Louisiana is a unique and interesting state, made up of a true melting pot of cultures. From the northern half of the state, where Southern hospitality is de rigueur, to the southern half, where Cajun culture and parties in the street are common, visitors can find live theater in a variety of venues.
Northern Louisiana
The Shreveport area supports a vibrant theater community. The Strand Theatre, sometimes called "The Grandest Theater in the South," operates in its original historic building, a stunningly-restored opera house. Its year-round season of shows includes both local performances and Broadway touring productions of the highest quality. One local group which performs at the Strand is the River City Repertory Company, a young but already acclaimed professional Equity company. Shreveport's Civic Theatre hosts the Shreveport Opera, as well as children's plays, comedy shows, and other performing arts productions. Across the river from the Civic Theatre in Bossier City is the community-run East Bank Theatre. Another community theater, the Shreveport Little Theatre, has been established since 1922 and produces a five-show season each year. For live student performances, check the schedule of the Dance and Theatre department at Centenary College of Louisiana.
Another good theater town is Monroe. The University of Louisiana at Monroe's Department of Theatre produces shows each semester and summer on the university's three stages. The stages are the Brown Theatre, a large proscenium theater; Spyker Theatre, a smaller, more intimate proscenium theater; and the Black Box, an experimental space. Traveling Broadway productions can be seen at the Monroe Civic Center Theatre. The city is also home to the Monroe Little Theatre, a community company whose full season of shows often sell out. Associated with the Monroe Little Theatre is the Strauss Youth Center for the Performing Arts. This children's organization produces full-scale children's plays utilizing local youth talent, in addition to holding children's workshops and camps.
Over in Natchitoches, the Northwestern State University Drama Department presents student productions during the year. Visitors can also check the performance schedule for the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and Arts, which regularly produces student performing arts productions.
The Lower Half
The southern part of Louisiana, which includes Baton Rouge and New Orleans, boasts a large variety of theatrical groups and productions.
Baton Rouge is a breeding ground for up-and-coming theatrical talent. One of the biggest theatrical partnerships in the region is between the Swine Palace Theatre and the LSU Department of Theatre. Swine Palace is a professional regional theater that presents Southern works along with other contemporary and classical works. Located on the LSU campus, the Swine Palace Theatre works in partnership with the LSU Department of Theatre. The theater department produces a separate bill of shows, giving new artists the chance to explore and grow in many different directions.
Another professional theater, the Playmakers of Baton Rouge, produces children's works. They perform for more than 33,000 audience members each year, both locally and throughout Louisiana. The Baton Rouge Dinner Playhouse serves up meals alongside its plays, which include comedies, murder mysteries, and musicals. Families with little ones may enjoy their Pizza Party Shows, tailored for youngsters. For community theater, head to the Baton Rouge Little Theatre. Professional tours of musicals and other productions occasionally take the stage at the Baton Rouge River Center.
New Orleans and its surrounding communities also offer many opportunities for visitors to see theater and the performing arts. As may be expected in a culturally diverse city the size of New Orleans, the theater tends to be more cutting-edge than in the rest of the state. Some material may offend sensitive patrons, so if you're considering buying tickets for a more avant-garde production, doing a little bit of research first may be a good idea. However, traditional theater appropriate for all audiences also abounds, so visitors can truly find something for everyone.
The Anthony Bean Community Theatre is a professional, cross-cultural organization that both produces shows and offers classes for adults and children. Another professional company, the Southern Repertory Theatre, often produces works by Southerners or with Southern themes. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the Saenger Theatre on Rampart Street was one of the city's premier spots for the performing arts. Built in 1927 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the ornate building suffered extensive damage during the hurricane. As of this writing, renovations are underway, but when or if the theater will re-open remains unknown. Interested travelers will need to check to find out the theater's status during their visit.
On the more eclectic side, the Side Arm Gallery is a community-based collaboration that presents experimental, edgy, and cross-disciplinary performance pieces. The French Quarter supports its own community theater dating back to 1916, La Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre. Then there's the Cripple Creek Theatre Company, which is dedicated to mounting productions that have political and cultural significance, in order to provoke the general public into social action. They often offer free admission.
For those who love the Bard, a notable group celebrates Shakespeare. Tulane University hosts the Shakespearean Festival at Tulane, which has the distinction of being the only professional company in the Gulf South region dedicating to performing Shakespeare. This group performs a summer season and other shows throughout the year.
In the surrounding areas of metro New Orleans, there are several other theaters as well, including the Rivertown Theatre in Kenner; the Playmakers of Covington and the Skyfire Theatre in Covington; and the Jefferson Parish Performing Arts Society in Metairie. Lafayette, located a couple of hours away, has the Cité des Arts Theatre. In addition to its regular season, the theater began hosting the annual Hub City Theatre Festival in 2007.
For a small Southern state, Louisiana offers a remarkable amount of theater, not only in number of venues, but in the variety of styles and genres as well. Visitors are sure to find plenty to applaud at Louisiana's theatrical performances.
