NEWS

Crooks introduce B&B Theatre in Ruston

Jun 30, 2011 | General News, Liberal Arts

As part of a new venture, B&B Theatre, Louisiana Tech faculty member Paul Crook and his wife Mary Fran Crook will unveil their production of Graceland.
Paul Crook, an associate professor of performing arts, said B&B Theatre stands for Basket and Beverage, and it is an attempt to add something to the cultural life of Ruston and north Louisiana.
“[Mary Fran] and I have often worked together, and in the summers, one – or sometimes both – of us has traveled to work at various theaters around the country,” Crook said. “The B&B is an opportunity for us to work at home in the summers. We intend for the B&B to be a complement to the other excellent artistic offerings our city has for its community; we intend to continue it each year.”
Crook said they encourage patrons to bring picnic baskets and drinks to enjoy before and during the show.
Graceland, the first of the plays for the B&B Theatre venture, is a one-act play by Ellen Byron that tells the story of two women meeting outside the gates of Elvis’ Memphis mansion three days before it is opened to the public in 1982.
“It is a touching, funny play,” Crook said. “It lays open the hearts and souls of these two fans of the ‘King.’”
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. July 1-2 at the Norton Building in downtown Ruston. Tickets are available at the door at $10 each.
For more information on B&B Theatre visit the Facebook page.
Written by Taylor Stephens