Gambit Digital Edition: Nov. 29, 2022

House band

MUSIC BOX VILLAGE’S ARCHITECTURAL ART INSTALLATIONS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DESIGNED to generate sound — in concept, allowing them to be played like instruments, via percus sion, chimes, strings, electronics and more. Its latest house, which will debut with a performance on Saturday, Dec. 3, may produce some of the most conventional music yet via improvised guitars.

The new installation is called the House of Sound, named for Les Paul’s legendary collection of gui tars and analog recording equip ment. Its two improvised guitars are modeled on a couple of Paul’s guitar experiments. But the house also reflects other aspects of Paul’s life, including his pioneering work creating studio tools.

Les Paul got his start in country music, but later released numerous jazz and blues songs. While he is known for developing the sol id-body guitar — immortalized by Gibson — his most lasting contribu tions may be in recording.

“He invented what we think of as music production,” says Music Box village co-founder and artist Taylor Lee Shepherd. “He developed and invented a lot of what we think of as the modern recording studio: multi-track recording and these large physical reverb chambers, and techniques like speeding stuff up and octave up. These things are all standard now.”

Many of those techniques come together in the new house.

“recreating some of his instru ments and his techniques in a house here and digging deeper into his story, we found so many parallels,” Shepherd says.

Before the pandemic started, the Music Box village responded to a request for proposals from the Les Paul Foundation. When the founda tion asked how a New orleans art space could help tell the story of Les Paul, the Music Box got to work.

Shepherd, who as a musician is a fan of Paul and admirer of his spirit of innovation, thought a new house could incorporate Paul’s experi ments with solid-body guitars and recording effects.

“His first experiment with a sol id-body guitar was when he was a teenager in Wisconsin,” Shepherd says. “He took a piece of train track and put a string across it, put on a telephone mic, and hooked it up to his parents’ radio — and had made a solid-bodied thing. It had no

feedback and had a long sustain. But it was a wildly imprac tical instrument.”

Shepherd knew a replica of that would suit the Music Box’s Bywater space.

“I was like, I have a piece of train track right here,” he says.

“I welded some railroad spikes onto it and a little tuning peg and basically made his thing. I set it up with four strings and a guitar pickup and got the spacing right, and it’s awesome.”

The Music Box also devised an instru ment mimicking Paul’s “Log” guitar, which he made years later as a profes sional musician in New York, when he was still looking for ways to deal with feedback and other limitations.

“He took a piece of four-by-four, a chunk of wood, and then an epiphone hollow-body guitar set up, for pickups, a tremolo bar as neck, and electronics and put it into this four-by-four and started using that for his instrument at live shows,” Shepherd says. “He called it the ‘Log.’ He took a couple of pieces of an epiphone hollow-body and glued it onto the thing, so it looked like a normal guitar.”

visitors to the Music Box will be able to play both instruments.

The house also has effects, including a reverb chamber. While the original Music Box on Piety Street was conceptualized as a “shantytown” of musical houses, built largely with reclaimed wood from a collapsed home, the current iteration has more technological features. The houses are wired together via a central soundboard. Sounds from other houses can be run through the reverb chambers of the House of Sound and relayed back to play the effects.

The new house’s shape was inspired by a hotel in Les Paul’s hometown of Waukesha, Wisconsin, that was owned by his father, allegedly acquired as gambling winnings. The Music Box embellished it with victorian moldings, and it has three wings that open, so visitors can

by

Krampus NOLAuf

THE KREWE OF KRAMPUS RETURNS TO BYWATER FOR ITS ALPINE-INSPIRED PARADE of holiday frights. In some european cultures, Krampus is a figure who arrives to punish naughty children. The parade includes a Krampus as well as St. Nicholas, plus Y’ules, or figures from various northern european and Islandic cultures. The ghastly Sisters of Shh are a New orleans Krampus creation. This year, the parade introduces an accessibility stretch on Independence Street with a quiet zone, a sign language interpreter and an emcee to help vision-impaired spectators. There’s also a toy collection float for para degoers who wish to donate to the Marine Toys for Tots program. The parade is at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. The parade starts at royal and Mazant streets and circles Bywater. visit kreweofkrampus. com for the route and details.

better see the instruments and the controls of the electronic effects.

The house debuts with a concert and multimedia show. Shepherd will be the director and run the effects of the house. Performers include Lost Bayou ramblers guitarist Jonny campos, Sabine Mccalla, Max Bien Kahn and Howe Pearson. carlos Grasso will orchestrate a live video montage, drawing on footage of Paul, cams in the village and using three projectors.

“We chose a setlist of six or seven classic Les Paul tracks that we’re going to recreate with the entire town,” Shepherd says. “The per cussion will be the percussion that lives in the Music Box. The guitar sounds will be out of the Les Paul house. For bass, we have a couple of bass instruments, one that’s been mothballed since the original Music Box on Piety Street. We’re going to try to take his spirit of innovation and new sound concept into our world and stand on his shoulders and make a motion toward a wild new sound.”

For tickets and information, visit musicboxvillage.com.

‘Raw Fruit’

KESHA MCKEY RECENTLY WAS NAMED ONE OF 30 FELLOWS by Dance/USA. Her company, KM Dance Project, presents “raw Fruit” at the cAc this week. The multidisciplinary dance-based work examines identity, socialization and unity in Black Southern families, often in the context of daily rituals and family celebrations. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 3, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at the contemporary Arts center. Find tickets via cacno.org.

Holiday Parade

THE INAUGURAL HOLIDAY PARADE IS A DAYTIME EVENT WITH FLOATS BY KERN STUDIOS , large helium balloons, marching bands and costumed characters. The parade travels across the French Quarter to the

Music Box Village debuts a new house inspired by innovator Les Paul

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MUSIC BOX VILLAGE Music Box Village co-founder Taylor Lee Shepherd with a guitar inspired by Les Paul’s ‘Log’ guitar.

