose mission is also to improve the quality of life of CenLa residents. With each production in our 2009 season, City Park Players and our Community Connection partners will address issues that are important to our community.  Our current production, which runs from June 4 – 14, is “Social Security” by Andrew Berman and directed by Frith Harwood.

We are pleased to announce that opening night Thursday June 4th at 7:30 pm, is Central Louisiana Professional Women’s Network Night.  Members of CL-PWN will join us as special guests in conjunction with our Community Connections initiative.  The purpose of the Professional Women’s Network is to provide a network for women representing a cross-section of professionals and businesses, who have reached a high level of achievement in a decision-making position. This network unites, supports, and promotes professional and executive women in the business, not-for-profit, and government sectors. A member organization of The International Alliance: An Association of Executive and Professional Women, they meet monthly on the 4^th Thursday of each month. 

On Friday evening, June 5^th we welcome representatives from Friendship House to the performance. The mission of Friendship House is to provide a safe and caring day program in a clean, home-like setting where adults find a renewed sense of self-worth through healthcare, socialization and recreation.  The only licensed adult, day program, care center in central Louisiana, Friendship House is a non-profit organization that provides supervised programs and activities for adults who require a supportive system during daytime hours, but can still live in their own home or with family or friends.  Located in downtown Alexandria at 114 Sixth Street, across from the Rapides Regional ER the hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 7 am until 5:30 pm.  The phone number is 318-473-9504 and the website iswww.friendship-house.net. 

Performances continue on Saturday June 5 at 7:30 pm. The Sunday, June 7th matinee at 2:30 pm is our Sunday Social. Then evening performances at 7:30 pm will resume the following Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 11 – 13. The 2:30 pm matinee on Sunday June 14th will close out the run of this show.

Even though we are recognizing the work of these organizations, everyone is invited to attend all the performances.  Reservations are urged. Tickets are available at the box office before the show.

Ticket prices:   Adults $12 – Seniors (over 65) $10 - Students $5.  The Hearn Stage is located at 3rd & Johnston in Downtown Alexandria in the Rapides Foundation Bldg.

Call 318-442-1800 or email cityparkplayers@gmail.com

 

 A premiere community theatre, City Park Players is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to offering quality cultural activities and experiences to the entire Central Louisiana community through live theatre productions, programming, and education. City Park Players’ 2009 season is supported, in part, by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts as administered by the Arts Council of Central Louisiana.  Additional support comes from our patrons and donors and people like you who believe that community theatre enriches our lives and enhances our quality of life.

Social Security Opens June 4

New York art dealers, Barbara and David Kahn's sophisticated lifestyle is threatened when her suburb-dwelling sister Trudy and her husband, Martin Heyman, make a startling announcement: They are traveling to rescue their college age daughter from the horrors of "living only for sex" and leaving the sisters' outrageous mother with the Kahns -- indefinately! This 1980's comedy about relationships, love, romance, aging and communication, Social Security written by Andrew Bergman features performances by:
Jim Weinzettle and Susan Hathorn as
David and Barbara Kahn,
Allen Rowlen and Paula Antee as
Martin and Trudy Heyman,
Janet Starn as Sophie Greengrass and
Jim Leggett as Maurice Koenig.
The director is Frith Harwood,
Best Director in the 2008 CPP Season.

Opening night is Thursday June 4th at 7:30pm. Performances continue on Friday and Saturday June 5 & 6 at 7:30pm , Sunday, June 7th a matinee at 2:30pm. Evening performances at 7:30pm will resume the following Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 11 – 13. There will be a 2:30pm matinee on Sunday June 14th to close out the run of this show.

Ticket prices Adults $12 - Seniors(over 65) $10 - Students $5.
Hearn Stage is located at 3rd & Johnston in Downtown Alexandria
Tickets are available at the box office before the show. Reservations are urged.
Call 318-442-1800 or email cityparkplayers@gmail.com

Driving Miss Daisy last performance on Saturday April 11

The City Park Players production of Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry, directed by Dianne Falcone, which opened on April 3, 2009 at the Hearn Stage, located in the Rapides Foundation Bldg. in downtown Alexandria, LA.  closes with a matinee performance at 2:30 pm on Saturday, April 11th. 

