Lake Charles Community Area Information
The Arts
An integral part of community life is the wide variety of cultural resources available either in the city itself or within a short distance. The community supports a symphony orchestra, performing and visual arts groups, numerous theatres as well as a museum and various art galleries.
Music
Since 1958, the Lake Charles Civic Symphony has provided quality programs under the baton of an experienced conductor. The annual season consists of four subscription concerts featuring guest artists, a special free family concert, a special appearance at the Spring Arts Festival, and a Summer Pops Concert.
Additionally, Lake Charles boasts a variety of organizations for musical interests, including vocal groups such as the Louisiana Choral Foundation (call 475-5020 for more information). The Foundation sponsors three groups, which are “Master Works Chorale,” Children’s Performing Group “Les Petit Voix,” and the “Magical Singers”.
Concerts are usually held in the Rosa Hart Theatre of the Lake Charles Civic Center, 900 Lakeshore Dr. For ticket information, call the Symphony Office (337) 433-1611.
Theater
Theater Arts are well established in the area offering community theater productions from four separate and diverse community organizations. Lake Charles Little Theater, 813 Enterprise Blvd, founded in 1926, is the oldest arts organization in Lake Charles, and the third oldest in the State. In addition to its regular season of full-length plays, Little Theater annually sponsors the Louisiana Shakespeare Festival, presented in an informal outdoor setting. Reservations can be made by calling the Theatre Box Office at (337) 433-7988.
Artists Civic Theater and Studio (ACTS), with a full-time professional director, is housed in its theater facility in the downtown area at One Reid Street. This community playhouse offers full-length productions of recent Broadway acquisitions as well as an active children’s theater. ACTS Main Stage, in the year 1995, marked 30 years of continuous children’s theatre in Lake Charles. You can become a member by calling (337) 433-2287.
The Children’s Theater Company puts on special performances for children at the Lake Charles Little Theatre as well as at the Lake Charles Civic Center. For more information, call 1-800-456-7952. Stage performances are available for groups and conventions.
The Communication and Theater Department at McNeese State University produces plays, and conducts theater and communications workshops for the university community as well as area residents. At times, professional Hollywood and New York actors are in residence during production and workshops, serving roles as guest artists and workshop facilitators. McNeese Theatre Box Office (337-465-5043).
Professional productions of current Broadway offerings are as close as the Lutcher Theater in Orange, Texas, as well as theaters in Houston and New Orleans.
Dance
Dance enthusiasts may sample all forms of the Art, from classical ballet to contemporary, modern and ethnic dance. Lake Charles Ballet Society, founded in 1963 (337-436-0160), sponsors an annual concert series presenting national touring companies and guest artists, as well as showcasing local dancers. Founded in 1967, Lake Charles Civic Ballet (337-433-1125), annually presents a Christmas ballet especially for young audiences. Ballet Joyeaux Company (337-436-5217), performs for local enjoyment at the Civic Center and other locations.
Museums & Galleries
Within the confines of Calcasieu and neighboring parishes, one can enjoy fine art collections as well as a step back into history by visiting any of various museums and galleries. The Imperial Calcasieu Museum (337-439-3797) in Lake Charles houses records and exhibits depicting the history of Southwest Louisiana and the life of pirate Jean Lafitte, who is reputed to have used local waters to harbor his ships. The museum is located at the site of the historic Sallier Oak, estimated to be over 300 years old. A recent addition to the Museum is the Gibson-Barham Fine Arts Gallery, featuring touring exhibits and collections from nationally recognized artists and museums.
Two other local galleries are Gallery by the Lake (337-436-1008), and Abercrombie Gallery at McNeese State University (337-475-5060). Various exhibits are featured throughout the year.
A tour of the Charpentier Historic District in Downtown Lake Charles, developed by the Calcasieu Preservation Society, offers clues to the history and culture of the city and reflects the growth of the area as a result of the early 1900’s lumber boom. A brochure is available from the Tourist Commission outlining routes and giving detailed information on historic homes so unique in style as to be named “Lake Charles Style Architecture.”
Central School Arts and Humanities Center (337-439-2787), which is housed in the old Central High School houses the Artifacts Gallery, the Mardi Gras Musuem and Art Associates Gallery, and the Arts Coucil, as well as a number of other galleries.
The Brimstone Museum in Sulphur, Louisiana (337-527-7142), is housed in an old railroad station and features films and exhibits on the history of the sulphur industry as well as historic memorabilia of Southwest Louisiana.