Will Coviello |

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KREWE OF KRAMPUS

Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” is still the GOAT of Christmas jams

THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN THE COUNT #

Luis Solano, the general man ager of Felipe’s Taqueria’s French Quarter location, was named Manager of the Year by el restaurante Magazine, a national publication covering Mexican and Latin restaurant news. Solano was working in construction until 2014 when he took a job at Felipe’s, where he worked his way through the kitchen and became a manag er in 2021. read more at elrestaurante.com.

At least, that’s what the organizers are claiming. They acknowledge they don’t know how many of those signatures are valid, so it is unclear how many will count towards the 53,000 they need. Although the mayor’s opponents are stepping up their efforts, it has been slow going so far.

Jacob Landry, founder of Urban South Brewery, has received the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry’s Young Businessperson of the Year award. Landry, who is 38, start ed Urban South in 2016 and has since grown the company to employ almost 100 people. Along with its original taproom on Tchoupitoulas Street, Urban South opened a second loca tion in Houston in 2020.

Pearl River Priest Pleads Guilty in Polyamorous Porn Probe

A FORMER CATHOLIC PRIEST WHO WAS ARRESTED IN 2020 after a passerby saw him and two dominatrices hav ing sex on the altar of Pearl river church pleaded guilty Nov. 21 to a single count of felony obscenity.

Travis clark, dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, listened to 22nd Judicial District Judge ellen creel read the elements of the obscenity statute at the courthouse in covington. “I plead guilty, your honor,” he said.

clark, 39, received a suspended prison sentence and will serve probation. He declined to com ment after the hearing.

wearing corsets. When police arrived, they seized sex toys, stage lights, a cell phone and the tripod-mounted camera.

clark’s guilty plea follows those of Dixon and cheng, who each pleaded guilty in July to a misdemeanor count of insti tutional vandalism. They were issued summonses to testify for the prosecution in clark’s trial for felony institutional vandalism and felony obscenity. Dixon and cheng were sentenced to two years of supervised probation.

50%

Larry Hollier, the former chan cellor of LSU Health in New orleans, used his position to lobby for special scholarships for his grandchildren and pressured to have his grand son’s girlfriend admitted to the school. The actions break university conflict-of-interest rules and possibly state ethics laws. Hollier’s three grandsons received more than $93,100 in scholarships. Hollier stepped down from his position in 2021 amid other allegations of pay discrimination and breaking hiring-and-firing policies.

While the criminal matter is concluded, clark will have to appear in court again on Jan. 20 when a permanent civil injunction will be heard that prohibits him and his codefendants from ever profiting from the crime.

The tryst was being recorded on a camera mounted atop a tri pod, according to court records.

clark and two women, Mindy Dixon and Melissa cheng, were arrested in September 2020 after a passerby noticed lights on at Sts. Peter and Paul catholic church in Pearl river. The witness saw clark, partially naked, having sex with two women who were

Assistant District Attorney elizabeth Authement told the judge that a plea agreement in clark’s case had been reached, and the institutional vandalism charge was dropped.

The plea agreement was filed under seal at the request of the defense.

creel sentenced clark to three years in prison, but suspended the jail time. He will have to serve three years of supervised proba tion and pay a $1,000 fine.

clark’s attorneys said that he has already paid full restitution to the Archdiocese of New orleans — $8,000.

PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD / THE TIMES-PICAYUNEE

Gambit is a no kink-shaming zone, though getting freaky on the altar is certainly a bold choice.

A FLIPPED CAR SPONSORED BY MORRIS BART

A GIANT HUBIG’S PIE

OPENING GAMBIT

The archdiocese replaced the altar at the church.

Michael Kennedy, one of clark’s lawyers, argued that he shouldn’t have to serve active probation, saying that the pur pose of supervised probation is to prevent a repeat offense.

“In this situation it’s an incredibly specific set of facts and conditions that seem very unlikely to ever happen again,” Kennedy said. He said that the two women were more likely to repeat the offense.

But creel said that she ordered supervised probation for the two co-defendants and was not inclined to treat clark differently.

— SAr A PAGoNeS / THe TIMeS-PIcAYUNe

Jetez-moi quelque chose, m’sieur! French Prez may come to New Orleans

FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON IS CONSIDERING TRAVELING TO NEW ORLEANS in the days ahead as part of his state visit to the U.S., French media reported last week, in what would be a first by a French head of state since 1976.

The trip would come in con nection with Macron’s state visit from Nov. 30-Dec. 2 and is likely to focus on historical ties and potentially environmental issues, one of the French pres ident’s major points of focus. The New orleans leg has not been officially confirmed, but is being strongly considered, French news magazine Le Point reported, citing an anonymous source with the French presi dency. The French consulate in New orleans was not able to confirm the report.

It would hold heavy symbol ism given the links between France and its ex-colony. It comes just over three centuries after New orleans’ founding in the territory claimed by France, eventually sold to the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

Macron has expressed his deep interest in promoting the French language globally, and France has long supported efforts to preserve the use of French dialects in Louisiana’s cajun and creole commu nities. Louisiana joined the international organization of

French-speaking governments, the organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, as an observer in 2018.

The source cited by Le Point said the visit would be an oppor tunity to celebrate the “French spirit” in Louisiana.

Local officials had hoped for a French presidential visit when New orleans celebrated its 300-year anniversary that year, but Macron was not able to schedule a detour from his state visit to Washington then. Instead, Louisiana offi cials, including Gov. John Bel edwards and U.S. Sens. Bill c assidy and John Kennedy, attended the state dinner in Washington, which included a jambalaya dish — though Kennedy described it as “Washington jambalaya.”

The upcoming visit would count as a make-up – and would surely be widely welcomed by state and local officials eager to promote Louisiana as a business and tourism destination.

The last visit by a French pres ident to Louisiana was in 1976, when valery Giscard d’estaing traveled to Lafayette and New orleans as part of another state visit. That visit saw Giscard d’estaing speak at Lafayette’s Blackham coliseum and at a luncheon at the Superdome, which had opened less than a year earlier.

French President charles de Gaulle also visited New orleans in 1960.

Macron’s trip will mark the first state visit of President Joe Biden’s tenure, with the pan demic having delayed plans. It will no doubt be consumed by the full range of global con cerns, from russia’s invasion of Ukraine to trade relations and energy supplies.