Daisy Werthan, as portrayed by Theresa Louviere, is a headstrong southern woman. Her son, Boolie Werthan, is portrayed by Jerry Havens, a newcomer to the stage. The play takes place from 1948 to 1973, mostly in Atlanta, GA. The third character in the play is Hoke Coleburn, portrayed by two different actors, H. Wendall Isadore and Greg Woodley, on an alternating schedule. In the final two performance Greg Woodley will be Hoke.  The 25 year relationship is marked by a series of absorbing, revealing scenes as the characters grow older and more connected.

For reservations or additional information Email, cityparkplayers@gmail.com or call 318-442-1800.  Ticket prices are General Admission - $12, Seniors over 65 - $10, Students $5.

Awards were Presented for the 2008 Season

 City Park Players announced the Viewers Choice Award winners on Sunday at the Hearn Stage in a reception honoring all the participants in the 2008 Season.  Plaques were presented as follows:

Best Performance by an actor in a Leading Role - Ed Reed as Norman in "On Golden Pond" - directed by Frith Harwood.

Best Performance by an actor in a Supporting Role - Michael Robertson as Andre in "The Dinner Party" - directed by Ed Reed.

Best Performance by a Male Newcomer    Bradley Smith -- as Lord Brockhurst in "The Boy Friend" by Sandy Wilson - directed by Tina Smith and as Albert in "The Dinner Party" by Neil Simon - directed by Ed Reed. 

Best Performance by an actress in a Leading Role - Lucy Azlin as Ethel in "On Golden Pond" directed by Frith Harwood. 

Best Performance by an actress in a Supporting Role - Wanda Schenk as Chelsea  in "On Golden Pond" directed by Frith Harwood. 

Best Performance by a Female Newcomer - Belle Bindursky asYvonne  n "The Dinner Party" by Neil Simon - directed by Ed Reed. 

Best Director Frith Harwood

Best Set "On Golden Pond"

Best Show on "Golden Pond" by Ernest Thompson. 

Viewers Choice Awards & Auditions

City Park Players announced the Viewers Choice Award nominees for its 2008 season, including Steel Magnolias, The Old Settler, On Golden Pond, The Boyfriend, and The Dinner Party. Season ticket holders, actors, and crew members submit their choices via ballots for Best Performance by a Male Actor, Best Performance by a Female Actor, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by a Male Newcomer, Best Performance by a Female Newcomer, Best Director, Best Set, and Best Show. 

Winners will be announced and receive their awards at a reception on Sunday, March 29 at 2:00 pm, at the Hearn Stage/Kress Theatre. Cast and crew members associated with the 2008 season are invited along with one guest each for no charge, however please make a reservation.  Tickets for everyone else are $10 and must be reserved in advance at 442-1800.  The public is invited.

City Park Players also announces auditions for the second production of our 2009 season, the comedy Social Security by Andrew Berman, Monday and Tuesday, March 30 and 31 at 6:30 pm. Three male roles and three female roles, all ages 35–70-plus, are available. Social Security is a hilarious commentary on family relations and caring gracefully for aging parents. Director Frith Harwood will conduct the auditions at the Hearn Stage/Kress Theatre, Fourth & Johnston Streets, downtown Alexandria. Performances are June 4–14.

 For more information about the City Park Players Viewers Choice Awards or auditions for Social Security, contact City Park Players at (318) 442-1800 or email cityparkplayers@gmail.com.

 A premiere community theatre, City Park Players is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to offering quality cultural activities and experiences to the entire Central Louisiana community through live theatre productions, programming, and education. City Park Players’ 2009 season is supported, in part, by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts as administered by the Arts Council of Central Louisiana.  Additional support comes from our patrons and donors and people like you who believe that community theatre enriches our lives and enhances our quality of life.

Ballots for Viewers's Choice are Available Now

We had quite the memorable 60th anniversary year. Now we invite you to let us know which plays and performances you thought were the best. It is time to honor those who worked so hard to bring the written word to life.

Ballots are available now. Request one by email then choose your favorites in each category and return the ballot as soon as possible.

Nominees in each category will be recognized at a reception at the Kress Theatre on March 29th. That’s a Sunday afternoon from 2 till 5. You are invited to attend. Tickets for this event are available at the door for only $10. Those who participated in the shows during the year are admitted free along with one guest. Please let us know if you are joining us by calling 442-1800.

Get your ballots in and make plans to celebrate the conclusion of another season of plays presented by City Park Players, your Central Louisiana Community Theatre. Opening night for the 2009 season is just around the corner. We’ll look forward to seeing you at the theatre.

