Heart of the Arts in SWLA

Lake Area Ballet Theatre

LAKE AREA BALLET THEATRE INTRODUCES A NEW SEASON OF PERFORMANCES

The faculty and board of Lake Area Ballet Theatre (LABT) are dedicated to staging full-scale ballet performances, producing new and innovative works, and providing a strong and diverse curriculum for the next generation of dancers. They are proud to showcase local talent and professional guest artists each year, led by Colleen Cannon Benoit, LABT artistic director.

Lake Area Ballet Theatre is excited to present The Nutcracker, a full-length, family-friendly ballet that showcases the enchanting story of young Clara and her favorite toy, a nutcracker, brought to life. Dreams of The Land of Sweets, the Sugar Plum Fairy, dancing snowflakes and a duel between toy soldiers and mice are mesmerizing on the stage with beautiful vintage costumes, stunning scenery and a magical Christmas tree. The whimsy of Mother Ginger, the mystery of Drosselmeyer, and the thrill of the music by Tchaikovsky provides a delightful classic that stands as a seasonal gift to the child in all of us. Save the dates and join LABT at the Rosa Hart Theatre.

School shows for groups of 20 or more and public performances:
Thursday, November 21, 9:00 a.m. (school)
Friday, November 22, 9:00 a.m. (school) and 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 23 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
The 2025 Spring Gala will feature Swan Lake Act II and Peter and the Wolf with special guests and guest artists. There will be two performances on March 22, 2025. All local dancers train at Lake Charles Dance Academy in Lake Charles, La.

For more information about tickets or sponsorship, visit www.lakeareaballettheatre.com.

Lake Charles Little Theatre

PROVIDING A CENTURY OF LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT

Lake Charles Little Theatre is Southwest Louisiana’s pioneer arts organization. Founded by Rosa Hart and Annabel Dees in 1926, LCLT is the oldest arts organization in Southwest Louisiana and one of the oldest in the country. As we embark on our 98th season, we embrace our past and look at a bright future!

LCLT, in its nearly 100 years, has experienced every imaginable adversity: war, The Great Depression, fire, and most recently a global pandemic followed by hurricanes, ice storms, floods, and tornados. These recent events proved too much for the historic theatre’s home. As the demolition of the beloved New Stable Playhouse begins, LCLT plans and prepares for a new permanent home. In the interim, headquarters are at the historic Central School Arts and Humanities Center, with office and rehearsal space in a spacious second-floor studio. LCLT’s performance space for mainstage productions again this season is the beautiful Southlake Theater on Nelson Road. It’s a state-of-the-art theater with a full-service coffee shop (Coffee:30 Express) in the lobby.

LCLT’s Board of Directors, led by President Barbara Price Downer, is served by members who are passionate about the community and live theatre. LCLT’s goal is to preserve the theatre’s rich history while leading it into the future.
The 2024-25 season opens with Plaza Suite, September 20-22. Neil Simon’s comedy in three acts follows characters dealing with various romance-related mishaps in Suite 719 of New York’s famed Plaza Hotel. Rounding out the season are: Little Shop of Horrors, November 1-3; Dracula, January 24-26; Crimes of the Heart, April 4-6; and the hilarious interactive dinner theatre experience Tony and Tina’s Wedding, Jun 6-8.

In addition to on-stage offerings, LCLT will also produce two annual live radio shows in partnership with McNeese State University’s KBYS-FM: War of the Worlds and It’s a Wonderful Life. Get involved with LCLT on stage, behind the scenes, or in the audience! Auditions are open to all, and no experience is required to audition.

Ticket information and season memberships are available online at lclittletheatre.co. Follow LCLT on Facebook and Instagram for audition notices, news, and information.

Gallery by the Lake

A SPACE FOR LOCAL ARTISTS

Do you yearn to create, learn and share your ideas and techniques with other artists? How about displaying the fruits of that community in a gallery, inviting the public and inspiring new artists? If these perks sound appealing, Gallery by the Lake may be your artistic home. The gallery currently has artists who work with almost every medium: pencil and ink drawings, acrylic and watercolor paintings, collage, paper quilling, beaded creations, etc. Browse art or attend classes to get new ideas and expand on your creativity or just enjoy the environment.

Gallery by the Lake Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to share and inspire the esthetic power of visual arts. Programming consists of Saturday art classes once or twice monthly in studio space at Central School Art and Humanities Center and quarterly gallery exhibitions of members’ art in a gallery space on the second floor of the Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center. They exhibit and sell art at many markets and festivals in the Lake Charles area.
The current members’ exhibition, “Finding Home,” is on display through October 5. The national bird photography exhibition and contest the gallery hosts, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” will be on display between September 27 – November 30. Upcoming classes feature Acrylic Slap Art, DIY Masks and Night Photography on the second Saturdays of September, October and November. You can also visit their booth at Chuck Fest on October 19.

Full membership is available to the public for a fee of $250 per year. Members meet monthly for business and networking and informal art activities.

For more information on classes and membership, visit www.gallerybythelake.org, or contact the gallery at gallerybythelakeswla@gmail.com.

ACTS Theatre

PREPARING FOR A BUSY UPCOMING SEASON

ACTS is preparing for a busy upcoming season starting in September with four main stage shows and two off-season shows. The first off-season offering is The Woman in Black at the end of October and beginning of November. This play, adapted into a movie in 2012, will deliver some spine-tingling chills for the Halloween season. The story features only three actors, with one of the actors playing multiple roles throughout the play, and is based on a classic Gothic horror novel.

Our second off-season show is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, the Musical. It’s based on the beloved children’s novel written in 1972 and is the story of six misfit children who volunteer to star in the Sunday School Christmas pageant, even though they’ve never even heard the Christmas story.
The last three shows of the season happen in the spring, and include Songs for a New World, Jake’s Women, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Songs for a New World, on stage in January, is an abstract style of musical, almost like a song cycle – which are connected by a theme “the moment of decision.” Composer Jason Robert Brown has said “It’s about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.” Jake’s Women is a Neil Simon play that centers on a writer suffering from psychosis, and the women, real and imagined, in his life. Jake is dealing with trouble in his marriage as he struggles to distinguish his visions from reality.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a classic musical comedy inspired by even more classic Roman farces from roughly 200 years BC. The plot includes many elements of farce, including puns and cases of mistaken identity.

Full details on all of ACTS’ shows can be found on their website www.actstheatre.com as well as audition information and season tickets.