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Swine Palace – “How Can You Run with a Shell on Your Back?”

by Louise Hilton

Swine Palace’s latest show is the musical “How Do You Run with a Shell on Your Back?”, a collaboration between Playmakers of Baton Rouge and Swine Palace, directed by resident ensemble member Jenny Ballard, with musical direction by Jason Bayle. The story follows six students from different social groups who are stuck in detention in the library (of all places!) and are deathly bored. They are also loathe to be seen with one another (“My friends’ll freak out if they saw me with you… Ew!,” they sing in the opening number). You have the jock, the teacher’s pet, the misfit, the popular (and mean) girl, the nerd, and the class clown. Think The Breakfast Club for the tween/teen set.

To pass the time, the wacky substitute teacher Mr. Sopperstein encourages the students to use their imagination to act out scenes from one of the books in the library, Aesop’s Fables. The kids join forces to do just that, enacting three of the most enduring fables through song: “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” “Androcles and the Lion,” – whose accompanying song “Thorn in My Paw” is a stand-out as it follows the lovesick class clown Ari as he swoons over the popular Savannnah – and “The Tortoise and the Hare.” The kids realize soon enough that they’re not so different after all and the closing number, “Who’d’ve Ever Guessed,” is an up-tempo ode to friendship and finding common ground no matter how different we may seem upon first glance.

“How Do You Run” is fast-paced and short enough (60 minutes) to hold kids’ and teens’ attention and keep them entertained. With a talented cast, lively musical numbers, and its heartwarming message of acceptance, friendship, and of course, the power of imagination, this family-friendly show is definitely worth seeing.

The play opens tonight at 7:30 and runs through Sunday, August 5, in the Studio Theatre in the Music and Dramatic Arts Building at LSU. There are also 2:00 p.m. matinees on August 4 and 5. Company B will perform Thursday and Sunday. Tickets are $10, available at the door only. Get there early as the play is likely to sell out! Doors open at 7 p.m.

Archives of Cajun and Creole Folklore

We have a fantastic Louisiana audio archive to share with you. The complete Archives of Cajun and Creole Folklore is housed by the Center for Louisiana Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Part of the collection has been digitized and is now accessible within the Louisiana Digital Library. In this collection you will hear oral history interviews, stories, jokes and musical performances. The collection is entertaining and offers a real insight into Cajun and Creole life over the last 35 years or so.

To find out more, you can also visit the website for the physical Archives of Cajun and Creole Folklore.

Have You Got Olympics Fever?

The XXX Olympiad is upon us! Here are some things to put you in the mood for the London 2012 Olympics and some fantastic sporting competition. First of all, the official website of the Olympics is well worth a visit. There are photographs, videos, and lists of medallists going back to 1896. It’s a great way to relive some of those treasured sporting memories. You can also check out one of these books or DVDs to take a look back at the competition’s prestigious history.

With these books you can read up on some factoids and impress your friends while you’re watching the games. I know I will!

Have a smartphone? Try these apps to keep up with the Olympics:
London 2012 Olympics Official App: iTunes, Android
NBC Olympics App: iTunes, Android
BBC Olympics App: iTunes, Android

Book Review: A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder

A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder by Karen Spears Zacharias. Reviewed by Louise Hilton.

In light of the tragic death last month of Baton Rouge’s own Xzayvion Riley, an 8-year-old who lost his life after being severely beaten – his parents are charged with murder in the first degree –, the summer 2012 One Book One Community pick could not be timelier. A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder by Karen Spears Zacharias is the story of a three-year-old girl named Karly Sheehan who was continuously abused and finally brutally tortured and murdered by her mother Sarah’s live-in boyfriend. Zacharias, an investigative journalist, had taken Karly’s mother into her home when Sarah was a pregnant teenager down on her luck, and it is the author’s personal connection with Sarah that makes the reality of what happened to Karly hit that much closer to home and compelled Zacharias to share Karly’s story with the world.

Zacharias certainly doesn’t mince words when reviewing the failures on the part of various adults in Karly’s life, from social workers to police officers to lawyers, all of whom inexplicably failed to do anything tangible about the abuse that was happening before their very eyes, an intervention that ultimately could have prevented the baby’s senseless murder.

