Swine Palace facts for kids

The Reilly Theatre is the home of the Swine Palace theatre company on the LSU campus.

Swine Palace is a professional theatre company that works with the Department of Theatre at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is a non-profit organization, which means its main goal is to create art, not to make money. The company performs in the Reilly Theatre on the LSU campus.

History

A Unique Beginning

Believe it or not, the building that is now a modern theatre was once a place for judging livestock! In 1992, this historic building, originally called the Swine Palace, was going to be torn down. Luckily, a grant from the Reilly family and the hard work of Gresdna Doty from the LSU Theatre Department saved it.

The theatre company was started in 1992 by Barry Kyle, who used to be the Artistic Director at the famous Royal Shakespeare Company's Swan Theatre. He decided to name the new company "Swine Palace" to honor the building's quirky history. The building itself was renamed the Reilly Theatre, but its design still shows hints of its past.

Making a Difference Through Theatre

In 2007, Swine Palace worked with artist Ping Chong to create a new play called Cocktail. The play told the true story of Krisana Kraisintu, a scientist from Thailand. It showed her important work to create an affordable medicine to help thousands of patients in her country who were suffering from AIDS.

A Trip to China

Also in 2007, Swine Palace became one of the first American theatre companies to perform in China. They took their production of the play The Heidi Chronicles to the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre and the Beijing Central Academy of Drama.

This was a big deal because it was the first time this play had ever been performed in China. A group of 31 people, including 15 university students, went on the month-long trip. It was a great opportunity for them to share their work with a new audience.

Notable Productions

Over the years, Swine Palace has performed many different kinds of plays, from classic stories by Shakespeare to modern hits. Here are some of the memorable shows they have put on.

See also

• Louisiana State University
• Theater in Louisiana