History, mystery and a bit of mayhem are all on the stages of local theaters in the coming days as shows feature a look at stories from both sides of the Atlantic, on both sides of Lake Pontchartrain.
Get ready for some interesting theater.
Also this week, three shows open, including Crescent City Stage's "A Doll's House," "Shrek" at the Saenger Theatre and "Til Beth Do Us Part" at Playmakers in Covington.
The dark side of Tennessee
New Orleans' favorite playwright did a stint writing some creepy (well, really creepy) stories for a horror magazine. He also wrote short, comedic tales of the macabre collectively titled "Penny Dreadful."
"The Remarkable Rooming-House of Madame Le Monde" will be the centerpiece of the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company's presentation of some of the author's "most shocking and fantastical experiments" opening Sept. 13. Also performed will be "The Case of the Crushed Petunias" and "Why Do You Smoke So Much, Lily?"
Director Augustin J. Correro, a founding co-artistic director of the company, said each of the works "delves into the dark aspects of the human experience" and moves at a more rapid pace than the usual Williams show, likening them to "a roller-coaster ride ... they're in your face."
Action in the central show surrounds an abused man, unable to use his legs, who lives in a London boarding house of the vicious and miserly landlady, swinging from hooks in the ceiling to navigate the room. He is visited by an old friend who offers little or no help.?
"This night of plays is a choose-your-own-adventure of sorts, and we can’t wait to show audiences what that means for them,” said Nick Shackleford, founding co-artistic?director and sound designer for the show. “We can promise this is Tennessee Williams like you’ve never seen him before. Just don’t bring small children.”
Members of the cast play several roles in the vignettes and include Monica R. Harris, Joe Signorelli, Ryan Darby, Rachel Shannon, Cody Keech, Miles Hamauei and Adrienne Simmons.?
The show opens Sept. 13. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays to Sundays through Sept. 28 at Lower Depths Theatre, Loyola University, 6363 St. Charles Ave. Tickets start at $35. Visit twtheatrenola.com.
The ensemble from 'Hairspray' at Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts.
'Welcome to the '60s'
Get out the Aqua Net — Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts will be teasing, ratting and styling with "Hairspray," the musical show based on the changing times of the 1960s in Baltimore, Maryland, based on the John Waters' movie of the same name.
The show opens Sept. 13 at the Kenner theater.
The Tony-winning musical features Tracy Turnblad, a curvaceous teen who only wants to dance on a TV show. Well, her dream comes true, but change always comes with someone being upset and, with social upheavals as the backdrop, the poignant message has a rocking beat with good tunes like "You Can't Stop the Beat," "Welcome to the '60s" and "Good Morning, Baltimore." The show touches on a host of issues ranging from racism and integration to how high should one tease their hair, pageants and body positivity.
Taking the role of Tracy is Carli Collins Naquin, with Zachary Salter as her mother, Edna. The heartthrob Link is Garrin Mesa. Also appearing are Victoria Hickman Cantrelle, Dre'Lan Evans, Sarah Hille, Ashley Lemmler, Bryce Slocumb, Brittney James, Tom Vaughn, Aubry Celeste, MaryClare Eastland, Camille Avon Hoven, Emma St. Cyr, Jayla Jackson, Lizzie Eshleman, Andrew Antoine, Jordan Davis, Tyger Hammons, Jackson Scott, Keri Elaine, Brandon Garza, Kelly Amstutz, Bethany Livers, Arthur Rusnak, Landan Buzbee and Cody Elsensohn.
Kelly Fouchi directs the production, with Elise Spurlock as musical director and Katelin Zelon as choreographer.
The show runs at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays plus Sept. 26 and 2 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 29 at 325 Minor St. Tickets start at $41. Visit rivertowntheaters.com.
Telling the tales of the six wives of Henry VIII in the pop-princess production 'Six' are, kneeling from left, Ella Kornfuhrer, Ayvah Johnson and Amelia Meany. Standing are Jenny Urbina, Addie Fitzmorris and Olivia Wallace.
'Don't lose your head'
It's sort of appropriate to have a teen version of the story of the wives of Henry VIII, since some of them were teens. And 30 by Ninety Theatre is giving the six ex-wives a chance to have their say.
"Six" looks at the women who were "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived" after being married to the British Tudor king who desperately wanted a male heir. But these ladies aren't just queens from the past, but pop princesses with a modern spin on their stories.
The concert-style show gives each wife the chance to tell her story (with commentary from her "sister-wives"). There's a trio of Catherines, a pair of Annes and a Jane.?
Taking the roles are Ella Kornfuhrer, Amelia Meany, Addison Fitzmorris, Jenny Urbina, Olivia Wallace and Ayvah Johnson. Jennifer Gesvantner is the director, with Jonathan Sturcken as musical director.
The show, at 880 Lafayette St. in Mandeville, opens Sept. 13 and runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. through Sept. 22. Tickets start at $25. 30byninety.com.
Opening this week Sept. 5-11
"A DOLL'S HOUSE": Opening 7:30 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays, through Sept. 22; Crescent City Stage, Marquette Theatre, Loyola University, 6365 St. Charles Ave. Regional premiere of Amy Herzog's adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic about a woman, trapped in her "doll house," who seems to have an ideal life, happy marriage, children, servants and more. But the charade begins to unravel as secrets bring a mirror up to her life. She isn't thrilled with the vision, and she feels trapped. Tickets start at $10. crescentcitystage.com.
"SHREK THE MUSICAL": Opening 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday; Saenger Theatre, 1111 Canal St. Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks animated 2001 film, the comedy looks at an ogre, his unwelcome sidekick Donkey (who is indeed a donkey), a princess, a treacherous lord and a host of wisecracking characters ranging from Pinocchio, the Three Little Pigs, Peter Pan and a dragon. Tickets start at $29. saengernola.com.
"TIL BETH DO US PART": Opening 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 22; Playmakers Theater, 19106 Playmakers Road, Covington. Comedy about a successful woman and her devious assistant who worms her way into the businesswoman's business — and marriage — with hilarious yet horrendous results. Tickets start at $15. playmakers-theater-05.webself.net.
In production
"THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME": 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday; Slidell Little Theatre, 2024 Nellie Drive. Based on the Disney animated movie, the story centers on the 15th-century bell ringer for the famed Notre Dame who escapes into the city for a festival, the Feast of Fools, and runs into Esmeralda, a Romani who treats him with kindness. But she has also caught the eye of Captain Phoebus and archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, who happens to be Quasimodo's devious caretaker. slidelllittletheatre.org.