I am so proud to share the following press release from Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre with you, not only personally, but also on behalf of the City of New Orleans. This is so important to our city’s history, culture and performing arts!
NEW ORLEANS, LA - Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre announced today its restoration plans for the building and upcoming show schedule for 2013. After a tumultuous year, the Board of Governors approved a deal with Dickie Brennan and Co. that allowed the theatre to gain a sound financial footing, and ensures that it will continue operating as one of the oldest community theatres in the country. Board Chair Cassie Worley said,”At a time when so many arts organizations are struggling all over the country, we are so glad and thankful, that with agreement of our former season ticket holders, we could negotiate this arrangement with Dickie Brennan. This not only gives the theatre a beautiful facelift, but also keeps the organization in the New Orleans community, provides arts education to children and opens a first-class restaurant next door.”
Vice Chair, Mike Mitchell added, “We’re especially pleased that we were able not only to pay off our $700,000 mortgage, but to pay off all our vendors in full, and reimburse all ticket holders for the prior season. We’re operating completely debt free for the first time in decades.”
Interior renovations have begun and should be completed by late 2012. Plans for the restored space include major upgrades of the main stage theatre, a classroom and community arts resource center within the orchestra pit, new dressing rooms and tech booth, improved accessibility and upgraded ADA seating. Board member Kathleen Horn, who is overseeing the restoration, adds, “Months of thorough planning between our architect, designers, and board members have led us to a final product that I am certain everyone will love. We are particularly excited about our new backstage area, formerly known as ‘the stack room.’ This is where our new dressing rooms and executive offices will be housed. That aspect alone gives us reason to be very happy for our staff and performers who will soon be occupying that space.”
The new Dickie Brennan restaurant – called Tableau at Le Petit Theatre – will be located along the Chartres Street side of the building, in what was previously used as a black box-style theater space, as well as a library and office space. The new restaurant will create 100 jobs with benefits, and was the catalyst for the 7-digit upgrades for LPT. “We are eternally grateful to Dickie Brennan and his staff for the remarkable transformation that will soon take place at one corner of Jackson Square,” says Worley.
As for the first productions in the “new space,” Production Chair Leon Contavesprie promises a slate of plays that promises to be as exciting as it is innovative. “The Production committee has worked tirelessly to secure rights for our first four shows. With two New Orleans premieres, a Pulitzer Prize winning classic, and a beloved musical, our first six months in the theatre promises to delight audiences from all walks of life.” Among the productions slated for 2013 are Lombardi by Eric Simonson, based on the book When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Maraniss, Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize winning classic Death of a Salesman, Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and the Louisiana premiere of the all-female Love, Loss, and What I Wore by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron. Death of a Salesman will mark the beginning of the LPT education program, with special weekday matinee performances for students and educators. Also, the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival makes its return to LPT March 20-24.
Worley, who is heading the new education program, says, “We will begin fairly immediately on creating an education and community outreach program, so that students from all social and economic backgrounds can experience the magic of live theatre. Best of all, children’s programming will take place entirely on the mainstage, giving youngsters in the city the opportunity to perform on one of the most magnificent stages in the South.”
Board Vice-Chair Jaquelyn Brechtel Clarkson said, “To preserve one of the oldest community theatres, extend community outreach and secure the most historic corner in America was the mission of the Le Petit Board and very successfully completed!”
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, performing arts foundation. Founded in 1916, it is the oldest continuously running community-based theatre operating at the same location in the country and a cultural icon in the city of New Orleans. Le Petit Theater’s mission is to provide a wide range of quality theatrical productions and programming to entertain, enrich and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of the city.
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