But environmental issues may play an important role, partic ularly following this month’s coP27 climate summit in egypt. Macron has sought to position France as a leader in the fight against climate change.

Louisiana would serve as an appropriate backdrop for Macron’s environmental con cerns. Seen by some experts as the U.S. state most threat ened by climate change, Louisiana will have to battle a litany of effects in the years ahead. — MIKe SMITH / TH e TIM eS-PIc AYUN e

COMMENTARY

We must all demand an end to the politics of hate

WHILE SOME MAY TRY TO TAKE COMFORT BY VIEWING LAST WEEK’S DEADLY ATTACK on a colorado Springs queer bar as another isolated incident of gun violence, that notion is both wrong and dangerous. The sad truth is the attack on club Q reflects who we are as modern-day Americans. It is far past time that we not only recognize and accept that sad fact, but also get to work changing it. violence against the LGBTQ community is so commonplace in America today that it has become a defining feature, not an aberrant exception, of our society. evidence abounds. on the same day of the colorado shooting, a popular gay bar in New York city had its window smashed for the third time in a week. As of Nov. 22, at least 124 drag events across the country this year saw violent protests. Many such protests, including recent events in in North carolina, New Hampshire, oregon, Maryland and Indiana, were organized by the Proud Boys, a violent white supremacist group with ties to the republican Party in Florida and other states. They’re planning even more violence.

Daily on television and online, politicians like Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry warn that “we” are under attack from perverts lurking in elementary school bath rooms and on the shelves of local libraries. Landry and his ilk warn us that women and children need “protection” from those people, lest the fabric of America unravel. It is all a dangerous lie.

A shameless demagogue, Landry has made persecuting trans people his pet political project as Attorney General. He filed a frivolous “bath room” lawsuit in 2016, tried to overturn federal labor protections for trans people in 2019, offered longstanding support for legisla tion barring trans student athletes from participating in sports, and most recently opposed the Biden Administration’s effort to ensure schools provide basic protections against discrimination for trans and nonbinary students.

All of Landry’s proclaimed “threats” posed by LGBTQ people

are false flags, and using his office as a political cudgel against LGBTQ rights constitutes an egregious abuse of power. By all reason able metrics, trans and nonbinary Americans face more systemic discrimination and violence than almost any other group. It’s harder for them to get jobs, to find hous ing, and to access healthcare. Their very existence triggers systemic resistance — or worse, hostility — dehumanizing them to the point that they become a debate topic amongT v pundits.

Sadly, Landry is far from the only republican politician demon izing trans people. GoP leaders who refuse to condemn their colleagues’ hateful policies are, through their silence, endorsing hate as a political weapon. This includes U.S. rep. Steve Scalise, the next Majority Leader of the House and one of the most pow erful republicans in the country. As a victim himself of a politically motivated shooting, he should be leading the charge against gun violence. Instead, he proudly car ries the National rifle Association’s guns-for-all flag — and offers only token solace, if any at all, when trans people are victimized.

America deserves better. To make that happen, all Americans must demand better.

IMAGE BY CHEIKAT / GETTY IMAGES

Trans rights are human rights.

Hey Blake,

Dear Reader, MEMBERS OF THE

DELTA

KAPPA

EPSILON FRATERNITY, known as “Dekes,” made headlines for their “Drunk Zone” street markings in front of their frat house in the 1400 block of Henry clay Avenue as far back as 1957. At the time, the fraternity was affiliated with Tulane University.

“A motorist turning from St. charles into Henry clay Avenue drove a couple of blocks through the fraternity row section and executed a double take at a sign boldly painted across the street … ‘Drunk Zone’ and below in smaller letters … ‘15 miles per hour,’ ” wrote Times-Picayune columnist Howard Jacobs in July 1957.

“It’s said that the (fraternity) brothers erected street barricades, rerouted traffic, gleefully trooped outside with buckets of paint and generally had themselves a field day in fashioning the impressive block lettering,” Jacobs wrote in a follow-up article the next month.

The street lettering was still there 35 years later when New orleans police and Health Department inspectors closed down the frater nity house for health code viola tions in April 1992.

BLAKE VIEW

“Yellow paint on the road in front of 1469 Henry clay Ave. marks the location. ‘Drunk Zone,’ it says, suspiciously similar to the markings of a neighborhood school zone,” reporter chris rose wrote in The Times-Picayune about the frater nity house’s shutdown.

It was not the first time the Dekes had run into trouble. In 1978, Tulane’s Interfraternity council sus pended the fraternity for hazing. In 1984, the university severed its ties with the fraternity, citing “unbecom ing conduct” and more allegations of hazing. The fraternity closed its LSU chapter in 2019 after an inves tigation found members violated hazing and alcohol policies.

By 1994, the Henry clay Avenue fraternity house had been sold to new owners and renovated.

THIS WEEK MARKS THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BROADWAY PREMIERE OF “A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE ,” Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

Williams wrote the play while living in the French Quarter between December 1945 and January 1947. one of his residences was an apartment at 6321/2 St. Peter Street, where he could hear the Desire streetcar as it traveled down royal Street.

According to the Historic New orleans collection, which recently hosted a ‘Streetcar’ exhibition, Williams called the work several different titles during its development before settling on “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Those alter nate names included “Interior: Panic,” “The Moth,” “The Primary colors” and “The Poker Night.”

“Streetcar” opened at Broadway’s ethel Barrymore Theatre on Dec. 3, 1947. Produced by Irene Mayer Selznick and directed by elia Kazan, it starred Jessica Tandy as Blanche DuBois, Marlon Brando and Kim Hunter as Stanley and Stella Kowalski and Karl Malden as Mitch.

The play received a standing ovation and went on for a remarkable 855 per formances. Tandy won the Tony Award for Best Actress and Williams earned the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

The play’s popularity led to a 1951 motion picture, also directed by Kazan. vivien Leigh, who had starred as Blanche in the British stage version, replaced Tandy at the insistence of the film’s producers, Warner Bros. The picture received 12 Academy Award nominations, with Leigh winning Best Actress and Hunter and Malden both winning oscars for their supporting roles.

