Past Productions
THE VOICES OF LOUISIANA - What do Napoleon, Richard Simmons, Thomas Jefferson, Anne Rice and Archie Manning have in common? They are all part of the historical and hysterical look at our history called The Voices of Louisiana. The members of the Evacuation Theatre Troupe, Barry Lemoine, Christian Bordelon, Will Schneider, Tom Hassinger and Rose Marie Sand took the country by storm in the 2006 national road tour of the show, traveling from Louisiana to Minnesota as theatrical ambassadors to spread the word of Louisiana’s colorful past and present day resiliency, explaining that “our story is your story.” With the Louisiana Purchase, the United States doubled in size. Our nation’s acquisition of New Orleans was a pivotal moment in our country’s history, so, too, is it’s rebirth critical to our future. Barry Lemoine’s original play helped put faces to the tragedy of Katrina, and showed how our ability to laugh has played a huge part in that resiliency. The Voices of Louisiana has its roots in two other original plays by Lemoine, “Louisiana PurChase” and “An Evening With Betsy: Voices from the Storm.”
A tale told in three acts, the Voices of Louisiana begins with a comedic romp through the pages of our history, taking the audience from Columbus’ discovery of the New World to the negotiations of the land deal of all time – The Louisiana Purchase. Then the Troupe takes a satiric look at some of the famous people with Louisiana roots and their contributions – including bits with Truman Capote, Huey Long, Richard Simmons, Brittney Spears, the New Orleans Saints and Harry Konnick, Jr. The production ends in an upbeat fashion, telling the stories of survival of the troupe members and the kindness of strangers. The play was performed as part of Southeastern University’s month long celebration of the arts, Fanfare. A copy of this performance is available for purchase, with proceeds supporting the Voices Scholarship Fund. To order, contact board member Rose Marie Sand.
THE HISTORY OF ST. BERNARD, abridged: A LOVE STORY – The Voices Foundation partnered with Shine Productions to bring Barry Lemoine’s original play to the stage of Nunez Auditorium in August, 2010. More than a thousand people attended the show that was deemed both a love song and a celebration of the Parish. The show also included live music performed by Jude Leblanc and a video component created by Rose Marie Sand.
ROAD TOUR DOCUMENTARY – This moving documentary chronicles the birth of the Voices Foundation through the stories of the members of the Evacuation Theatre Troupe. Traveling from Louisiana to Wisconsin in a 37 foot RV, seven actors and educators traveled throughout the states of the Louisiana Purchase territory. The troupe shared not only their talents with the audiences, but their personal stories as well. Told through interviews with troupe members and footage of the shows, this documentary is a story of love, hope and resiliency. Copies of the documentary are available by mail order from Voices board member Rose Marie Sand.
THE SOMEWHAT TRUE TALES OF ROBIN HOOD - Performed at Chalmette High School in January, 2009 as part of a series of Family Literacy Nights in St. Bernard parish, this Arts Council grant funded production brought literature from the page to the stage. Both professional artists as well as high school theatre students came together in this project. Students from Andrew Jackson Elementary, Joe Davies Elementary, Gauthier Elementary, W. Smith Elementary and St. Bernard Middle Schools attended, free of charge, sharing in a community of emotion that is an integral part of live theatre. Classroom visits, pre and post performance writing activities, lesson plans, and literacy-based family-related activities served to further the Voices Foundation’s mission of educational entertainment.
TO THE HEADWATERS - After losing homes, jobs and certainty post-Katrina, six friends who are educators and actors embarked on a trip into Louisiana Purchase territory, calling themselves The Evacuation Theatre Troupe. An original play by Barry Lemoine and Christian Bordelon, To The Headwaters chronicled this trip of a lifetime in November 2010 at Nunez Community College Auditorium.
The production features music and sound effects by the Voices Chorus and a multi media presentation by Rose Marie Sand. The show was a comic and poignant look at life on the road in a 37 foot RV, as the troupe brought the story of the history and heartache of its hometown to audiences across the country. The St. Bernard Voices Chorus, under the direction of Peggy Weggener, added their talents to the cast of actors – Barry Lemoine, Christian Bordelon, Will Schneider, Rose Marie Sand, Katie Betz, Annette Campo and Krystal Boothe. This project was funded through a grant by the Arts Council of New Orleans.