Times Picks - August 20

New Season Announced At ACTS Theatre
ACTS Theatre has announced productions which are to be staged at the theatre during its new season. ACTS will celebrate its forty-fourth year of continuous production in Southwest Louisiana as it prepares the season. ACTS director, Marc Pettaway, will stage the productions for performances at the theatre’s One Reid Street Theatre.
Beauty and the Beast - November 7 through November 15 Doubt - January 15 through January 24
They’re Playing Our Song - March 19 - March 28
The Real Saga of the Three Pigs - April 22 through May 22
You may join the theatre by becoming a season ticket holder. Adult membership is $70, senior citizen membership is $60. All members are listed in the programs. Regular admission is $30 for musicals, $20 for non-musicals. There is no senior reduction on the single admission. Students to twenty-five years of age with picture ID are admitted for $20 for musicals and $17 for each non-musical. For more information call 433-ACTS or 436-5908.

The Zigler Art Museum will present "Camps Variations on a Theme"
August 8 - September 26
Featuring paintings by Dutch Kepler and mixed media sculptures by Diane Pecnik, The Zigler Art Museum will present “Camps Variations on a Theme.” An artist reception for the exhibit opening will be held Saturday, August 8, 2009, from 6-8 PM at the Zigler Art Museum, 411 Clara Street in Jennings, LA. The featured artists, Dutch Kepler and Diane Pecnik, are from the Acadiana area, but their works are represented in collections both nationally and internationally. The public is invited to meet these two outstanding artists at the Zigler Art Museum's artists reception Saturday, August 8 from 6-8 PM.

Roastin' with Rosie Bar-B-Que Festival
September 11 & 12
You'll need them all this summer as Jeff Davis Parish unveils its newest attraction, the "Roastin' with Rosie Bar-B-Que Festival." Rosie, the parish's familiar roseate spoonbill mascot, is dressed up in her best apron and chef's hat for the first annual event.
Over the space of two days - Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11 & 12 - the festival will be taking over the new Grand Marais Courtyard in uptown Jennings, allowing serious grillers and amateur cookers the chance to compete for cash and prizes. The festival is officially sanctioned by the International Barbecue Cooker's Association (ICBA), which judges nationwide contests and provides certified, impartial, out-of-town judges to help determine the festival's best grillers. For more information on the "Roastin' with Rosie Bar-B-Que Festival" or to sponsor or volunteer for the event, call (337) 821-5534.
Schedule of Events
Sunday, September 6
Bar-B-Que Festival Beauty Pageant,
Strand Theatre, Downtown Jennings
Friday, September 11
4 p.m. - Festival Gates Open!
6 p.m. - Muzic Unlimited
7:30 p.m. - Barry Badon
9 p.m. - Pine Leaf Boys
10:30 p.m. - Jamie Bergeron
Saturday, September 20
7:30 a.m. - 5K Rice Run (Founders' Park, Downtown Jennings)
10 a.m. - Festival Gates Open!
10 a.m.-6 p.m. - Kid's World
11 a.m. - Parish Cheerleader and Dance Line Competition
12 p.m. - Barbecue Competitions begin
4:30 p.m. - Barbecue Competition Awards Ceremony
4 p.m. - Bayou Katz
6 p.m. - Travis Matte
8:30 p.m. - Static
10:30 p.m. - Wayne Toups

The New Reality: The Frontier of Realism in the 21st Century
August 14 - October 17
Opening Reception: August 14th 6:00pm - 9:00pm
1911 Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center
Lecture with Realist painter Albino Hinojosa: August 28 6:30pm - 8:00pm
The New Reality: The Frontier of Realism in the 21st Century is the first show of this century to not only look at the state of Realism painting around the world, but to also compare those artworks with their historical predecessors. Fifty-six artists from the International Guild of Realism display artworks in a variety of media; from oil and acrylic, to egg tempura and colored pencil. Each artist was asked to identify one historical painting to compare and contrast their work with the pioneers of the Realist movement. Artists sited included Ingres, Durer, Vermeer, and Da Vinci. In some cases the contrast between the old and the new is startling; in other cases, one can almost see the contemporary artist adapting the Old Master's techniques for modern visuals. The New Reality: The Frontier of Realism in the 21st Century will open with a reception on August 14th from 6pm to 9pm and run through October 17, 2009. Special Events include an Artist Lecture featuring Realist painter Albino Hinojosa on August 28th at 6:30pm. Hinojosa is a member of the International Guild of Realism and a participant in this exhibit, as well as a former faculty member at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston.