Chretien Plantation, built in 1821, is open to the public in Sunset, LA. The DeQuincy Railroad Museum (337-786-2823), is housed in the Kansas City Southern Depot in DeQuincy, LA, and commemorates the railroad industry. A 1913 steam locomotive, a vintage caboose, and railroad artifacts displayed on the museum grounds attract visitors from around the country. During the second weekend in April, the city hosts the annual DeQuincy Railroad Festival held on Museum grounds.
East of Lake Charles in Jennings, LA, is the Zigler Museum, created in 1963 by Ruth B. Zigler, widow of Jennings industrialist and philanthropist Fred B. Zigler. The East Wing contains dioramas depicting wildlife of Southwestern Louisiana. The West Wing houses a permanent collection of works by American and European artists. The Louisiana Gallery contains works from Louisiana artists, and the Central Gallery is reserved for changing exhibits featuring new artists.
The Oil and Gas Park is located on I-10 at Jennings. The park contains displays on the Cajun culture and oil and gas industry of Louisiana, including a replica of Louisiana’s first oil derrick.
Crowley is east of Jennings and is designated as the Rice Capitol of the World. Crowley boasts 200 homes and businesses listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Blue Rose Museum is an antebellum home named for a variety of rice. The Wright-Andrus Museum is one of the oldest homes in Acadia Parish and is furnished with period pieces. The Rice Museum commemorates the rice industry, the oil industry, and the history of Crowley. The International Rice Festival is held annually in mid-October.
The Stark-Lutcher complex, west of Lake Charles in Orange, Texas, is the home of the Stark Museum of Art, the Lutcher Theater, and the W.H. Stark House. The Stark Museum of art contains exhibits, which reflect the Stark family’s interest in the land, wildlife, and the people of the American West. The Museum‘s collection of Western American Art is one of the finest in the country and includes works by such artists as Audubon, Paul Kane, Frederic Remington, and Charles Russell. The American Indian collection consists primarily of material crafted by the tribes of the Great Plains and the Southwest, and the American Birds done by Dorothy Dougthty. The Steven glass collection includes the only complete set of the United States in crystal, a series of bowls engraved with scenes representing the history of each of the 50 states.
The W. H. Stark House is a careful restoration of an 1894 Victorian home, complete with its original furniture and appointments. The 15-room, 3-story structure shows the influence of several architectural styles and is the only surviving structure of many that once lined the tree shaded neighborhood.
Children's Activities
Cultural organizations in Calcasieu devote considerable portions of their annual budgets to activities for children. There is quite an array of cultural and artistic resources available to enhance a child’s awareness of the arts and humanities.
The Summer Arts Camp, co-sponsored by the Calcasieu Parish School Board and the Calcasieu Arts and Humanities Council (337-439-2787), has received national recognition as a unique and innovative project in arts programming for children.
In the month of June, professional artists in a multi-discipline program teach children in grades K-8.
The Arts Connection Program is designed to aid parish teachers in incorporating the arts into a classroom situation. During the academic year, visiting artists are made available to all public and private schools through this program. The Calcasieu Parish Schools and the Imperial Calcasieu Museum sponsor this hands-on experience. Six different arts and education programs tour schools and libraries.
The Free Family Concert, sponsored annually in April by the Lake Charles Symphony, offers children the opportunity to see and hear a symphony orchestra in a relaxed atmosphere. A special feature of the concert is “Close Encounters,” during which children may meet with the musicians, discuss, and play the instrument of their choice.
The Lake Charles Ballet Society sponsors “Ballet on Wheels,” which takes programs into schools parish wide to introduce ballet to youth. Most programs deal with a specific ballet. Children interact with a professional dancer who, through lecture and demonstration, leads them to a greater understanding of the story, music, and dance. “Ballet on Wheels” is held in conjunction with professional ballet performances.
The Civic Student Theater is the children’s component of Artists Civic Theater and Studio. The group annually presents a musical production in conjunction with Contraband Days Festival.
The Calcasieu Parish Library offers story hours and reading clubs for children as well as film series and special art exhibits.
The Children’s Museum of Lake Charles, Inc. (925 Enterprise Blvd., 337-433-9420), offers a wide variety of hands on activities for the young and old. A visit to the museum promises to stimulate curiosity, creativity and learning through participatory exhibits and programs. Among the wide variety of activities is the grocery store where children can pretend to buy groceries, the computer lab where games await, the television station where children can view themselves on television, and the fire station and post office for more hands-on activities. There is a Toddler area for children under 2 years of age.
Millennium Park, located near the Civic Center in Lake Charles, was a community effort built by volunteers for the children of the Lake Area and is available for all to enjoy.