Williams’ play, including ballet and opera versions, is still staged at venues around the world.

Actors Glenn close, Jessica Lange, Alec Baldwin, Sigourney Weaver, christopher Walken, cate Blanchett and Blair Underwood have all starred in stage versions.

I remember a fraternity on Henry Clay Avenue that painted a cross walk “Drunk Zone.” Can you shed any light on the subject?

PHOTO BY G.E. ARNOLD / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE ARCHIVE Health Department officers raid the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house on Henry Clay after receiving word that the ‘Dekes’ were living in squalor. ‘Drunk Zone’ is painted on the street outside.

WHAT THEN?

Here’s what would happen if the mayor were to leave office early

BY CLANCY DUBOS AND KAYLEE POCHE

NEW ORLEANS’ NEXT

SCHEDULED

MAYORAL ELECTION ISN’T UNTIL OCTOBER 2025 , but with the recall petition against Mayor LaToya Cantrell entering a locally unprec edented “recall by mail” phase — and re cent Fox 8 investigations raising ethics questions about Cantrell — anything could happen between now and then. History suggests Cantrell will finish her second term. New Orleans voters have never recalled a mayor, and it’s nearly unheard of in our history for mayors to voluntarily leave office early for whatever reason. But recall promoters have launched an intense advertis ing and direct-mail campaign in hopes of garnering the required 53,000-plus voter signatures to force a referen dum next spring.

Some 138,000 “chronic voters” in New Orleans will soon receive individualized recall petitions that already contain their legal names as well as their ward and pre cinct numbers — as required by state law — on postage-pre paid cards that can be sent back at no cost.

“This new approach is very consistent with the dynamics of modern society,” says veteran New Orleans pollster and Xavier University sociologist Silas Lee. “You already can vote by mail. Now you have the option of recall by mail.

“This could be a game-changer,” Lee adds. “For recall promoters, it’s not as labor intensive. Same for voters — you don’t even have to put a stamp on it. With an absentee ballot, you have to put a stamp on it, but not with this. It will be interesting to see if the numbers pick up.”

At least two ads in support of the recall drive began airing on Nov. 21. One asks

voters if they “recall” when the city was safer, cleaner, more functional, etc. The other explains how voters can fill out and return the targeted petitions.

Meanwhile, recent media reports say Cantrell has become the focus of a federal investigation into question able expenditures from her campaign finance account. That news came as voters have had to digest Cantrell’s decision to decamp from her home into a city-owned apartment in the Upper Pontalba Building, where she spends many long weekday hours away from not only her home but also her City Hall mayoral post.

Then there’s her first-class travel scandal and another scandal involving several top appointees, both of which have weighed heavily on how voters see the mayor. Combine that with voters’ recent decision to require City Council vetting and approval of future mayoral appointees, chronic anger over flagging city services, the violent crime rate and her plummeting job approval rating, and it’s clear the mayor is not in the stron gest position.

“Everything surrounding the mayor, the council and the recall is giving vot ers political vertigo, that dizzy feeling where you don’t know what to expect next,” Lee says. “So many things are happening concurrently in the city right now, and that gives rise to things like a recall.”

“At the end of the day, voters want consistency and stability,” Lee adds. “They like to know what’s going to happen next, and when will things be solved. Polls I have done show people want to see the legislative and execu tive branches working together to solve problems. This cannot dissolve into a version of ‘Real Housewives and Hus bands of New Orleans Politics.’ ”

Amid all the uncertainty, the recall drive has put into many voters’ minds

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Mayor LaToya Cantrell

the notion of Cantrell leaving before her term expires — ei ther through resignation, voter initiative or some other form of forced exit.

If that happens, or even before that happens, voters naturally are asking: “What happens next?”

History and Timing

New Orleans’ City Charter, adopted in 1954, outlines a step-by-step process for filling a temporary or permanent vacancy in the mayor’s office on account of a mayor’s death, resignation, removal, suspension, incapacity or disqualification. In each case, the City Council plays a pivotal role — and in each case, the mayor’s interim successor would be one of the two at-large council members.

Of immediate concern to New Orleans voters is the potential for a vacancy via recall or resignation. Interestingly, the charter also pro vides for removal of a mayor who pleads guilty or “no contest” to any federal or state felony charge — and for immediate “suspension … without compensation” of a mayor convicted at trial of any federal or state felony.

New Orleans’ last mayoral vacancy occurred in 1961, when Chep Morrison stepped down after 15 years as mayor to take an ambassadorship in then-Pres ident John F. Kennedy’s nascent administration.

No such exit ramp appears likely for Cantrell. Despite increasing challenges and setbacks, Cantrell faces no public pressure to step down — yet.

Nevertheless, a mayor can resign voluntarily at any time and for any reason. In the event of a vacancy, the City Charter requires City Council’s five district council members to choose one of the two at-large council members to serve as mayor until voters elect a successor. The current at-large council members are Council President Helena Moreno and Vice President JP Morrell, who are closely allied — and frequently opposed to Cantrell.

What happens next depends mostly on the timing of a mayoral vacancy, but a lot also depends on whether either or both of the at-large members already have their eyes on the mayor’s job — and, of course, the council’s internal politics.

Let’s start with the timing of a vacancy because that has the biggest impact.

The City Charter states that if a vacancy occurs with less than a year remaining in a mayor’s term, the five district council members must elect one of the two at-large members “to be Mayor for the un expired term, and a vacancy shall thereupon exist in the office of the councilmember-at-large.”

Note that the council appointee in this scenario would have the full title of mayor — not “acting” or “interim” mayor — but for less than one year. The remaining six council members would then choose someone to fill the at-large council vacancy.

If a year or more remains in a former mayor’s term, the district council members would choose an “acting” mayor, and the full council would have 10 days to call a special election for mayor. Nota bly, the appointment of an acting mayor would not create a vacancy in the office of council member-atlarge; the council during that inter im would have only six members.

In that scenario, the charter states, “[W]hile serving as acting Mayor the councilmember shall not perform duties as a mem ber of the Council, except in the case of an ordinance requiring a two-thirds vote of the Council or in order to break a tie vote of the Council.” The charter further states that the acting mayor shall be paid his or her council member’s salary, not the may or’s salary.

