Southern Rep facts for kids

Southern Rep (also known as Southern Rep Theatre) is a special theater group in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's a "regional theater," which means it's a professional theater that creates its own shows and has a big impact in its area. Southern Rep is part of important groups like the National New Play Network and the Theatre Communications Group. These groups help theaters work together and support new plays.

The theater was started in 1986 by Dr. Rosary O'Neill. It has won awards, like the Governor's Arts Organization Award, for its great work in the arts.

The Story of Southern Rep

Southern Rep was founded in 1986 by Dr. Rosary O'Neill, who is a playwright and a scholar. In its early years, the theater focused on creating plays that showed the unique culture and history of the Southern United States.

New Focus on Plays

From 2002 to 2007, under the leadership of Ryan Rilette, Southern Rep started to focus on developing brand new plays by American writers. They also began to show plays that were new to the region. During this time, Southern Rep joined the National New Play Network, which helps theaters develop and share new works.

Aimee Hayes became the Artistic Director in 2008. She continued to lead the theater until 2020. As of August 2021, Sacha Grandoit was the Interim Artistic Director.

A New Home

In 2019, Southern Rep found a permanent home in a historic building. This building used to be the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. The theater used this location for a few years before closing its doors in 2022.

Where Southern Rep Performed

Before finding its permanent home, Southern Rep performed in many different places around New Orleans. Its main location for a while was at One Canal Place.

The theater also put on shows at other interesting venues. These included the Mid-City Theater, Loyola University's Marquette Hall, and the Michalopoulos Gallery. They also performed at the Ursuline Academy auditorium, the Ashé Power House theater, and The Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans.

Facing Hurricane Katrina

In 2005, a very powerful storm called Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. Southern Rep, like many other places, had to close its doors temporarily because of the hurricane and its aftermath.

However, the theater worked hard to reopen to the public. It welcomed audiences back just a few months after Hurricane Katrina. This showed the theater's strength and its commitment to the community.