Hometown Celebrity: Lynda Benglis – Lake Charles Born Artist Influencing Luxury Fashion
September 2026
All in the Details: Content Creators and Fast Food
September 2026
For a century, Lake Charles Little Theatre, LCLT, has brought local talent, memorable stories and the excitement of live performance to Southwest Louisiana.
Its 2026-27 season celebrates that remarkable legacy—all over town, with all kinds of creative artistic partnerships—with four productions that span musical theatre, classic drama, Shakespearean comedy and a legendary Broadway musical.
Barbara Price Downer, LCLT president, said the historic variety of venues, guest directors and arts alliances secured for this 100th anniversary season reflects the collaborative leadership shown by LCLT ever since Rosa Hart founded it a century ago.
The season opens with Grease, the beloved musical that captures the energy, romance and rebellious spirit of 1950s teenage life—packed with unforgettable songs, colorful characters and plenty of dance-floor appeal. LCLT board member and local stage/radio personality Mike Brignac directs the show, which will be on stage September 18-27 at McNeese’s historic Bulber Auditorium in partnership with the university’s Banners program.
Next comes Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, one of the most celebrated dramas in American theatre. Set during a tense family gathering on a Mississippi plantation, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play explores deception, inheritance and the painful truths families sometimes try to hide. The November 5-8 production at McNeese’s newly renovated Ralph Squires Recital Hall is directed by Dr. Brook Hanemann of Banners and stars Southwest Louisiana Arts & Humanities Executive Director Lee Ann Stenvick.
The season then turns to Shakespeare with retired McNeese professor Greg Stratton’s adaptation of Twelfth Night, one of the Bard’s most enduring comedies. Mistaken identities, romantic confusion and clever wordplay fuel this exuberant story of love and disguise while filled with humor and theatricality. It’s onstage January 15-24 in the just-reopened Ben Mount Auditorium at Central School Arts & Humanities Center.
The centennial season concludes April 9-18 with Cabaret, the iconic musical set in 1930s Berlin. Against the backdrop of a society undergoing profound political and social change, the story unfolds inside the Kit Kat Klub, where performers and patrons seek escape through music, nightlife and spectacle. With its unforgettable score and darker themes, Cabaret provides a powerful finale to a season celebrating a century of artistic expression. Kayla Guidry directs.
LCLT will be on the air, too. The season also will feature the free, popular live radio plays, hosted by John Bridges, on KBYS-FM and streamed worldwide. The shows are War of the Worlds and It’s a Wonderful Life—and feature nostalgic “commercials” for long-lost local businesses.
Additionally, LCLT has joined forces with local historian Adley J. Cormier to rebuild LCLT’s own Enterprise Boulevard theatre, demolished after Hurricane Laura. A Centennial Capital Campaign is under way and a groundbreaking ceremony for the venue will take place later this year.
For show information, season subscriptions, patron opportunities, corporate giving and audition announcements, visit lclittletheatre.com or LCLT’s Facebook and Instagram platforms.