Here’s a key political factor in the council’s deliberations if faced with a mayoral vacancy: No mat

PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE District E Council Member Oliver Thomas

ter how much time remains in a former mayor’s unex pired term, a council-ap pointed mayor or acting mayor is eligible to run in the ensuing regular or spe cial mayoral election — as the incumbent.

That eligibility — and incumbency — would give the appointed mayor a huge advantage in the en suing election. That, in turn, could affect which at-large council member gets the nod from the five district council members.

Here again, timing plays a huge role.

If a mayoral vacancy occurs with two years or more remaining in the unexpired term, the acting mayor could serve only one full term in addition to the unexpired term. However, if the vacancy occurs with less than two years re maining, the acting mayor could serve two full terms plus the unex pired term.

History repeats itself?

Looking at the present situation, Cantrell’s term expires January 9, 2026. If she were to step down soon or be recalled next spring, the acting mayor could run in the special election and for only one full term. How might that affect the district council mem bers’ decision?

Dillard University political science professor Robert Collins says they may opt to name Morrell acting mayor because he has re peatedly said he has no interest in being mayor. Moreno, on the other hand, is widely expected to run for a full term in 2025 — or sooner if there’s a vacancy.

“I imagine what would happen in that situation is that [More no] would probably tell them to choose Morrell as the interim mayor because she’s planning on running for the full term,” Col lins says.

Maybe.

When contacted for this story, Morrell reiterated his disinterest in running for mayor, and Moreno steered clear of the subject.

“I have said repeatedly that I am not interested in being mayor,” Morrell told Gambit. “I will not be a candidate for mayor in any special or regularly scheduled election. If there is a vacancy in the office of mayor, I will not campaign for the position. However, if my district council member colleagues want

me to serve temporarily as acting mayor, I will accept their will and serve until the voters elect someone else to be mayor for the remainder of an unexpired mayor al term.”

Moreno gave us this statement: “Right now, my only focus is giving 100% to the people of New Orleans as City Council Presi dent. We are facing some very challenging times in our city and this council is leading on issues like we haven’t seen in a very long time. It is up to the people to decide the fate of this recall, but I can’t be distracted by it. My prior ities are addressing the basics of city services which are lacking and looking for how to best reshape and improve how we handle pub lic safety in our city.”

Politically, a decision to name Morrell acting mayor would create a level playing field in the ensuing special election. Both Moreno and District E Council Member Oliver Thomas reportedly want to be the next mayor. Having Morrell as the acting mayor would deprive More no of any advantage of incumben cy in the special election.

Thomas, as a district council member, will cast one of the five votes for an acting mayor. He, too, says he’s focused on serving his constituents by “turning the city’s largest council district into a model of what our city can be in the 21st century.” Regarding a potential vacancy, Thomas said, “If a vacancy occurs and voters be lieve I can lead the city, I would be interested in serving as mayor, but

PHOTO BY MAX BECHERER/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE Council President Helena Moreno

what voters want most right now is seeing us work together. That’s what I’m most focused on.”

If a vacancy occurs and the current district council members have to choose between Mor rell and Moreno, the backroom politicking could get intense. In addition to the notion of creating a level playing field in the ensuing special election, race and gender could become leverage points.

Morrell, of course, is a Black man. Moreno is a Mexican Amer ican woman: She was not only born in Mexico but Spanish is her first language. Still, many resi dents either don’t know her fam ily background or assume she’s white. Those misconceptions could also prove to be a tempting target for Moreno’s opponents if they believe they can highlight issues of race.

Which would voters most want to see follow, even temporarily, the city’s first Black woman may or? Which would the city’s power brokers most prefer? The answers to those questions won’t neces sarily be the same.

Ultimately, however, timing remains the paramount politi cal factor.

The charter states that a special election for mayor “shall be held at the earliest available date permitted under the election laws of the state.” Currently, the state Legislature sets fall and spring election dates, with the next primary falling on March 25 and a runoff on April 29.

The charter further states that if there’s already an election sched uled between 60 days and six months after a mayoral vacancy, the special election must coincide with that scheduled election.

If Cantrell were to resign before mid-January, a special primary could be held March 25, with a runoff April 29 — which is the first Saturday of Jazz Fest. If there’s a vacancy after January but before August, the election would align with the statewide races for governor, Legislature and many other offices.

“What the state likes to do when you call the special election [is] to have it when other things are going to be on the ballot any way, because it’s too expensive for the state and the Secretary of State’s office to run elections if there’s nothing else on the ballot,” Collins says.

History also holds some lessons when it comes to council politics.

In July 1961, when Chep Mor

rison resigned with less than a year remaining in his term, the two at-large council members were James A. Comiskey and Victor Schiro. Both wanted to be mayor. The district council mem bers chose Schiro because they felt he would be easier to beat than Comiskey in the regularly scheduled election the follow ing January.

Then-District B Council Member Paul Burke also had his eye on the mayor’s office and didn’t want to give Comiskey, whose family controlled a powerful political machine at the time, a leg up in the primary. Schiro defied the conventional wisdom, however. He won the ensuing election and went on to serve an additional two full terms as mayor.

That historical anecdote bears a striking resemblance to City Hall politics today, except Morrell — unlike Schiro in 1961 — insists he doesn’t want to be mayor. It’s foreseeable that, if a vacancy were to occur, Thomas would prefer to see Morrell as the act ing mayor and may encourage other district council members not to give Moreno an elector al advantage.

All these factors, and likely others, would affect the politics of the council’s decision if Cantrell were to resign.

The rules of recall

As we’ve written previously, Louisiana has a long, painstak ing process for recalling public officials. And once again, timing is a major factor.

In New Orleans, recall organiz ers must collect valid signatures from 20% of the electorate — more than 53,000 — within 180 days of filing a recall petition with the Secretary of State’s office. That makes the deadline for collecting signatures Feb. 22, 2023, which happens to be Ash Wednesday.

