For its final Coffee House Theatre for the winter-spring 2017 season, Itinerant Theatre proudly announces its four new play readings, all premiers. The plays are:

What Else Lord by Marsha Kushner – A comic scene about mother/daughter role reversal.
Return by Jim Weinzettle – A modern exploration of a “prodigal son” theme.
About the Funeral by Grace Epstein -Comic exploration in the secrets and acceptance discovered in a séance.
A Mother’s Privilege by Donna Hoke -A Mother overcoming differences to accept love and relationship.

Date, time & location are: May 6, 7:00-8:00pm (or shorter), free, downtown Lake Charles at co-host Stellar Beans Cafe, 319 Broad Street.

Our local, professional actors — Mark Bailes, Mary Benoit, Tom Cole, Ronald Doyle & Jo Ann Hanks — are in rehearsal now, under the direction of Joy Pace.

Please arrive early to order your drinks and food, and stay after to discuss the plays and enjoy more of Stellar Beans’ offerings.

To learn more about Coffee House Theatre or Itinerant Theatre, call 337-436-6275, visit www.itineranttheatre.com or e-mail the organization at joypace@itinerattheatre.com .

IT has had a busy year!  Louisiana Women:  Bound, This Wide Night and Race were meaty undertakings, after the reading of The Hairy Ape kicked off a season themed “America’s Unfinished Business:  Freedom”.  IT’s audiences were pleased and kept coming back for more.  Gratifying to the producers, to say the least!

On Saturday, May 2, 7:00pm at Coffee House Theatre (CHT) , IT’s Artistic Director Joy Pace directs lively staged readings of two short plays, which were submitted in response to IT’s nationwide call for submission.

The two plays to be read are:  (1) Rural Free Delivery, the thought-provoking comedy on family, community and the birth of a child,  by Grace Epstein of Cincinnati and (2) Locked, a touching political comedy about artistic freedom in urban America. author David Vazdauskas of Maine.

Actors reading in “Rural Free Delivery” are Darby Domingue, Lisa Domingue, Maya Manuel, Jonathon Richards and Joy Pace.  Reading in Reading in “Locked” are Darby Domingue, Jonathon Richards, Maya Manuel and Frank Cooper.  This all-professional cast is Lake Area based.

CHT is a free, monthly one-hour event, co-sponsored by Stellar Beans Coffeehouse and Beanery, 319 Broad Street, Lake Charles.

See you at the show!

PS   Watch for the next blog posting to get info on the May 7-9 premier staged reading of Man of a Thousand Songs by Carolyn Woosley.

IT has struck the set of “This Wide Night”, and only very reluctantly.  That was a satisfying production!  Lorraine and Marie touched hearts and brought to the fore the question:  What do women released from prison in SWLA do?  There is no halfway house.  Is there vocational training?  Who is their community on the outside?

Well, those questions have a long half-life.  At any rate, Director Joy Pace has already started rehearsals of “Race” by acclaimed American writer David Mamet.  She is excited about this production which opens March 21st.

Meanwhile, February’s Coffee House Theatre showcases elements from the Children’s Theatre’s upcoming production of Disney’s “Mulan”.  Join us 7:00pm Saturday the 7th at Stellar Beans Coffeehouse & Beanery, 319 Broad Street, for an upbeat evening with these young thespians.

Diving right into “America’s Unfinished Business: FREEDOM” – September’s CHT has us doing what theatre is meant to do – examine the world around us – and comment on it.

Several local writers/actors take a look at recent events in Ferguson, MO and reflect on the meaning for our day and time… People want to tell their stories – Itinerant Theatre digs in… join us for this always FREE event.  This Saturday, September 6, 7:00pm at co-host Stellar Beans Coffeehouse & Edibles, 319 Broad Street, Lake Charles.

Next Saturday, Feb. 1, don’t miss a sneak preview of The Children’s Theatre Company’s production of Tarzan, live at our free, first-Saturday-of-the-month event, Coffee House Theatre.   A young, energizing cast will perform segments from this February production.  Great fun.  Support local businesses and support local artists, all over a good brew of joe!  Specifics:  Stellar Beans Coffee House, 319 Broad St., Lake Charles, 7-8pm.

Greetings, Everyone.  First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Second, IT and Stellar Beans Coffee House & Edibles will NOT have Coffee House Theatre in January 2014.  But! Coffee House Theatre returns on February 1st.  Tentative plans are to feature The Children’s Theatre’s upcoming production of Walt Disney’s “Tarzan”.  This will be a fun night, and a thrill for the young pre-teen and teen actors.  Meanwhile, be sure to drop by Stellar Beans for a good coffee or chai, and good, light fare.

Join Itinerant Theatre tonight 7-8pm for its first Saturday of the month, free series at co-host Stellar Beans Coffee House & Edibles, 319 Broad St., LC.  Joy Pace  directs Hayley Smith and Ronnie Doyle in readings of selections of the Season.  Most well-known of the readings is “Gift of the Magi” by O.Henry.

Join IT for a busy weekend.  Thursday 5:30 – 7pm at Central School is the Holiday Art Market.  Visit our Room 339 as Director Joy Pace leads Hayley Smith and Ronnie Doyle in a rehearsal of the reading of “Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry and other works of the Season.  Then, enjoy the reading itself at our free, ongoing monthly  series – COFFEE HOUSE THEATRE —  this Saturday, December 7, 7:00pm, at co-host Stellar Beans Coffee House & Edibles, 319 Broad St.

This Saturday, Nov. 2 7:00 – 8:00pm enjoy a sneak music preview of IT’s production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” by Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice.  The evening, as always, is at Stellar Beans Coffee House & Beanery at 319 Broad St. Stellar Beans is co-host of this series, Coffee House Theatre.  Enjoy this FREE evening with good coffees and teas set in a convivial downtown, totally unique atmosphere.  See and hear this impassioned cast for yourself.  Get a taste of the production which is Nov. 8-9 at the LC Civic Center’s Rosa Hart Theatre.

IT announces its newest FREE first-Saturday-in-the-month  series:  Coffee House Theatre.  Saturday, Sept. 7 at 7pm  IT  premiers a reading of “Elizebeth” — a feisty woman who led the charge to save the French Quarter from demolition.  Joy Pace directs this one-woman play from Carolyn Woosley’s composite, Louisiana Women. Join IT at Stellar Beans Coffee House & Edibles, 319 Broad St!  Coffee House Theatre continues the first Saturday of each month.