Southlake Theatre Expands SWLA’s Performance Arts Opportunities

by Angie Kay Dilmore

Take one step into the lobby of Southlake Theater and you know you’re in for something special. With state-of-the-art audio and visual technology, this newly opened performance venue offers art patrons a unique experience unprecedented in Southwest Louisiana. “There aren’t many rooms like this,” says owner Jake Porche’, adding that there are very few theaters in the world with this level of audio technology. But that is only the beginning of what makes Southlake Theater distinctive.

The theater is part of the Southlake Crossing Plaza, which is the former site of Skate City. Porche’ says the location is nostalgic for people old enough to remember the attraction and have fond memories of family and friends gathering together and having fun. The space that once was home to a roller rink is once again meeting the needs of the community, but in very different ways. The multi-purpose room can accommodate traditional theater productions, catered dinner theaters, concerts, films, corporate events, even wedding receptions. Theater director Taylor Trahan says she and Porche’ have backgrounds in music and they’ve partnered with Calcasieu Theatrical Arts for many years. “We’ve seen the benefits the arts can do for kids and the joy it brings them. We recognized the need for a space like this to perform.”

An elegant atmosphere welcomes guests into the theater lobby, along with the inviting aroma of coffee. Exposed brick imbues a sense of warmth and nostalgia. Works by local artists are featured on the walls. The space was initially designed to simply be a theater lobby. “We needed a bar, a concession area, restrooms, with good flow,” Porche’ says. “But even if we scheduled two events a week, the lobby would sit empty the other five days.” Porche’ realized the lobby could be better utilized by accommodating an everyday café, but he had no business experience in food and beverage. A chance encounter with Josh Smith, owner of Coffee:30 on College St. – and a simple question about coffee machines – opened the door to the perfect partnership. Porche’ kept the lobby space occupied, and Smith found a move-in-ready place for a second Coffee:30 location. “We saw this partnership as an opportunity to bring gourmet coffee and New Orleans-style beignets together with the creativity and entertainment that Southlake Theater brings to the community,” says Smith.

Step beyond the curtains into the theater, and as your eyes adjust to the dimness, you’re smitten with the newness of it all. Extra-wide seats ensure comfort through the lengthiest production. And despite its 300-person capacity, there’s not a bad seat in the house! The stage is enhanced by a 30×10 foot LED screen that can display photos, theatrical backdrops, present movies, and more. But the pinnacle of what sets Southlake Theater apart from other performance venues in SWLA is the audio/visual aspects and the advanced technology behind the D&B Audiotechnik Soundscape System. Porche’ calls it “adaptive acoustics.”

“The ability of a room to adapt its acoustic properties in real time provides an unforgettable performance experience,” he says. “For example, in a musical, when someone is speaking, you don’t want any sound reflections. You want to hear that voice as if they are two feet away from you. But when they start singing, you want the acoustics to be alive and sound like the voice is reverberating in a cathedral!”

To enhance the function of the high-tech audio/visual system, Porche’, who also owns Porche’ Advanced Systems adjacent to the theater, staffs the venue with his own highly trained technicians. “Few theaters, even in larger cities, have that level of talented in-house AV techs in terms of knowledge of the audio/visual equipment,” he says. Trahan adds, “The techs are very involved with every event that goes on in the theater.” They assist with the creative process, become familiar with a production, learn the actors’ cues and set the mood of a scene with advanced lighting and visual effects.

For Porche’, the grand opening of Southlake Theater marked a celebration of patience and perseverance. He purchased the property in November of 2018. His original plan for the space was a demonstration and training area to showcase Porche’ Advanced Systems’ products. But he quickly realized he could multipurpose the space and bring a much-needed theater to south Lake Charles and still have a working showroom. Construction began in 2020, but they didn’t get far. Hurricane damage and COVID-19 put progress on hold until late 2022 when they resumed work. Southlake Theater opened for business on April 27, 2023, with a soft launch of Our Lady Queen of Heaven’s The Music Man Jr. production. “That first event was a really good test of not only the room, the flow, the lobby, but also the parking capacity,” Porche’ said. “We wanted to ensure that the facility had the infrastructure to support 300 people in attendance plus the cast. Things could not have gone more smoothly!”

In July, Lake Charles Little Theatre enthusiastically opened their 2022-2023 season with the crowd-pleasing production On with the Show. “The response from the community has been great,” says Porche’. “It’s been a very rewarding journey so far; to create a space where people can come and experience truly special moments. We want Southlake Theater to be a catalyst for people who wish to pursue performing arts.” He and Trahan emphasize that Southlake Theater is a community performance and event space. Trahan’s dream is to foster a wide variety of choral options in SWLA for people who might not otherwise have an outlet for their talent. “I love classical choir, but not everyone does, and I grew up singing gospel, but not everyone attends a house of worship. I want to start several different types of community-based choirs, so that people looking for those opportunities can find them.”

Porche’ encourages the community to consider Southlake Theater for any event they might be planning. “Give us a call, schedule a tour. It’s a very special and unique space.”

For more information, call Trahan at 337-426-1794 or see their website, southlaketheater.com.

Upcoming Events at Southlake Theatre

LA Food and Wine Fest
Sunday Jazz Brunch
Sept. 17

Lake Charles Little Theatre
Nunsense
Sept. 21-23

Christian Youth Theatre
Seussical the Musical
Oct. 19-21

Calcasieu Theatrical Arts
Best of Broadway Gala
Oct. 27-28