Under state law, the New Or leans Registrar of Voters has 20 “working days” to validate recall petition signatures, after which the governor has up to 15 days to call the referendum. If the next available date is a primary, the governor must issue the call no later than the last day of qualify ing. To hold the referendum on a runoff date, the call must come at least 46 days before the runoff.

The registrar’s office likely would need most if not all of the allotted 20 working days to verify

signatures. Gov. John Bel Ed wards, on the other hand, could — and likely would — call the election within a few days of no tification that the petition has the required number of signatures.

Based on the statutory timeline, recall organizers would have to finish collecting signatures by mid-December to comfortably get the referendum on the March 25 ballot, or by early February for the referendum to appear on the April 29 ballot. Otherwise, the ref erendum wouldn’t occur until Oct. 14, 2023 — on the same ballot as the next statewide elections.

That’s a long time for voters to have to ponder whether to recall a mayor, particularly in a city where, as pollster Lee notes, there is already so much politi cal uncertainty.

If a majority of New Orleans voters opt to remove a may or via recall, the office would be deemed vacant nine days after the referendum. That’s the deadline for challenging the result in court.

At that point, the City Charter provisions for filling a mayoral vacancy would apply, with one critical distinction: State law would bar Cantrell from running in the ensuing special election.

Disqualification

As if death, resignation, and re call aren’t enough ways to create a mayoral vacancy, the charter also provides for temporary “sus pension” as well as permanent “disqualification” of mayors.

Temporary suspension of a mayor can occur if a mayor “is afflicted with a mental or physical condition that renders the Mayor temporarily or permanently unable” to serve, according to the charter. For that provision to take effect, the Chief Administrative Officer, the City Attorney, the di rector of the Health Department (or a physician designated by the director), and a physician ap pointed by the deans of the LSU and Tulane medical schools must unanimously agree, via sworn affi davit, that the mayor is incapaci tated — and whether the incapac ity is temporary or permanent.

Bear in mind that three of those four people are appointed by the mayor.

If they deem the mayor tempo rarily incapacitated, the council would also have to agree by two-thirds vote within seven days to declare the office temporar ily vacant. The district council members would then appoint one of the at-large council members as acting mayor until the mayor is again able to serve.

If the affidavit of incapacity states that the mayor is perma nently disabled, the council would have to agree by two-thirds vote within seven days to declare the office vacant — then fill the va cancy in the same manner as any other vacancy.

Barring a mayoral incapacity, the only other way a mayor would leave office early is by pleading guilty or no contest to a federal or state felony — or upon convic tion at trial of a federal or state felony. Again, the procedure for filling a mayoral vacancy would be the same as with a resignation or recall.

Given recent news that the feds are looking at Cantrell’s campaign spending, the notion of her being forced from office because of a conviction adds yet another layer of uncertainty to the political landscape — and another worry for voters already suffering from what Lee calls “political vertigo.”

In the short term, all eyes will be on the recall drive, which itself has waded into uncharted waters with its direct-mail appeal to voters.

“What pollsters look for is whether an action influences a reaction from voters in favor or against a candidate or initiative,” Lee says. “It will be very interest ing to see how this plays out.”

PHOTO BY MAX BECHERER/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE Council Vice President JP Morrell

Local Gifting

This holiday season spend your money where your home is.

Set of 2 Champagne Cooling Cups in Marble by Host

$37.50 from Nola Boo (517 Metairie Rd., Suite 200, Metairie, 504-510-4655; nolaboo.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOLA BOO

Neutral Ground Stacking Signet Ring

Available in 10K gold for $775, or Sterling Sil ver for $90 from Mignon Faget (3801 Magazine St., 504-891-2005, Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., 504-835-2244; mignonfaget.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MIGNON FAGET

Diamond Circle Pendant in 18 kt white gold

$1,275 from Wellington & Com pany Fine Jewelry (505 Royal Street, New Orleans, 504-5254855; www.wcjewelry.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY WELLINGTON & COMPANY FINE JEWELRY

Silk Sazerac Cocktail Tie by NOLA Couture

$65 from Sazerac House (101 Magazine St., 504-910-0100; sazerachouse.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SAZERAC HOUSE

Rhinestone Keychain Wallets

$20.00 each from NOLA Forever (4443 W. Metairie Ave., Metairie, 504-615-0473; nolaforev erboutique.business.site).

GAMBIT STAFF PHOTO

Thymes Frasier Fir Pura Smart Home Fragrance Diffuser

$79.99 from Gordon’s (4306 Waverly St., Metairie, 504-354-2248; gordonshomedecor.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GORDON’S

12 Days of Cocktails

Gift Box

$44.95 from Cocktail & Sons. Countdown to Christmas with 12 unique, limited-edition syrups. (Available only at Martin Wine and on line at cocktailandsons. com, and all socials @cocktailandsons).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY COCKTAIL & SONS

Hello Mello Cotton Candy Puff Slippers $17.99 from Gordon’s.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GORDON’S

Celebrate the season with PJ’s Jingle Bells Coffee $16.99 for a single 1-lb bag from PJ’s Coffee (locations citywide and pjscoffee. com). Jingle all the way with this holiday blend of cinnamon & hazelnut cream!

PHOTO PROVIDED BY PJ’S COFFEE

Gold Hoops and Christmas Wreath Hoop Earrings $28 per pair from ResiNola Art & Jewelry (@resinola.art).

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY RESINOLA

ART & JEWELRY

Wots and tibs

ADDIS NOLA’S NEW LOCATION AT 2514

BAYOU ROAD is just a mile and a half from its old spot at 422 S. Broad St., which opened in 2019. But the move to the new space, where service started Nov. 10, has given the restaurant room to grow, both in physical size and with an expanded menu.

It started with one woman’s big idea.

Though Biruk Alemayehu worked in academia, she’d been think ing about opening an ethiopian restaurant. “I wanted to share my ethiopian culture with New orleans,” she says. “I just had to get my family onboard. We come from higher education — none of us had run a restaurant.”

Alemayehu, who is currently working with entrepreneurs at Propeller, came to New orleans from Baton rouge to teach public policy at Southern University.