Sesame Street At the Civic Center
September 4 – 6
Great family fun comes to town in September. Sesame Street Live’s "When Elmo Grows Up" has Elmo and his Sesame Street friends thinking about growing up, it’s a musical show-and-tell! Bert dreams of becoming a forest ranger, Telly longs to be a cowboy and their newest friend, Abby Cadabby, wants to be a Fairy Godmother just like her mommy. Elmo thinks about becoming a ‘weather monster,’ but has a hard time predicting his own forecast—he wants to be anything and everything all at once! “When Elmo Grows Up” includes lessons on perseverance, teamwork and the power of imagination. Children learn that if they believe in themselves and are willing to try, the possibilities are endless. Performances are: Sept. 4, 7 p.m. (Opening Night Discount); Sept. 5, 10:30 a.m. & 2 p.m. Sept. 6, 1 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. Performance is at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Tickets: $12 & $16. Opening Night, all seats (excluding Premium/Gold Circle) are $12. For more information, call 337-491-1432. To charge tickets by phone, please call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com.

Elvis Tribute Artist Nathan Belt At Grand Opera House of South and Alexandria
October 28 - 30
Belt will be returning to the Grand Opera House of the South on October 29th and then we will be in Alexandria on either the 28th or the 30th of October (contact the venue for more information). On July 25th, Belt won first place at the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Contest in Myrtle Beach, SC. This win qualified him for the World finals Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist competition in Memphis, TN on August 11 & 12. Nathan is considered by his peers to be one of the top Elvis tribute artist's in the Country. Performing with Nathan will be the Legendary band "XPG". The Grand Opera House performance will be 7:00 pm. The contact number is 337-785-0440. The Coughlin Saunders Theater of Performing Arts at Alexandria contact number is 318-767-2600 for more information.
The Foundation at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital Presents First Monday in the Atrium


First Monday In The Atrium
The Foundation at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital is pleased to present First Monday in the Atrium, a musical interlude held on the first Monday of each month from 11am until 1pm in the atrium at Memorial Hospital on Oak Park Boulevard. September’s performance will feature pianist Diana Castleberry on Tuesday, September 8 rather than Monday due to the Labor Day holiday. On Monday, October 5 we will welcome the Bill Rose Trio, who will perform the music of the Kingston Trio; Peter, Paul and Mary and other classic 1960s folk. First Monday in the Atrium is free and open to the public. The performances are made possible thanks to the generous support of Business First Bank, The Eye Clinic and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. For more information on First Monday in the Atrium or The Foundation at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, please call (337) 494-3226.

Iowa Arts and Crafts Exhibition
August 22
Sponsored by the Calcasieu Parish Public Library, the Town of Iowa, Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Friends of the Library, the Iowa Arts & Crafts Exhibition will be 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, August 22, at The Iowa Multipurpose Community Center, 207 W. Highway 90. The festival is free and open to the public. Live entertainment, refreshments, arts and crafts demonstrations, a make-and-take craft, and displays are all part of the fun. The Iowa Librarians will present a story hour for children 10:00 to 10:50 a.m. Children may visit the face painting table at any time between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.. Mercia Paul will assist young adults in grades 6-12 in creating corn husk dolls, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Shriner Clown “Hobo Bill” will create balloon art for children from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. To reach the Iowa Multipurpose Community Center from I-10, take exit 43 south, and pass through 2 traffic lights. Turn right on Hwy 90, and find the center ¼ mile on the left, near the Sheriff sub-station.

Acts Theatre Sponsors “Mahalia: A Gospel Musical”
August 22 - 23
Acts is sponsoring the production of Mahalia, a gospel musical about the
life of Mahalia Jackson on Aug. 22 and 23 at A One Reid Street Theatre in
Lake Charles. The production will be performed by members of the Upstage Theatre
Company, directed by Ava Brewster-Turner. Tickets can be purchased on line
at Acts website, at the door , Lakeshore Pharmacy or the Civic Center. Tickets are $25.00.