Opelousas Little Theatre - Opelousas, LA (Le Joie de Vivre)

1334 South Union St.

Opelousas, LA 70570

30.52060,-92.08217

www.opelousaslittletheatre.com 

            In the heart of Acadiana, also known as Cajun Country sits the small city of Opelousas, named after the Native American tribe Appalousa who had occupied the area before European contact. Although, it is quite small, at only seven and a half square miles, Opelousas is the most densely populated city in Louisiana. Being founded in 1720, this also makes Opelousas the third oldest city in Louisiana. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the city served as a major trading post between New Orleans and Natchitoches, the only older cities in the state. Traditionally an area of settlement by French Creoles and Acadians, Opelousas is the center of zydeco music and is one of the only places in the state still home to some of the French-speaking Cajuns.
            Although Opelousas is not a large city geographically, it makes up for it with its festivals, entertainment and overall Joie de vivre, or love of life. One particular place that has been serving up a generous helping of quality entertainment in the form of theatrical performances is the Opelousas Little Theatre. The grouped formed in 1939 and gave its first performance, The Adorable Spendthrift, in December 1940. In its early years, the troop used the old Academy of the Immaculate Conception Auditorium, now the Opelousas Catholic School, to perform. Other performance locations temporarily used were the auditoriums at Market Street Elementary School, Opelousas Senior High School and the St. Landry Parish Courthouse.

            The small group of performers had become extremely popular and a larger and more permanent venue was needed to accommodate their growth. In 1959, they would purchase the old Episcopal Church of the Epiphany. The church was built in 1880 and was in the process of being demolished to make way for a newer, more modern church. At the last minute, the Little Theatre rescued the old church and moved it to its current location on South Union Street, behind the fire station.
            Stellar performances and a rowdy crowd are not the only things hopping at the historic Opelousas Little Theatre. For several years, staff and performers have reported unexplainable occurrences here. Women have reported having their hair caressed while others have seen shadowy

Main Street Opelousas circa 1900.

figures move in the corners of their eyes. Some feel that the theatre is haunted by a former performer, while others feel that the origins of the hauntings go back much further. In 1868, a large race riot broke out in Opelousas. As emancipation was underway, many of the local whites still had a hard time swallowing the fact that slavery had been abolished. Assaults and serious beatings were administered to the local freed blacks. It is estimated that thirty to forty blacks were killed, while some estimate the numbers to have been closer to two hundred. If such high numbers are the case, it is very possible that the residual energy from such a concentrated amount of violent deaths could have stayed behind.
            Several years ago, we were able to conduct an investigation of the Opelousas Little Theatre. It is not uncommon for staff members of a location who are interested in the paranormal, requests that they tag along with the actual investigation. We are always opened to the idea, as it is great to have the community as intrigued in the field as we are. In some cases, we have found that activity is heightened when a familiar face of the building is present. It could be possible that whatever is haunting a specific location may feel more comfortable with someone they know and are more susceptible to interacting or manifesting with us. Such was the case, as we had three of the local performers investigate with us. Later into the investigation, a female employee felt as though something had ran their fingers through her hair. Further examination could not find the source of the incident. Further on in the night, an investigator saw what looked like the silhouette of a person walk across the stage, although no one was present. Almost simultaneously, a loud bang was heard from the seating area. We found that one of the theatre seats had been pulled forward. We lifted the seat back in the upright position to see if we could replicate this, however the chair was very old and took great force to manually pull it down. It was apparent that the seat did not just fall down. Someone, or something, would have had to deliberately pull on it, yet no one was around the seat at the time.
In addition to the Little Theatre, we have been very fortunate and honored to be so well-received from the communities in Southern Louisiana, primarily in and around Acadiana. While some larger cities, whether it is due to religious beliefs or lack of interest, are not always as receptive to the idea of a paranormal investigation being conducted of one of their historical buildings. Such has not been the case in this portion of the state, as we are proud to say we have been allowed to investigate many of these great locations. We cannot say enough great things about the staff at the Opelousas Little Theatre, as they always greet every visitor with open arms, another reason I highly recommend that you check out this quaint little venue.