L’imitation of Life
BY POPULAR DEMAND: NOW RUNNING THROUGH OCTOBER 7!
September 8 – October 7, 2006
Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm / Sundays at 2pm
Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Avenue [click here for a map]
All seats $25 [includes a $5 bar credit]
Reserve your seats today by calling 504 581 5812
This September, Running With Scissors’ cast of cut-ups steps back in time to take on one of Hollywood’s grandest melodramas—and grandest dames—with L’imitation of Life! This comic homage to Douglas Sirk’s torrid, tawdry, touching, totally Technicolor version of Imitation of Life—which starred Lana Turner, Sandra Dee, Juanita Moore, John Gavin, and Susan Kohner—runs from September 8 through October 7 at Le Chat Noir.
L’imitation of Life follows the highs and lows of all-star sweater-girl Lana Turner (Ricky Graham), as she seeks to re-launch her sagging career with a really important film about prejudice, parenthood, and prêt-a-porter. Tagging along for the ride are Lana’s perky, perfectly blonde daughter, Suzie (Dorian Rush); Lana’s African American confidante/maid, Annie (Donald Lewis); Annie’s nearly white daughter, Sara Jane (Brian Peterson); and screwy shutterbug, Steve (Jack Long). Brad Caldwell, Rod Lemaire, and Liz Zibilich round out the cast.
Like the film it parodies, the play veers from comedy to tragedy and back again, as Lana’s career goes up and up and up, while the rest of the cast hurtles down, down, down in a shame-spiral of epic proportions. L’imitation of Life was adapted by Ricky Graham and Running With Scissors, based on an original script by Bruce McNally.
L’imitation of Life runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm from September 8 – October 7, 2006. All performances take place at Le Chat Noir, located at 715 St. Charles Avenue, in the heart of New Orleans’ arts district. Tickets are $25, which includes a $5 bar credit. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling 504 581 5812. (NOTE: The September 8 performance of L’imitation of Life will be hosted by the Mystic Krewe of Satyricon. For tickets to that performance, please call Mickey Gil at 504 525 4498.)
Just the Facts:
L’imitation of Life!
WHAT: A side-splitting celebration of Lana Turner, Juanita Moore, Sandra Dee, and the cast of dozens littering Douglas Sirk’s torrid, tawdry, touching, and totally Technicolor version of Imitation of Life.
WHEN: Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm, from September 8 – October 7, 2006
WHERE: Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Avenue, in the heart of New Orleans’ arts district
WHO: The cast of L’Imitation of Life includes…
Ricky Graham as super sweater-girl Lana Turner;
Dorian Rush as Lana’s daughter, the ever-perky Suzie Turner;
Donald Lewis as the overworked and underappreciated Annie Johnson;
Brian Peterson as Annie’s light-skinned, sometimes dark-hearted daughter, Sara Jane;
Jack Long as empty-headed heartthrob Steve Martin; and
Brad Caldwell, Rod Lemaire, and Liz Zibilich as everybody else.
L’Imitation of Life was adapted by Ricky Graham and Running With Scissors, based on an original script by Bruce McNally. Production management by Liz Zibilich. Costumes by Cecile Covert and Brian Peterson. Set by Brad Caldwell.
HOW MUCH: Tickets to L’Imitation of Life are $25, which includes a $5 bar credit. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling Le Chat Noir at 504 581 5812. NOTE: the September 8 opening night performance of L’Imitation of Life will be hosted by the Mystic Krewe of Satyricon. For tickets to this performance, please call 504 525 4498.
