Tag Archives: Community Theatre of Little Rock

LR Cultural Touchstone: Lucy Lockett Cabe

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lucy-cabeLucy Lockett Cabe grew up in Missouri and died in Texas, but made an enormous impact on the cultural life of Little Rock and Arkansas.

While best known as the major benefactor of Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, she also supported many other cultural organizations including the Arkansas Arts Center, Ballet Arkansas, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Repertory Theatre and many smaller organizations. For over 30 years, it was rare for there to be a musical performance in Little Rock without Lucy as either a performer or in the audience.

A lifelong musician, as she aged, her voice shifted from soprano to alto to tenor while singing. She also served as a church organist. She studied piano from the age of eight.  Meeting her future husband Harold Cabe while summering in Michigan, she moved to Arkansas in 1940. From that time until 1975, she lived in Gurdon but was actively involved in the arts scenes of Arkadelphia and Little Rock.  The couple moved to Little Rock in 1975.  Harold died in 1984.

In 1971 she was one of the original appointees to the state Arts and Humanities Council. For her work with musical and volunteer groups, she was honored as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Woman of the Year in 1986. In 1993 she received the Arkansas Arts Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Little Rock Arts and Humanities Ed Hanlin Memorial Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution to the Arts.

Lucy was an honorary life member of the Arkansas Symphony, the Community Theatre of Little Rock and Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts. She was involved in every step of the formation of the Arkansas Opera Theatre, which subsequently evolved into the Wildwood Park. She supported and was honored by Wildwood with the 625-seat Lucy L. Cabe Festival Theatre on the grounds.

In the early 2000s she moved to Dallas to be closer to her family.  She died in 2005.

It is fitting that she be remembered in October, as Halloween was her favorite holiday.  Starting on October 1, the Halloween jewelry, socks and shirts would be donned.

One Acts this weekend at Community Theatre of Little Rock

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ctlrWhen the Community Theatre of Little Rock was founded in the 1950s, it was common for groups such as it to perform evenings of One Act plays.

Returning to these roots, this weekend the CTLR presents an evening of four one act plays.

The lineup is

“The Actor’s Nightmare” by Christopher Durang.  In it George is mistaken for an actor’s understudy and forced to perform a show he doesn’t know. The cast is David Monteith as George Spelvin, Francesca Bee as Meg, Brooke Ballew as Sarah Siddons, Jessica Allis as Ellen Terry and Peyton Hooks as Henry Irving.

In “Private Wars” by James McLure, three recovering soldiers try to figure out where their lives go from here.  The cast is Jerry Woods, John Timaues and Courtney Williams.

Noel Coward’s “Ways and Means” examines what happens when an heiress and her gambling husband, plagued with debt and shame, are inadvertently saved by a disgraced chauffeur. The cast includes Susan Troillet, Harold Dean, Tracy Speed, Michael Harmon, Jessica Allis, Jerry Woods and Courtney Williams.

In “30 Minutes to Charlie” by Nick Zagone, Kline and Reid hit are forced to visit the Emergency Room while trying to get to the meeting of a lifetime. The cast features Jon Martin, Peyton Hooks, Tracy Speed and Skye Sebring.

Performances are at 7:30 tonight (August 22) and tomorrow (August 23) and at 2:30 on Sunday, August 24.  The CTLR now performs at the new Studio Theatre.

Community Theatre of Little Rock announces 2014-2015 season

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ctlrThe Community Theatre of Little Rock has recently announced their 59th Season, which has been given the theme “The Sinners and Saints Season.”

The season kicks off on August 22 with a one weekend only series of one acts.  Directed by Liz Turner, Lisa Luyet, Mark Troillett and Chris Boggs, the one acts are: “The Actor’s Nightmare” by Christopher Durang, “Private Wars” by James McLure, “Ways and Means” by Noel Coward and “30 Minutes to Charlie” by Nick Zagone.

In October, N. Richard Nash’s classic play The Rainmaker will be performed from October 3 through 19.  For the holidays the musical Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical by Dan Goggins will take the stage from November 28 through December 20.  The backstage thriller Rehearsal for Murder kicks off 2015 from February 13 through March 1.

A new play will be premiered.  Written and directed by S. Christopher Boggs, The Winning Numbers will play from April 24 through 26.  The season will conclude with the musical Sister Act from June 5 through 28.

The Community Theatre of Little Rock now performs at the new Studio Theatre in downtown Little Rock.

The Studio Theatre celebrates grand opening today

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studiotheatreLittle Rock’s newest live performance venue, The Studio Theatre and The Lobby Bar, will celebrate its grand opening this Thursday, July 31. The celebration begins at 2pm with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. A reception follows along with theatre tours and live musical performances in The Lobby Bar until 1am.

Located in downtown Little Rock, this is a 99 seat venue. “There are other live performance spaces within walking distance of The Studio Theatre,” says President of the Board and Musical Director, Bob Bidewell. “Lovers of the performing arts now have another first class performance space to consider when making their plans.”

