Theater group: No slowing down

By COLIN MURPHEY
Organizers with the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts and leaders in the thespian community within St. Mary Parish want the public to know the theatrical arts are alive and well in the region.
But that doesn’t mean they are going to stop trying to generate even more interest and excitement in the cultural arts in the area.
With a number of scheduled productions rehearsing and more renovations made to the Teche Theater for the Performing Arts, organizers are now, more than ever, prepared to expose an even wider audience to the theater. And if board member Diane Wiltz has anything to say about it, the audience the productions draw will keep coming back over and over and over.
“We have been trying to keep the arts alive in Franklin in many ways,” Wiltz said. “One of the things we do to keep theater alive is hold open auditions. We try to do plays that are family oriented. We figure if the family comes to the show, then we are building a following. We really try to do recruiting and get people involved in what we do here. We are the only performing arts venue of this nature in St. Mary Parish.”
Wiltz said, in her mind, the importance of keeping theater and other art forms alive and flourishing was that they contribute to a well-rounded life and society in general.
“Someone once told me that a community that is not thoroughly irrigated with the arts is a dying community,” Wiltz said. “It gives you a chance to get to know yourself, process information and undress your problems and just be somebody else. For kids who might have problems in school, we have found that theater has changed and improved their lives. It brings importance to people and their lives and their community. It encompasses a lot of things are important.”
Wiltz said there were a number of repairs and renovations that have recently taken place to a facility that has stood since 1940. In addition to repairs to the iconic marquee on the front of the building, the balcony is currently undergoing enhancement and plumbing issues have also been addressed. The roof has also been repaired in order to facilitate even more renovations.
“It’s a dynamic building,” Wiltz said. “Old buildings need constant work so we never completely put a bow on it. Right now what we are doing is trying to get the marquee and the neon lighting functioning. The first order of business was to get the roof fixed. We also want to complete the balcony.”
According to the Teche Theater for Performing Arts website, the facility was originally designed as a movie theater, opening in 1940.
“The Teche Theatre was always meant to be a source of pride for Franklin. The utmost care and planning went into the vision of what it would be and what it would mean to the community from the very beginning. Fred Nehrbass of Favrot & Reed was the architect who planned it all, and it’s he that we have to thank for the design of the theater. His plans were carried out by W. J. Quick & Hudson East, contractors from Lake Charles, Louisiana. Their execution of Nehrbass’ vision produced a beautiful theater that, as you know, still stands today.
The Teche was built, quite literally, with a little bit of Franklin, as the steel used was sourced from the St. Mary Iron Works of Franklin. When all was said and done, the Teche was not only a place for the arts, but also a showcase of modern design at the time. The front of the theater features glass blocks in black, tan, and red to match the dazzling marquee outside. The floor was done in stylish terrazzo. Walking into the theater just after completion would have been a stunning sight to see. At the time, the Teche, with a seating capacity of 800, was very spacious.
Construction began in 1939, and was finished shortly after, in the spring of 1940. The owner at the time, the Lauve-Bodin Amusement Company, made sure that the furnishings placed inside the theater were of the same quality as the building itself. The air conditioning system was state of the art at the time, running on gas. The equipment was top-of-the-line as well; the well-known R.C.A. High Fidelity sound system and Simplex (a trusted name in motion picture equipment) film projectors. No expense was spared. At its opening, the Teche was the most luxurious theater in South Louisiana.”
Upcoming productions at the theater in Franklin include David Mamet’s ‘November’ which is a timely adult political-comedy that will run Nov. 3-5 and 7 with the curtain going up at 7 p.m.
More information about the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts and a schedule for future productions can be found at www.ttpaonline.com.