Swine Palace

In 1992, an historic livestock judging pavilion called the Swine Palace was slated for demolition. It was the first building constructed on the current campus of LSU and was identified as the future home of the Swine Palace theater company. The theater company founded in 1992 by Barry Kyle (former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre) in association with LSU Department of Theatre was named after the original name of the building in which it would be located. The theater company was established with the goal to become Louisiana's premier professional theatre.[2] A capital campaign to raise $3.5 million for the renovation of the structure was undertaken. The offspring of a public/private partnership, the 500-seat flexible theatre opened during the 1999–2000 season and was funded by the State of Louisiana and a generous grant from the Reilly Family of Baton Rouge. The Swine Palace building was renamed the Reilly Theatre and was designed to maintain the architectural integrity of its original origins.[3] The first play presented in the Swine Palace building was not a Swine Palace theater company production, but an LSU Theatre student production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, during the spring of 1973.[4]

Under the leadership of LSU Theatre Chair and Executive associate Dean Kristin Sosnowsky and Managing Artistic Director Vastine Stabler, the Swine Palace theater company continues to be a leading voice in Louisiana arts and an important center for theatre education.

Artistically the company made immediate impact with important world premiere adaptations written by Lucy Maycock of A Confederacy of Dunces and All the King's Men. In recent years, Swine Palace has become recognized for community outreach as well as its artistic excellence and was awarded the Baton Rouge YWCA's 2006 Racial Justice Award for its many programs. These program initiatives have been produced in conjunction with socially relevant works like Fences, The Laramie Project, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and The Exonerated.

During the spring of 2007, Swine Palace (in conjunction with the LSU Performing Arts Series and Ping Chong and Company) produced the world premiere of renowned theatre director Ping Chong's Cocktail written by Vince LiCata and Ping Chong. Based on the true struggles of Thai scientist Krisana Kraisintu, this play follows the struggle to create an affordable version of the anti-HIV drug AZT for the thousands of Thai AIDS patients.

In June 2007, LSU Theatre and Swine Palace embarked on the first-ever international tour performing Wendy Wasserstein's "The Heidi Chronicles" directed by Michael Tick at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre and the Beijing Central Academy of Drama. As such, they were the first theatre company to perform Ms. Wassersteins's work in China, and one of only a handful of U.S. companies to perform at either of these prestigious institutions.

The China tour was conceived as part of LSU's University-wide China initiative and included five performances at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, the largest performing arts institution in Shanghai, and three performances at the Beijing Central Academy of Drama, one of the finest academies in Asia. The play was originally performed as part of Swine Palace's 2006–2007 season. In total, 31 people made the month-long trip, including 15 undergraduates and graduate students; six faculty members and a number of friends and family.

In recognition of Swine Palace's many accomplishments, it was awarded the 2006 Governor's Arts Award for Large Arts Organizations.[5]

• Louisiana State University
• Theater in Louisiana

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