Theatre Louisiane's first show was a 340th anniversary production of The Ridiculous Damsels, Molière's classic one-act comedy of pretentiousness, using techniques of French farce and stylized, high energy caricature, based in the principles of Italian commedia dell'arte.
Our production of The Ridiculous Damsels featured an ensemble of eight performers, including Jorin Ostroska as Mascarille, Nolan Patin as Jodelet, Kathleen Robinson as Magdelon, Amy Woodruff as Cathos, Eric Illarmo as LaGrange, Christopher Lewis as DuCroisy, James Crouch as Gorgibus, and Deni Lambaunas as Marotte. The show was directed by Theatre Louisiane's Artistic Director Amy Woodruff, and the assistant director was Associate Artistic Director Kathleen Robinson.
During the rehearsal process, director Amy Woodruff said of the project that "Theatre Louisiane wants to recreate the feel of a pre-20th century common-man's performance and theatre space, and capture the irreverence and joy of classical clown, ridicule, and parody, through surrealistic makeup design, as well as lively comic movement and mannerism. Designs will suggest the early nineteenth century using basic period costumes and simple hand props. However, the production will allow a 'timeless' quality to seep into the performances and not allow any specific period of time to set boundaries for the designs (for example, some of the music and dance elements are of a contemporary nature, complementing the production). Scenic pieces will be extremely sparse, and will only include two ornate chairs and two free-standing panels to suggest a room. Lighting will consist of dozens of pillar candles lining the stage area to immerse the performances in an festival-like atmosphere."
This production of Molière's The Ridiculous Damsels was inspired by "Francofête," the tricentennial of French influence in Louisiana, and was sponsored in part by Mystic Cafe, Virgin Megastore Cafe, and Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream Shops.
The shows were November 18, 19, & 20, 1999 at 8:00 pm, at The Dream Palace, 534 Frenchmen Street. Admission to the performances was a modest $4.00, since Theatre Louisiane is dedicated to producing top-notch productions at a low cost for a broad range of New Orleanians.