A native of ethiopia, she and her husband Jaime Lobo, along with their only son, Prince Lobo, then 2 years old, immigrated to the states to go to school at LSU in Baton rouge. Lobo, who hails from Angola in central Africa, studied veterinary medicine and is a mos quito virologist. The family moved to New orleans in 2009. A decade later, Prince Lobo was 22 and about to start pilot training, a dream he’d had since he was a kid, but he was drawn into the plan.

“My mom made the initial sacrifice for us to get here for the first time,” he says. “We got together as a fam ily and said let’s do this.”

“It was my vision,” his mom says, “but when I came up with this crazy idea, they both immediately sup ported me.”

As the business grew, even during the pandemic, their roles solidified. Alemayehu is usually behind the scenes, managing finances and handling the busi ness. Jaime Lobo is the chef run ning the kitchen, and Prince Lobo runs the front of the house.

“My dad is an unstoppable force in the kitchen,” Prince Lobo says. “We are all passionate.”

Addis NoLA has introduced many diners to ethiopian cuisine. It is deeply flavored, with a range of slow cooked stews and braised dishes slowly simmered with cara melized onions and garlic in a blend of robust spices.

Traditionally, ethiopian food is eaten by hand, using bits of torn off bread to scoop up bites of a dish like a wot or tibs. Wot, a type of earthy, thick stew, is one national dish found on the menu. It and other dishes typically are served on top of injera, a fermented pan cake-like, stretchy flatbread that takes almost three days to make.

Addis’ shrimp wot is made with large Gulf shrimp. Its rib-eye tibs is stir-fried with onions, tomatoes, jalapeno, fresh herbs and butter.

vegetables play a starring role in many dishes, with items including mushroom tibs, sweet potato wot, spiced red lentils, collards, beets and cabbage with carrots among the savory options.

Touré Folkes, founder of Turning Tables, a bar industry training program for people of color, culled the landscape of Black-owned spirits companies to craft the bar’s cocktail menu. He created the “The Woo,” a martini named for Jaime Lobo’s trademark

expression of delight. It has a hint of tej, the ethiopian honey wine, for a delicately flavored but potent drink. Another martini combines ethiopian cold brew coffee with vodka and Amarula, a cream liqueur from South Africa.

Desserts include the king’s bread pudding, a riff on the New orleans staple made with croissants and garnished with fresh fruit. Addis affogato features house-made vanilla ice cream, chocolate cookie crumbles and caramel, drizzled with ethiopian coffee.

“The kitchen doesn’t cut corners,” Prince Lobo says. “And we don’t cut service corners either. We explain what (diners) are eating and why it’s part of our culture. The space is so sexy, everybody wants to get on the floor. But our servers don’t just serve, they have to be able to explain the origins of a dish and why it’s important to our culture.”

“My vision is for Addis to continue to grow,” Alemayehu says. “It’s never been just about us, but about our greater community.”

FORK + CENTER

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

Mid-City Melba’s AS THE HOUR GROWS LATER, IT’S

HARDER TO FIND A MEAL around New orleans. If you’re after a meal in the true wee hours, the task is even taller. The loss of low-key but val ued 24-hour spots like St. charles Tavern and the Trolley Stop café through the pandemic cut deep into the old-school ranks.

one local restaurant that’s made round-the-clock service its calling card has just doubled down on the idea, however.

Jane and Scott Wolfe and their family have built Melba’s as a 24-hour complex on elysian Fields Avenue. It’s a po-boy shop with daiquiris, plate lunches, lots of local character and a backstory that runs through decades of New orleans food.

There’s even an all-night laundry attached, and also they added a

new chapter to their story with lit eracy programs, book signings and other events at the restaurant.

Now Melba’s has a second loca tion on Tulane Avenue, a stretch that connects neighborhoods, serves the nearby hospital com plexes and seems to be ripe for 24-hour comfort food.

The new spot opened bright and early one morning in November with a familiar look and style.

The new Melba’s is open 24 hours, serving po-boys, breakfast dishes and breakfast sandwiches (from 3 a.m. to 11 a.m.), hot plates like stuffed bell peppers and smothered cabbage, and fried chicken and wings.

The new restaurant is in a building formerly used as a car wash, on a triangular lot where D’Hemecourt Street branches off from the main

PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER Family members Biruk Alemayehu (left), chef Jaime Lobo and Prince Lobo opened Addis NOLA.

PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Addis NOLA serves Ethiopian food on Bayou Road by Beth D’Addono |

drag. The interior space is small, and there’s no laundry here.

It’s built for speed, with multiple ways to place orders: in advance, online, at self-serve kiosks or the old-fashioned way, face-to-face at the counter. At the original Melba’s, about 70% of the business is take out, and this new one is designed around a similar expectation.

There’s a small indoor seating area on the ground floor, picnic benches on a covered groundlevel patio, a second dining room upstairs, and also on the second floor, an open-air deck.

canopies for those outdoor areas should be installed in the next few months once materials arrive, Scott Wolfe says.

When the first Melba’s opened in 2012, it represented the next act for Wolfe and his family, who had already created some memorable brands with their earlier businesses.

In 1982, when he was 20 and she was 18 and pregnant, they bor rowed $10,000 from family mem bers to buy a bankrupt grocery called Wagner’s, located in one of New orleans’ poorest neigh borhoods near what was then the Desire public housing complex.

They built Wagner’s Meat into a local chain and a household name in New orleans, even for those who never shopped at the stores. credit its risqué slogan: “You can’t Beat Wagner’s Meat.”

Wolfe and his family also created the chicken Box (slogans: “Tastes Like Mama’s” or, at some loca tions, “Tastes Like Ya Mama’s”), a chain of takeout joints that had a short but colorful run in the years before Hurricane Katrina. This was the company that once offered to put on weddings for couples who bought its 1,000-piece chicken package to cater their receptions.

Hurricane Katrina spelled the end of both of those, though the Wagner’s brand would return under different ownership.

At Melba’s, the Wolfes built a colorful place that serves a cross-section of New orleans peo ple. Jane Wolfe also has worked in her own community literacy mission, hosting reading events and author visits, including from some heavy hitters.

