[StBernard] The 60-Second Interview: Barry Lemoine

[Westley Annis]

The 60-Second Interview: Barry Lemoine
Posted by Chris Rose March 14, 2008 7:27AM
They -- whoever "they" are -- call Barry Lemoine the Bard of St. Bernard. As
co-founder of the parish's only theater company, Shine Productions, and a
relentless booster of the region's culture, the title seems fitting.

(Full disclosure: Lemoine is also a contributor to this newspaper's edition
of the St. Bernard Picayune, but he was offered no kickbacks for this
feature.)

In fitting with the Bard theme, Shine Productions is producing "The Compleat
Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)," the first two weekends of April at St.
Bernard's most famous cultural outpost, Rocky & Carlo's restaurant.

"The Compleat Works" boils 37 works of Shakespeare into a 97-minute show.
Let's just call it high-brow theater for the short-attention-span patron of
the arts. I interviewed Lemoine by e-mail earlier this week.

The Bard of St. Bernard. What, exactly, does that job entail?

Bringing the word of the Bard out to the masses, taking it from the page to
the stage while entertaining and educating -- and doing what I can to spread
the word that mold is not the only culture growing in the parish.

Rocky & Carlo's is certainly an intriguing selection for a Shakespearean
drama. Will they be serving their famous mac & cheese at intermission?

For such a high-energy show, we thought baked mac would be good. It's like
before a marathon -- you eat a lot of carbs. And besides, what night of
theater is complete without a chance to play the claw machine?

By my literal interpretation of the dictionary, you're a thespian. Is that
legal in Chalmette?

If it's consensual. 

Give me the real skinny: What's the cultural vibe in your beautiful,
lovable, indomitable and indestructible hometown?

In my early years here, Chalmette and culture was an oxymoron. They used to
host wrestling matches in the St. Bernard Cultural Center. That, and dance
reviews. But over the years, St. Bernard has fostered a lot of talent. And
the arts are growing. We figured Kenner had a theater group, Slidell has
several, so why not here? We were doing all kinds of stuff (before Katrina)
-- original work, classics, musical theater. But since the storm, all we do
now is comedy. These shows have had some of the biggest and rowdiest crowds
that we've ever experienced. And a theater troupe in St. Bernard is like
being the last five-fingered man on the leper colony. Not a lot of
competition. But also, not a lot of opportunities for people who live here
to see live theater or comedy. Or movies. Or shop at places that don't have
"Dollar" in the name.

Shine Productions has been steadfast and resilient in bringing the cultural
arts to St. Bernard. God's work, if you ask me. Let me phrase this in
theatrical terminology: What is your motivation?

People need to laugh. I think that is part of healing. A highlight for our
Evacuation Theatre Troupe was performing for the rescue workers living on
the Scotia Prince in Violet. There were 600 people living in the cramped
quarters aboard this ferry boat. And for some of those guys -- the cops and
the firemen -- they hadn't laughed in weeks. It felt good to do that.

If Shakespeare wrote a play about Chalmette, what would it be called?

The first play I ever wrote was a musical called "The Merchant of Venice,
Louisiana." But I guess post-storm, I would call it "Once More, Into the
Breach."

If Romeo and Juliet were set in Arabi, what would their names be?

Virg and Mary? Rocky and Carla? Dixie and Amba? Ant'ney and Cleopatra?

Here's something I've always wondered: Who, exactly, was St. Bernard anyway?

The real saint is Bernard of Clairvaux. He lived in France in the early 11th
century. He was also the patron saint of Bernardo Galvez, the first governor
of this area. The parish was named for him.

Was he, by any chance, related to St. Roch or St. Expedite?

No, but I think he is kin to Our Lady of Perpetual Incompetence, the patron
saint of the Road Home program.

Last question: Sometimes I get the feeling that people from other places
could have no idea what interviews like this are all about. Would you care
to try and explain to our distant, online readers just exactly what the
city, da parish, and everything else here is all about?

I'm just so proud to be from New Orleans. The more I travel, the more I
appreciate it. The spirit, the joy we take in laughing and eating. The
dancing. Too many people on the outside only see New Orleans for the bad.
The murders or all the Girls Gone Wild foolishness. But when you meet the
volunteers, who are changing their own lives and ours, and you see how our
city and our people charm them, it makes me really happy to be home.

. . . . . . .

Columnist Chris Rose can be reached at chris.rose at timespicayune.com; or at
(504) 352-2535 or (504) 826-3309. To read past columns, visit
www.nola.com/rose