Louisiana State AACTFest'09

Central Louisiana Community Theatre - City Park Players - was honored and pleased to host The Louisiana State AACTFest ’09 – It’s Your Turn To Shine on February 27 and 28 here in Alexandria, LA. This event was supported in part by a grant from the Roy O. Martin Foundation as administered by the Arts Council of Central Louisiana and GAEDA, the Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority. Utilizing both the Coughlin Saunders Performing Arts Center and the Hearn Stage at the Kress Theatre, we welcomed representatives from 11 Louisiana Community Theatre groups plus AACT President, Bill Muchow, from Minneapolis, MN, Eugene Irby, AACT Region 6 Representative from New Mexico and Darlene DeLorenzo, AACT Region 6 Representative from Lago Vista, TX.

AACTFest is an adjudicated theatre performance festival held as part of the American Association of Community Theatre festival cycle. The cycle includes state and regional festivals and culminates with a biennial National AACTFest. This year’s National Festival is June 24-28, in Tacoma, WA. Performances of 5 different plays by 5 theatre groups from community theatres across Louisiana were presented. Each eligible entry was publicly adjudicated by judges, Cranston Dodds from Corsicana, TX and Dr. Rhonda Shook of LSU-A. The top two entries will advance to the Region 6 AACTFest’09 held in Kerrville, Texas on April 15-19, 2009. This honor was bestowed on Opelousas Little Theatre for their production of a selection from John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and the City Park Players production of The Dinner Party by Neil Simon. In the event that these shows are unable to go to the Region 6 festival, the two alternates are: The Baton Rouge UpStage Theatre Company's production of the Pearl Cleage play A Song for Coretta and /or the Marksville, LA Le Theatre des bon Temps production of Murder is a Drag , an original play by the Unusual Suspects, a local theatre troupe.

A Louisiana state community theatre group organizational meeting was held as one of the events on Saturday. It was well attended by interested theatre groups and the next meeting is scheduled to take place on June 13. It will be hosted by Opelousas Little Theatre. For more information contact Wanda Schenk, local AACT Representative.

AACTFest’09 - Your Turn to Shine in Alexandria, LA

City Park Players is honored to host The Louisiana State AACTFest ’09 on February 27 and 28. AACTFest is an adjudicated theatre performance festival held as part of the American Association of Community Theatre festival cycle in Alexandria, LA this Friday and Saturday. The cycle includes state and regional festivals and culminates with a biennial National AACTFest. Eligible entries come from community theatres across Louisiana. Each entry will be publicly adjudicated by a three-judge panel. The winning entry will advance to the regional AACTFest held in Kerrville, Texas, in spring 2009. This event is supported in part by grants from the Roy O. Martin Foundation as administered by the Arts Council of Central Louisiana and GAEDA, the Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority.

Louisiana AACTFest ’09 Schedule

Friday, February 27
1:00 pm Registration
Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center Lobby
6:30 pm Welcome & Opening Ceremony
Festival Hosts
7:00 pm Performance Block A
Showcase The Wake Spectral Sisters, Alexandria
Production 1 Murder Is A Drag Le Theatre des Bon Temps, Marksville
Production 2 The Dinner Party City Park Players, Alexandria
’Til 11:30 pm Afterglow Party - Mike Davis & CPP Board of Directors, Hosts

Saturday, February 28
9:00 am Registration
Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center Lobby
8:30 am–Noon Workshops & Meetings
Hearn Stage Kress Theatre Lobby, Corner 4th & Johnston Streets
8:30–9:30 Cobbling the Back Story:A Playwriting Exercise
Dr. Rhonda Shook, Facilitator
9:45–10:45 Why Can’t We All Get Along!!?? Actors’ Behaviors & Misbehaviors
Ron & Wanda Schenk, Facilitators
11:00–Noon Informational & Organizational Meeting of Louisiana Community Theatres
AACT Representative, Moderator
Noon Lunch On Your Own
(See program back for area locations.)
1:30 pm Performance Block B
Welcome Festival Hosts
Production 3 Of Mice and Men Opelousas Little Theatre, Opelousas
Production 4 A Song for Coretta UpStage Theatre Company, Baton Rouge
7:00–11:30 pm Awards Reception
Hearn Stage Kress Theatre Lobby, Corner 4th & Johnston Streets


Full Fest Registration (Individual) $50
Individual admission to all workshops, performances,
receptions and Festival Awards Party.
Day Pass Registration $25
Includes one-day individual admission to all
workshops, performances, and receptions (excluding
Awards Party).
Performances Only $15 each
Admission to individual performance sessions.
Awards Party $25
One admission to the Festival Awards Party.

