Nicholls State University - La Pirogue Yearbook (Thibodaux, LA)

Page 85 text:

Cast Mr. De La Terre T T T T . Glynn Carlos Beth LaBarbera Kay Gauthreaux Don lvlontz Lulubelle McEvery Young VashtifBelle lylarie T T Young Pirogue Ti Rogue Teenage Vashti Belle Marie T T Terea Breaux Teenage Pirogue Ti Bogue Older Vashti T T T T Tommy Dantin Julie Hebert Older Pirogue T T Bandy Cheramie Texan T Back Foucheux Ti Booger T T Billy Foster Louise T T Anne Galiour Director T T Mel Berry Designer T T T Greg Mullins ister and a Texan oil tield worker together and hanging bags ot potato chips changed a plantation and courtyard to a dingy sparse bar. One ot the more humorous aspects tor both the director and the actors was the dialogue Dr. Quertermous made liberal use ot French and Cajun slang, much to the delight ot an accustomed audience Br. Berry taced it like any problem a director encounters. After spending time yvorking with some students to help them lose their bayou accents, here comes a play written tor them to take to Baton Rouge Although commended tor the acting ot young Kay Gauthreaux, Chere Belle Chere Bete' was not selected for regional competition. The Nicholls Play- ers returned, and Dr, Q keeps on writ- ing. Reclining on the steps ot Chere Belle young Vashti CKay Gauthreauxl gives Lulu Belle lvtctiyery enough trouble in becoming lla lady Humor breaks the moment in the tavern ot Chere Bete as Vashti Qclulie Hebertl pauses with the Texan oil field worker fBick Foucheuxl The bullvvhips behind them were used in a tight between Vashti and Pirogue X A ,fu 6.2-W1 AQHA. 'Chere Belle Chere Bele

Page 84 text:

'Chere Belle, Chere Befe' Faculfy aufhor writes anofher The last time the Nicholls Players per- tormed a play written by Dr. Max Querter- mous, they were selected to represent the state at the American College Theatre Festival regional competition. These Are My People, This ls My Land examined the culture and tradi- tions ot the Acadian descendents located in the parishes surrounding Nicholls. When Dr Quertermous presented the Players and the Speech Department with 'Chere Belle, Chere Beta , the hopes were this play would repeat the success ot 1972. The French title literally translates to lllittle beauty, little beast, although the play is concerned with the people ot a small Louisiana bayou town, The story deals with the lives ot Vashti, Pirogue and their children from the turn ot the century to the years shortly betore World War ll Narrated by the town lawyer, Mr. De La Terre, the story plays a mystery with the ownership ot the old plantation Chere Belle, Chere Bete is the name of the local tav- ern run by a tight-tisted Vashti who is determined to own the town and wreck revenge on Pirogue tor deserting her. The casting ot the play, by director Mel Berry, has tour characters playing dual roles, Two nine-year-olds, Kay Gauthreaux and Don Montz tson ot Dan Montz, dean ot admissions and registrarb portrayed Vashti and Pirogue as children. Terea Breaux and Tommy Dantin had the jobs ot continuing the two main char- acters as teenagers and their children. ln charge ot set construction, Greg Mullins directed a student crew faced with the task ot building a run-down plan- tation which would double as a local bar. Putting a countertop, antique cash reg- Contemplating the marriage ol her daughter to Ti Rouge tTommy Dantini. Vashti tJulie l-lebertl ret' uses to speak to his tather Pirogue tPandy Chera- miel in the play by Dr Mak Quertermous

Page 86 text:

Y .-xk Q , TL Q G G .-4. l j rf T X nf : F: j- T l - F . 74'Q Q gf-- x- X., ,- h- ,X V A I .i , ,L ,Ig C S cQ,.. '-X X9 gg, - ., -fx gi c f ' f -1 ,, Y, K ' -if ff- X T ,-gs-.fd X4f4..X-, hdX,,,,x1,- .. i,--xL-- During its first show, the audience ducked wood splinters from the bro- ken pine boards of a karate demon- strator. A campus cult soon developed around a group called the Greasy Glory, none old enough to remember the original '50s And then there was the female impersonator and the nose-playing harmonica man. Campus Night, featuring amateur student talent, faded out years ago. But for a junior residing in Zeringue Hall, the people, interest and talent still existed for the First Millet-Zeringue Talent Show in the fall of 1974. With mainly residents from the twin male dorms, Pussell Klingman man- aged to put together a talent show which lasted four hours and included the acts of future showsi guitar solos, singers, self defense demonstrations. a belly dancer fmalej and a greased down group of M-Z residents known asthe Greasy Glory. The Glories, composed of Hank Bal- lard, Poger Burrell, Loel Hoffman, Pat Parra, Eddie Schiro and Walter She- pard, led the way the following spring for an improved Second Annual Millet- Zeringue Talent Show. Hosted by Klingman in Peltier Audi- torium, this time the show featured cash prizes and 20 acts. The Greasy Glory's harmony, leather and antics Cdriving a motorcy- cle on stagej won them first prize, Dawn Duplantis and Tim Pete impressed the 600 students and fac- ulty attending with two of her songs for second place Other acts included a male belly dancer fagainj and filler skits to help performers gather courage, among them two minutes of silence by Wally Morgan as he smoked a cigarette Klingman went to the student Sen- ate this fall for help in producing the l.iIi-fiit Stiow growing event. The senate took over management, appointing Klingman as chairman of the committee to direct the First Uni- versity Talent Show, Money was set up for prizes, judges were secured along with the use of Peltier Auditorium again, Klingman retired backstage to guide things and Andrew Sioux Hill became master of ceremonies to over 800 persons present. A smaller number of acts and expe- rience in previous talent shows helped the program finish in under three hours. Leslie Wilbert, a White Castle fresh- man, won first place with his electric guitar and singing of Time in a Bottle, by Jim Croce and Wildfire by Michael Murphy. Wilbert also jammed with the rock group of Harold Wahl, Janice Bonvil- lain and Pebb Duhe as a lead and bass guitarist The Greasy Glory returned, with bobbysoxed groupies, for a second place finish using the help of a female vocalist doing Johnny Angel. The third place winner was acknowl- edged as the funniest performance by a group, The Commodores. Composed of four men and women, they enacted a wake familiar to Flip Wilson's Rev, Leroy, According to the preacher, the theme was The Church On Parade . . . were a church, and at Mardi Gras we go on parade . , Noel Schoenfeld was awarded 555 for the most unusual act, playing the harmonica with his nose, The New Orleans native began by playing with his mouth then graduating to his nose, His only competition for the S5 prize was a female impersonation done by Jerry Ortist