In August, The Studio Theatre and Lobby Bar have a schedule of  productions:

Monday’s at 8pm- Open Mic Night (Lobby Bar-FREE Admission)

August 7- Songwriters Rena Wren & Rodger King (Lobby Bar- FREE Admission)

August 15 & 16- Broadway Concert (Studio Theatre- Ticket Price: $12)

August 29- Rodney Block (Studio Theatre- Ticket Prices: $10-$25)

August 30- Arkansas’ Masters of Illusion (Studio Theatre- Ticket Prices to be announced)

Additionally, Community Theatre of Little Rock recently moved to The Studio Theatre and just wrapped up sold out performances of Rent. CTLR’s next performance is a series of One Acts and runs August 22-24. Visit www.ctlr-act.org for details.

In September, Little Shop of Horrors takes the stage with 10 performances beginning September 11.

Built in 1921, The Studio Theatre and The Lobby Bar are located in the former Balfour Printing building in downtown Little Rock.  For more information, call 501-940-4646 or visit thestudiotheatre.org and on Facebook .

ROCKing the Tonys – Case Dillard

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Rock the Tonys

Photo by Deen Van Meer

Photo by Deen Van Meer

Case Dillard

Little Rock connection – Little Rock native; grew up appearing at Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre and Weekend Theater

 Tony Awards connection – Was in original Broadway cast of Mary Poppins and appeared on Tony Awards segment

Case has appeared on Broadway and the national tour of Mary Poppins as well as dancing with Ballet Arkansas and acting at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.  He is currently back in Little Rock. He has recently appeared in Baby at Community Theatre of Little Rock and The Water Children at Weekend Theater.

CTLR offers THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL through May 10

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CTLR TripHorton Foote’s Tony winning play The Trip to Bountiful is the next offering of the Community Theatre of Little Rock.

This is the poignant story of Mrs. Watts, an aging widow living with her son and daughter-in-law in a three-room flat in Houston, Texas. Fearing that her presence may be an imposition on others, and chafing under the watchful eye of her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Watts imagines that if she can get away and return to her old home in the town of Bountiful, she is sure to regain her strength, dignity and peace of mind.

She attempts to run away, and when she reaches a bus station on the last part of her short journey, she falls into the hands of a sheriff whom her son and daughter-in-law have put on her trail. The sheriff, a kindly fellow, allows her to complete the final stage of her journey, so she proceeds to Bountiful and makes a lonely pilgrimage to the scene of her old home.

Only too soon she learns that the friends of her youth have all died or scattered, and her home is no longer the spacious mansion of her memories but a crumbling wreck. But she has the supreme satisfaction of plunging her hands into the strength-giving earth, and this leaves her with a sense of that strength and dignity that will give her the courage to survive. When her son and daughter-in-law appear on the scene to take her back to Houston, she consents to return quietly, secure in the knowledge that the remainder of her existence will be enriched as a result of her last contact with Bountiful.

The cast is led by Jane Morgan Balgavy as Carrie with Chuck Massey as her son, Ludie and Susan Troillet as her daughter-in-law Jessie Mae.  Others in the cast include Kate Lauck, Chris Boggs, Mark Troillett, Jerry Woods and Tim Sopel.

The production is directed by Harold Dean with Jerry Woods as Stage Manager.  Chris Boggs is Executive Producer with Liz Turner as producer.

The production opens tonight at 7:30.  Performances are April 25 & 26, May 2 & 3, and May 9 & 10 at 7:30. Matinees at 2pm are offered on April 27 and May 4.

The Trip to Bountiful will be presented in the Mini-Auditorium of NLR High School Freshman Campus (2400 Lakewood Rd) behind Target.

 

Acclaimed musical BABY is latest offering of CTLR

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Baby CTLRThe latest offering of the Community Theatre of Little Rock (now in its 58th season) is BABY.  This Tony nominated musical from acclaimed duo Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire, examines how parents-to-be experience the emotional stresses and triumphs, as well as the desperate lows and the comic highs that accompany the anticipation and arrival of a baby.

BABY tells the story of three couples on a university campus as they deal with the painful, rewarding and agonizingly funny consequences of this universal experience. There are the college students, barely at the beginning of their adult lives; the thirtysomethings, having trouble conceiving but determined to try; and the middle aged parents, looking forward to seeing their last child graduate from college when a night of unexpected passion lands them back where they started.

The cast is led by Miki Thompson, Jeremy Elliot, Elizabeth Reha, Bob Bidewell, Erin Murphey Martinez and Justin Pike.  Others in the cast are Pammi Fabert, Mary Ann Hansen Cheryl Troillett, Duane Jackson, Danny Troillett, Case Dillard, Libby Smith and Doug Robillard.  The production was directed by Michael Henderson with music direction by Matthew Mentgen.  Jerry Woods is the executive producer.

The show opened last weekend and continues through March 2.  Show times are 7:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays; Sunday matinees are at 2pm.