Season Subscriptions for 2009

When we planned our 60th Anniversary Celebration last year, we had no idea it would also mark the end of such an historic era—the last season in our landmark Little Theatre in Bringhurst Park. The loss of the Bringhurst to fire is profound for us, but it is not a mortal wound. We are back in 2009, ready to raise the curtain on a brand new season.

If you look for it, hope can be found glinting among the ashes of most any tragedy. For City Park Players, the first glimmer of hope after the fire came in the form of the dozens of friends and supporters who helped us sift through the debris of our former home to salvage what we could and mourn what we could not. The glimmer grew brighter as friends across the arts and larger communities donated storage facilities, office space, equipment, supplies, emergency funds, moral support, and other means, both tangible and intangible. But nothing brightened our hope more than the applause of the patrons who purchased tickets and filled the Kress Theatre for the final performances of a most unforgettable season. What a way to bring down the curtain on 60 years!

We begin our 61st season energized by a stronger-than-ever connection to our community and unwavering commitment to bring you the quality theatre you deserve.

City Park Players season subscribers enjoy one of the best entertainment values in all of Central Louisiana—discounted admission to a full season of outstanding shows, a subscription to the Rave Review newsletter, audition notifications, exclusive opportunity to cast a ballot for our Viewers Choice nominees, and a discounted ticket to the annual awards ceremony.

Season Subscribers
General Admission $40
Seniors (age 65 and up) $36
Students (with valid ID) $20

CPP Friends & More
Ticket prices cover only a fraction of production costs. CPP Friends contribute $50 or more above their subscription toward CPP’s production budget. We acknowledge our Friends in each of the season’s ONSTAGE programs.

Season Contributors
As a thanks for their added financial support, Contributors receive all subscriber benefits, plus additional season tickets (see below), acknowledgment in each ONSTAGE program, and one free admission to the season’s Viewers Choice Awards ceremony.

Donor (2 season tickets) $200
Patron (4 season tickets) $400
Sponsor (6 season tickets) $600
Benefactor (8 season tickets) $800
Underwriter (10 season tickets) $1,000

Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry April 3-11
Set in the Deep South in 1948, Driving Miss Daisy is the endearing story of an ornery, fiercely independent, rich widow, and Hoke, her dignified, elderly chauffeur. Their 25- year relationship is marked by a series of absorbing, revealing scenes, in which the good-natured Hoke steadily breaks down Daisy’s stern defenses and she, in turn, teaches him how to read. Filled with warm humor and glinting insights as the two grow older and more dependent on each other, Driving Miss Daisy is a timeless study in the power of human respect and understanding.
Winner of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
*General Audiences

Social Security by Andrew Bergman June 4-14
Q. How do you make a baby-boomer sandwich? A. Place two 40-something-year-old couples between an intractable aging mother-in-law and a rebellious teenager. Top with sibling rivalry and garnish with a frisky, aging artist. Heat to sizzling. That’s the recipe for Andrew Bergman’s hysterical Broadway hit, Social Security. Successful New York art dealers, Barbara and David Kahn’s sophisticated lifestyle is threatened when Barbara’s suburb-dwelling sister, Trudy Heyman, and her accountant husband, Martin, make a startling announcement: They are traveling upstate to rescue their college-age daughter from the horrors of “living only for sex.” The kicker? They are leaving the sisters’ outrageously demanding mother with the Kahns—indefinitely! A hilarious commentary on family relations and caring gracefully for aging parents.
*Some Adult Content

Flyin’ West by Pearl Cleage August 6-16
Set in 1898, Flyin’ West is a gripping drama with a surprising twist. A pioneering family of sisters takes advantage of the Homestead Act of 1860 and settles in the all-black town of Nicodemus, Kansas. Fleeing the oppressive post-Reconstruction South, they are determined to overcome the tremendous obstacles facing them—including a greedy brother-in-law—to work their own land and make a place for themselves in the harsh and forbidding midwest dustbowl. Theirs is a much-neglected story of courage and fortitude and the many African-Americans who helped settle the American Midwest.
*Some mature themes