Despite its devastating subject matter, A Silence of Mockingbirds is a surprisingly quick read, with Zacharias introducing (much-needed) moments of levity when describing the precocious toddler’s playfulness with her devoted father David and other members of her family. Zacharias ends the book with a call to action, urging readers to get involved and not be afraid of interfering. “If you have a feeling something isn’t quite right with a child, don’t be so quick to rationalize it away. Don’t wait to ask yourself, ‘What more could I have done?’ Instead ask, ‘What will I regret not having done if this child turns up dead?’ Then, whatever that thing is, do it. Don’t wait on someone else to intervene,  because chances are, you are the only one who can save that child.” You are the only one who can save future Karlys and Xzayvions.

Though it is an undeniably sobering read, A Silence of Mockingbirds just may be one of the most important books you’ll ever open. What page are you on?

The One Book One Community summer series culminates with a discussion panel led by journalist Donna Britt and featuring Zacharias and experts from the medical, legal, and childcare fields, that takes place this very Thursday, July 26, at LSU’s Cox Communications Academic Center for Student Athletes. The event is free and open to the public and starts at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

For more information on this important book (including the book trailer) and the author event, visit readonebook.org and the OBOC Infoguide.

Karen Zacharias One Book One Community Event

Karen Spears Zacharias, author of our One Book One Community read, A Silence of Mockingbirds will be discussing her powerful book and its themes on July 26, at 7:00 pm, an event not to be missed. The program will be held at the LSU Cox Communications Center for Student Athletes. The event is free and there is also free and available parking.

For more information about the author, the book, and its themes, please visit our A Silence of Mockingbirds InfoGuide or the One Book One Community site.

End of Summer Reading Children’s Parties!

Join us in sending Summer Reading out with a bang! These parties are great fun for kids and not to be missed. There will be games, a spacewalk, a clown, prizes, refreshments and face painting! How can you not go? For more information, please call your local branch and groups must register.

Monday, July 23
Central Branch 10:00am
Bluebonnet Regional Branch 6:30pm

Tuesday, July 24
Carver/River Center Branch joint party at the Carver Branch 10:00am

Wednesday, July 25
Zachary Branch 10:00am
Jones Creek Regional Branch 6:30pm

Thursday, July 26
Delmont Gardens Branch 10:00am
Eden Park Branch 3:30pm

Monday, July 30
Scotlandville Branch 10:00am
Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch 6:30pm

Tuesday, July 31
Baker Branch 10:00am
Pride-Chaneyville Branch 3:00pm

Wednesday, August 1
Main Library 10:00am

You Decide the Teen Digital Media Challenge

Over the last month or so our, EBRPL teens have been busily taking our digital media challenge and making videos and audio to share. The videos have all been shot, the audios recorded, and now it’s up to you to decide who wins the fabulous prizes. Go to our EBRPL Teens YouTube page and ‘like’ which projects you think should win.

The competition is in two sections. Best video will win a Flip camera, and the best audio project will win an iPod Shuffle. Voting closes on July 23rd!

Swine Palace’s “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare – Abridged” Is a Must-See!

by Louise Hilton

I had the opportunity to attend the final dress rehearsal for Swine Palace’s latest production, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare – Abridged,” last night, and what a treat it was. Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield and directed by Swine Palace resident ensemble member Kristina Sutton Udy, this ambitious play attempts to cover all 37 of the Bard’s plays in just 97 minutes, and the three leads Benjamin Koucherik, Nic Hamel, and Anthony McMurray, give it their all.

It is a hilarious race to the finish, with lots of costume changes, a wickedly smart script, and loads of audience interaction. Ever imagined “Titus Andronicus” as a cooking show? “Othello” as a rap song? All of Shakespeare’s comedies condensed into one single play set on a desert island? Well, this production achieves all of that and so much more. Pop culture references abound, with the script poking fun at everything from the Twilight series to Titanic to political correctness itself.

The play opens tonight at 7:30 and runs through Sunday, July 22, in the Studio Theatre in the Music and Dramatic Arts Building at LSU. Tickets are $10, available at the door only. Get there early as the play is likely to sell out. Doors open at 7 p.m. There will also be 2:00 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday with the understudy cast. Don’t miss this over-the-top ode to Shakespeare that is sure to be a hit with teen and adult audiences!