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And The Ball And All

Category: Theater/Shows/Concerts

Start: Feb 11, 2018 2:00 PM

End: Feb 11, 2018 4:30 PM

Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts, 325 Minor St, Kenner, LA 70062, USA

And The Ball And All

Among the rites of Carnival is the annual run of … and The Ball and All, the Ricky Graham-penned comedy about the Mystic Krewe of Terpsichore. Becky Allen and Amanda Hebert star as yatty krewe organizers planning their truck float and getting ready for the ball. Also included in the cast is Yvette Hargis, Rebecca Taliancich, Mandy Zirchenbach, Leslie Claverie, and Patrick Mendelson.

 "Girl, you got to get out of this neighborhood," Frances exclaims when she learns someone has broken a window at her friend Aggie's Mid-City lounge. Crime and other obstacles to peaceful existence in the Big Easy get the audience rolling with laughter through much of Ricky Graham's perennial favorite, ...And the Ball and All.

  The play follows the Krewe of Terpsichore, a women's Carnival organization brought to life. The Ball debuted in 1995 (the year in which it's set) and had a long initial run. The outrageous, affectionate chronicle of y'at social custom must be imbued with immortal energies, because it keeps coming back and audiences still love it.

  Much of the humor grows out of local references. The krewe members gossip, especially when one of them leaves the room, and they don't merely say the absent friend has gained weight, but "She's got more rolls than McKenzie's."


  Humor drives the play more than plot, but at its core, The Ball is a y'at comedy of manners, or a comedy of ill-manners. It's a remarkable and enduring achievement for writer/director Graham and the krewe.