Black Jack: A Thief of Possession
by Rosary Hartel O’Neill October 8-18
Kaitlyn Dubonnet Ellis lives a charmed life: timelessly beautiful, married to a brilliant novelist, mother of an international rock star, and daughter of Irene Soniat Dubonnet, a wealthy New Orleans Garden District matriarch. Kaitlyn even channels the French poet Baudelaire! When the family gathers on a cruise paddleboat for a New Year’s holiday, their eccentricities collide and fireworks explode, revealing cracks in the family’s façade and the gaping wound in Kaitlyn’s
fragile pysche. Written by Rosary Hartel O’Neill, founding director of New Orleans’ Southern Repertory Theatre, Black Jack is a comedy filled with unforgettable characters, nuanced humor, and delightful southern repartee.
*General Audiences

We Are Still Auditioning

Would you like to audition for a role in one of the upcoming plays this season?

Contact us via email or phone so we can set a new audition date!

Auditions This Week

Auditions February 12 & 13

Driving Miss Daisy

need 2 men, age 30 to 60 plus and 1 woman, age 60 plus

2nd Floor Rapides Foundation Bldg. Downtown Alexandria

Actors should prepare a 3 minute monologue audition and be available for callbacks.  There will also be cold reading opportunities.  These audition dates are open for actors seeking roles in any of the season's plays or to be added to the CPP Actors' Database.

Contact us by email for any additional information. 

Driving Miss Daisy will be performed April 3 - 11, 2009 on the Hearn Stage of the Kress Theatre. at the corner of 4th and Johnston Streets in Downtown Alexandria, LA.  

Support CPP - Join the Giving Spree at Alexandria Mall

Join The Giving Spree at Alexandria Mall & Support City Park Players – The Central Louisiana Community Theatre.

The Giving Spree is a fun way to start your holiday shopping with big savings while supporting City Park Players – The Central Louisiana Community Theatre.

On November 15, donors to The Giving Spree will get special savings from some of their favorite retailers – just for making a donation!

Here’s how it works: Shoppers make a donation to City Park Players – The Central Louisiana Community Theatre at TheGivingSpree.com between now and November 14, 2008. When you make a donation, you’ll get access to exclusive offers from great national and local retailers at Alexandria Mall to use on November 15, 2008.

100% of your donation will go to support the work of City Park Players – The Central Louisiana Community Theatre. Help your community and save on holiday shopping – what could be better?

Visit www.TheGivingSpree.com to donate and save.

And, please pass this information on to your friends and family!

2008 Season Finale This Week

The Dinner Party a Neil Simon comedy, directed by Dr. Ed Reed features cast members Michael Dalme as “Claude”; Bradley L. Smith as “Albert”; Michael Robertson as “Andre”; Piper Wilson as “Mariette”; Belle Bindursky as “Yvonne”; and Kimberly Patton as “Gabrielle.” Jim Leggett is executive producer. It opened with an evening performance on Saturday, October 18, on the Hearn stage of the Kress Theatre, and will close with a matinee on Saturday, October 25. The Kress Theatre is located in the Rapides Foundation building, on the corner of 3rd and Johnston Streets in downtown Alexandria.

You won’t want to miss the excellent performances by local veterans and newcomers in this interpretation of the thirty-first play by Neil Simon. This exploration of the complexities of love, communication, and misunderstanding is a feast featuring Simon’s biting dialogue in a romantic comedy. You’ll also be impressed with the dramatic mural rendered by our featured artist, Kate Febuary.

The remaining performance schedule for The Dinner Party is as follows:

Evening Performances, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 21
Wednesday, October 22
Thursday, October 23
Friday, October 24

Matinee Performance, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 25 – Closing matinee

Tickets for The Dinner Party go on sale September 29, 2008. Individual tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (65 and older), and $5 for students with current student ID. Group sales are available. All previously purchased season tickets will be honored for the new dates. Call (318) 442-1800 for reservations and to purchase tickets.

City Park Players thanks the Central Louisiana community for its support as they recover from the loss of their home for over 50 years. The Little Theatre in Bringhurst Park was built with a groundswell of community support and completed in 1956. Located at 1802 Sylvester Street, the building was destroyed by fire earlier this month in the storms following Hurricane Gustav, and was demolished on October 14th, 2008.

A premiere community theatre, City Park Players is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to offering quality cultural activities and experiences to the entire Central Louisiana community through live theatre productions, programming, and education. This 60th Anniversary Season has been made possible in part by grants from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, The Arts Council of Central Louisiana and the Roy O. Martin Foundation.