Nicholls Players fall production represents the 125-Year anniversary of the 1893 Cheniere Caminada Hurricane
October 11, 2018
Graphic by Jessica Mouton
For their fall production, the Nicholls Players are set to perform “As Long as the Earth Lasts” in the Mary and Al Danos Theatre Oct. 11-14.
John Doucet, dean of the college of arts and sciences, wrote the play. The play is based on the experiences of his great-great-grandfather and family during the unexpected hurricane.
“The play is being performed to mark the 125-year anniversary of the hurricane that hit the Cheniere Caminada Island in 1893, and essentially took it off the map and wiped out an entire population,” said sophomore cast member Devin Griffin.
Griffin is from the area that surrounded the Cheniere Caminada Island, which makes this play hit especially close to home for her. She even recalls old stories of her ancestors from the island and the area.
“To have that little walk of life from the no-name town where I am from in Louisiana be on a stage is kind of neat,” Griffin said.
Graduate student and assistant director Chelsea Jackson said the play features an elder character who warns of the coming storm, only to be shut down by the younger generations. This ultimately leads to tragedy for several characters in the story.
“The play also surrounds a poor family in the area, their life before the storm and the changes that occur in their lives after the storm hits the island,” Jackson said. “The main character is an adolescent boy who wants to break free of his father’s wishes while dealing with conflict with his love interest.”
Jackson said there is a lot of turmoil going on in the story, particularly family drama among the elder man, the young boy and his father. Jackson said that there are many different twists and turns throughout the play that make the audience feel heart warmed, sad and amused.
Anna Broussard, director and professor, said advertisement for the play can be seen on posters in many of the main buildings on campus, as well as a push from Doucet for students to attend performances.
Tickets will cost $7 for students and $15 for the general public. Theatre etiquette for the event is dressy casual; shorts and t-shirts are not recommended.
The opening performances are set to be 7 p.m. on Thursday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Friday’s showtime will be pushed back to 7:30, and Doucet is scheduled to give a lecture starting at 7 p.m., summarizing the background of the play.
Members of the Nicholls Players said to make sure to drop in on one of the performance nights to get a look into a part of Louisiana history that is lesser known within the community.
