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Monday, Oct. 13, 2014

SHREVEPORT HAS IT

Local entertainment has a lot to offer

This is just my opinion, but this area has plenty going for it and doesn’t get enough credit for being a good place to call home.

In my experience, there are two sides to the “nothing to do in this hick town” argument. One comes from people who have never lived anywhere but this hick town. The other is from those who came here from somewhere else reportedly more progressive. Both arguments speak more to the arguer than the facts. Let’s look at some facts about what there is to do.

The people who are in charge of the entertainment calendars for local publications and websites have some of the hardest jobs around. It’s almost impossible to keep track of the number of productions that open every month in this area. Individual websites and even Shreveport Regional Art Council’s aggregate listings have a tough time keeping up with the output. 

We have at least three theater groups that are strictly for children through high school. They teach young people how to be disciplined, to listen to and follow instructions, to be supportive of their peers, and to be confident. Not a bad curriculum, if you think about it.

Then there are the others. Excellent programs at local colleges like Louisiana State University-Shreveport, Bossier Parish Community College and Centenary College. Community groups from the old – Shreveport Little Theatre – to the new – Stage Center and Cabaret Theatre. There are specialty groups like Mahogany Theatre that bring their experience to a wider audience. 

I saw my first theatrical performance here as an adult in Shreveport back in 1990. Since then, I’ve had a lot of seat time to decide that, by and large, you get a very good return on your entertainment dollar when you attend a local production.

Of course, there are those who decry the amateur-ness of the local stage. Those are just the neighbors prancing around in funny get-ups saying words on a stage. You forget River City Repertory Theatre and the Strand Theatre. Without an expensive ticket, hassling with TSA, spending the night in a hotel, and tipping everyone in a suit, you get to see a Broadway or Hollywood performance minutes from your home. That’s impressive even without the mileage points.

The majority of the local theaters produce musicals and straight plays using local talent, however, and you’d be surprised at the quality of the people who call Hicksville home. I was very impressed with the “discovery” of Barry LeBlanc who sang the role of Jean Valjean in the Emmett Hook Center production of “Les Misérables.” Who knew they grew pipes like that around here? Those familiar with the local entertainment scene know the usual suspects. Seva May has been knocking them dead in clubs around these parts for years. She’s managed to find time to volunteer her time to lift a local production to a new level. Who can forget her Evita, or even her Morticia? Versatility is the hallmark of the local actor community. They do comedy, drama, music, farce and even try their feet at a dance or two. 

Sure, it will cost a little more than the price of a ticket to a Hollywood film to snare a seat in a local theater. But, the soda and snack prices are far less high and sometimes free. If you do the math, the price can even out. The local theater crowds are generally well behaved; few parents have discovered you can dump your unruly children and come back for them later. Some people still can’t be separated from their cell phones for an entire act, but they are fewer all the time. And, when could you ever go up to the star of the show after the final scene and talk with them about the show? 

For those who like to participate more, there are several dance companies close by offering everything from classic ballet to jazz, tap and who knows what’s next. You can ballroom dance, square dance, and line dance somewhere close to your zip code. 

And, you can stop by some world-class museums without a passport or a reservation. There are the Meadows, the State Fair Museum, the R.W. Norton, Karpeles and a number of smaller, specialty houses that are all worth the trip.

If you really want to shock an effete snob, tell them that Shreveport has a ballet, a symphony and opera, and a handful of quartets, combos, and full-on bands that keep the rafters rocking most evenings where people gather to celebrate or relax. There are festivals for almost every ethnicity and tradition, both large and small.

Sometimes it’s hardest to focus on the things closest to us. I’m wearing reading glasses as I type. But, with a little concentration and a little effort, residents of this little corner of the world can tell you that when it comes to being entertained, if there’s nothing to do, you ain’t livin’ here.

ON STANDS NOW!

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