Expect hilarity at Teen Acadia Players’ production of ‘Crazytown’

BY SAJA HOFFPAUIR

LIFESTYLES EDITOR

Next weekend, the Teen Acadia Players will take the stage to perform the play “Crazytown” by Jonathan Reed.

“Crazytown” is essentially a sketch comedy presented in the context of a local news program broadcast.

The play utilizes a minimalistic set with no scenery and very few props. It also uses a minimum number of actors, with about six players filling the roles of over 70 characters.

In “Crazytown,” citizens are required by law to be generally obnoxious 20 percent of the time, and this makes for a particularly funny sketch set in a police station interrogation room when a citizen is arrested for being too nice. 

A televised elementary school election debate focuses on the candidates’ stances on tater tots, whether girls are gross and the possibility that Santa is violating elfin labor laws. 

In another sketch, Corporation, Inc., presents an infomercial for its “play purifier,” which, among other things, edits out vulgar language, removes the violence from Shakespeare and eliminates nudity. The irony here is that the sketch itself is actually quite offensive.

And, of course, no local news show is complete without traffic reports, entertainment news, weather and commercial breaks.

The talents of the young actors definitely shine in this fast-paced production filled with sarcasm.

Joseph Dupre does a great job with his characters. He is particularly funny as “Ricky” when he is tasked with teaching someone to be a jerk, as well as in his role as the Corporation, Inc., infomercial co-host.  He also does a great job transitioning between characters with no time in between appearances.

Also impressive is Abigail Kilgore, who, among other things, moderates the great tater tot debate and serves as a commentator who provides a play-by-play of two men watching a football game. She does a solid job with all the characters she plays.

Luke Arsement, a Crowley High School senior, has plenty of acting experience and it shows as he navigates his various roles. Among other things he is tasked with dancing in slow motion, which, when seriously considered, seems like a hard thing to pull off.

Magdalene Arsement and Louis Mire should both be lauded for their ability to keep straight faces when they are supposed to in spite of the ludicrousness of what they are doing.

Finally, the director, Dilyn Stewart seems to have done an excellent job directing this production. This is quite remarkable insofar as, having just turned 16, she is the youngest director on record for the Acadia Players.

The assistant director is P. E. Ronkartz.

In addition to those already mentioned, the cast includes Kat Stanford, Lily Mire and Elizabeth Kibodeaux.

The crew is comprised of  Margaret Higginbotham, Julia Sittig, Brock Credeur, Samantha Wright, Sawyer Bourque, Andew Mire, Daegan Castille, Jenna Dupre and Patrick Cormier.

The play will run Friday, April 17, through Sunday, April 19, and will be performed at the Acadia Parish Center for the Arts & Culture, 530 W. Mill St. in Crowley.

There will be 7 p.m. showings on April 17-18, with 2 p.m. matinees on April 18-19.

Tickets are $10 and may be purchased online at http:/www.theacadiaplayers.com or the Acadia Players’ facebook page. They will also be available at the door.