WE'RE OPEN
Good Review

From the Baton Rouge Advocate:

‘Stoops’ stands tall
Swine Palace succeeds with adaptation of classic English comedy

Oliver Goldsmith’s “She Stoops to Conquer,” first performed in 1773, ranks among English literature’s best comedies. The action is driven to a large extent by a bad-boy character named Tony Lumpkin.

Swine Palace’s production does the play justice, with a twist, and introduces many in the Baton Rouge audience to a fine student actor named Derek Mudd who plays Lumpkin.

Set originally in an English countryside, Swine Palace’s “She Stoops to Conquer” has been moved by director Jane Page to an unnamed Louisiana parish that looks a lot like one of the Felicianas.

Click here for the rest.

Even though I have only a small part, eight lines in one scene, and even though Restoration comedy isn't really my thing, this is a good show, and it has clearly amused and engaged our two preview audiences on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and utterly delighted our opening audience earlier this evening. And the Advocate is right to single out my classmate Derek for his fantastic work. Derek beat me out for the part, and, I think, has done much more with the role than I could have. He's really kicking ass, the best thing in the show in my humble opinion. Beyond Derek, the rest of my class is also turning in fine work. As usual. And don't get me wrong when I say that my part is small: I'm playing a bartender with a Cajun accent and really having a fun time with it--I sound like Gambit of the X-Men, who, strangely, speaks thick Cajun English, even though he is from the Big Easy, where the folk speak quite differently from those born on the bayou; I guess I can chalk that up to New York based writers who know nothing of the ways of Louisiana. Anyway, it's a good show. If you're in Baton Rouge in the next couple of weeks check it out.


Robert Rutland, who plays Mr. Hardcastle, and Tara MacMullen, who plays Kate Hardcastle (photo by James Chance)

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$