‘Last of the RED HOT Lovers’

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, October 18, 2017

As with many theater groups, every Iberia Performing Arts League production has a little controlled chaos behind the scenes to push forward the best possible performances.

The upcoming production “Last of the Red Hot Lovers,” which opens Thursday, took a special hit when director Doc Voorhies walked out his house one morning and tripped, shattering several bones in his arm and getting a doctor’s order to work from the chair.

Out of that dilemma arose an opportunity for the cast and crew to exert their best effort in working on the play. Under those special circumstances a new volunteer was recognized by all as a saving grace for the show.

Nick Delcambre began volunteering for IPAL about four years ago with the production of “Spamalot.” The Highland Baptist Christian School student’s work ethic was noticed by Donna Berard, who picked him to work as a backstage manager for the production “Taking Leave,” which ran earlier this year.

“I was going through a hard time, and Nick was doing all the little things you never think about that I couldn’t do,” Berard said Tuesday. “Little things that no one would think about. If I wanted a light doing a certain thing, he would do it.”

So it made sense when Voorhies picked Delcambre to work as assistant director at the start of “Last of the Red Hot Lovers.” Berard stars in the show alongside IPAL veteran Milton Resweber, Kayla Heinz-Bonner and Kaleigh Lay.

After informing the cast of his injury, Voorhies upped the responsibilities on Delcambre.

“I broke my arm and he had to get things organized,” Voorhies said with a laugh. “The actors are all very good so they could handle it. All the tech stuff and lighting, Nick handled that.”

“He’s been our little brain. He’s mine for sure,” Berard said. “He’s been a great asset to me as well as to the show.”

Since all of the cast members work full-time jobs, it was often hard to schedule times for rehearsals, but Delcambre took the lead and made sure to coordinate everything so pre-production would run as smoothly as possible.

“(I was doing) pretty much everything,” Delcambre said. “Directing, all of the cast made it a lot of easier. It was a great experience.”

Organizing photo shoots and coordinating cast members were some other duties Delcambre excelled in. 

“No one wants to send the group text messaging, but before anyone even said anything he was already there,” Berard said.

According to an IPAL prepared statement, “Last of the Red Hot Lovers” premiered on Broadway in 1969.

The play revolves around Barney Cashman (played by Resweber), a middle-aged, married man who wants to join the sexual revolution before it is too late. A gentle soul with no experience in adultery, he fails in each of three seductions.

His love interests include Elaine Navazio, described as a sexpot who likes cigarettes, whiskey and other women’s husbands and played by Heinz-Bonner; Bobbi Michele, an actress friend who he discovers is “madder than a hatter,” played by Lay, and Jeannette Fisher, Cashman’s wife’s best friend, a staunch moralist and played by Berard.

It’s been a “different kind of play,” Berard said, in terms of rehearsals. Instead of cast members running on- and off-stage, each of the three women share an act with Resweber. That’s led to some of the cast being scheduled to rehearse at different times and barely seeing each other as a result.

“We’ve all been rehearsing separately,” she said. “We haven’t all gotten to work together, but it’s like we have. I’ve worked with Kaleigh before off-stage. I’ve worked with Milton and Kayla. We knew each other and when we finally started rehearsing together it was like we were always together.  

Berard also said finally getting to work with Resweber, who she’s directed on a number of occasions, also has been a joy.

The production opens Thursday and runs for two consecutive weekends, closing on Oct. 29. The play will be at IPAL’s Essanee Theater, 126 Iberia St. in downtown New Iberia. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and 3 p.m. Sunday afternoons.

Advance tickets may be purchased at Delaune’s Pharmacy, Paul’s Flower Shop, The Daily Iberian, Eventbrite or by calling the theater (364- 6114) and leaving a message. Tickets also can be purchased at the door. There is general seating and all tickets are $10.