In 2019, Melba’s hosted colson Whitehead, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and Sarah M. Broom, whose book “The Yellow House” shortly there after won the National Book Award.

That same year, Hillary clinton visited Melba’s while promoting a campaign from her foundation called Too Small to Fail, an early

learning initiative that helps turn otherwise utilitarian spaces like laundries, groceries and clinics into places where parents and caregivers can read, talk and play with children.

Wolfe said literacy programs will also extend to the Mid-city loca tion of Melba’s. — IAN McNULTY / THe TIMeS-PIcAYUNe

Table talk

TWO FRIDAYS TOP THE CALENDAR FOR DAYTIME DINING IN NEW ORLEANS — the Fridays before christmas and Mardi Gras. And Galatoire’s restaurant is one of the most-indemand spots for diners who like to be seen.

on those days, tables are so coveted that the Galatoire Foundation is able to auction the spots and raise money for local nonprofits.

Now in its 16th year, the auction at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6 will feature bidding on reserved tables on the first floor of the French Quarter restaurant at 209 Bourbon St. for Friday-before-christmas tables. The boisterous events include drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

A $50 ticket admits two and comes with a paddle to participate in the auction. A $25 ticket admits one without a paddle.

The auction for Mardi Gras tables will be Jan. 30, 2023.

This year, the beneficiary orga nizations will be the Louisiana Museum Foundation on behalf of the New orleans Jazz Museum, Shepherding Hope Foundation and the Galatoire Foundation.

“Last year, we raised a record-breaking $404,700 during our christmas and Mardi Gras auctions,” says Melvin rodrigue, president of the foundation. “We are very fortunate that, for 16 years now, we have been able to help organizations in our com munity advance their missions and make our city a better place because of the support and gen erosity of our loyal patrons.”

The auctions have benefited dozens of New orleans-area charitable organizations, includ ing covenant House, Patio Planters of the vieux c arre, Dress for Success, Audubon Nature Institute, Liberty’s Kitchen, The Idea village, The New orleans Police and Justice Foundation, The roots of Music, Kingsley House and more.

For more information on the auc tion and Galatoire’s, visit galatoires. com. — vIcTor ANDreWS / THe TIMeS-PIcAYUNe

Mike Shaffer

by Will Coviello

MIKE SHAFFER WAS A CHEF IN NEW ORLEANS WHEN THE PANDEMIC STARTED. He went to southern california, where he grew up, when the shutdowns began and started a pop-up. He recently returned to New orleans with his pop-up, Los crudos BBQ & Seafood. He’ll be at Miel Brewery at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2; Skeeta Hawk Brewery at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3; carrollton Station at 5 p.m. Dec. 9; and Music Box village at 10 a.m. Dec. 10. For more information, visit the pop-up’s Instagram, @loscrudosbbq.

How did you get into cooking?

MIKE SHAFFER: I was unem ployed after the Great recession. My little brother had gone to culinary school. He was working at a restaurant, and he got me a job there. They gave me a prep job; they gave me a knife and I just worked my way up from there. That was in Anaheim. The place was called the Jazz Kitchen and it was owned by ralph Brennan, so maybe there was some foreshad owing there.

I didn’t know what I was doing. I was super green. I had to ask people next to me if things were cooked — “How long does it take?”

I got a little bit of skill, and they moved me to the line, and I started cooking. I ended up being the nighttime expediter. I worked there for two years.

My brother and I didn’t want to live in orange county anymore, so we moved to chicago. I worked at a million restaurants. It got cold one winter, so I moved down to New orleans. I worked at Lilette for a few years, and I worked at Marjie’s Grill.

How did you start your pop-up?

S: New orleans got hit pretty bad (by the pandemic), so I moved home. I didn’t want to work for anyone else, and I couldn’t anyway because the pandemic closed down all the restaurants. So, I picked a name and a concept and just moved forward. There are a lot of breweries in orange county and none of them have food. There’s a whole ecosystem of food trucks and food stands. So I just jumped into that.

At the first pop-up, I did crab aguachile. I did a pulled-pork sandwich and I did a smoked sweet potato. That’s emblematic of what I do: seafood, lowand-slow (cooked) meats and some sort of grilled veg. Wood fire makes every thing taste good.

It’s the flavors I grew up eating in southern california and other techniques I have picked up along the way. The whole concept is doing more with less.

I left two years ago. I was only gone for two years. When I came back, there were all kinds of food pop-ups. I have had a few pop-ups around town, mostly at bars and breweries. The first one was at Skeeta Hawk. The pop-up scene here is awesome. Some of my favorite places to eat are pop-ups.

What do you put on the menu for local pop-ups?

S: Always on the menu is going to be shrimp ceviche. I love the shrimp from the Gulf, but it’s more a dish I always do. The ceviche is pretty traditional. It’s just lemon, lime and shrimp. Some cilantro.

It used to be the pulled-pork sandwich, but until I get a smoker, it’s a chicken caesar sandwich. right now, I am not doing so much barbecue. It’s more wood-fired meat. I have a Weber kettle grill. I am hoping to get a smoker soon and start doing ribs and pulled pork and stuff like that.

And a smoked sweet potato (is on the menu). Produce in california is unbeatable — it’s like the breadbasket of the world. I love meat, I love my seafood, but wood-fired grilled vegetables — you can’t beat it. But the sweet potato was something I learned in the South. I try to make the most out of this 22-inch grill. There are two zones. There’s where the fire is, and there’s right near the front. There’s ambient heat, so I’ll put the sweet potatoes in there. They

just sit there until they’re cooked. I serve the whole potato with lime crema and Korean chili flakes. I used to do grilled broccoli.

I really like the efficiency of the grill. It’s fast and people smell it and come up and start talking. It’s a good way to describe what we do.

everything else is on a weekly whim. If I get a good piece of fish, I like to serve it raw. I like fish crudo-style. I slice it thin. I do a tuna tostada with bluefin I get from california. I serve it with salsa macha, grapefruit and avocado. Just enough accoutrements to let the fish really shine.

I did a grilled pork dish with smoked pork shoulder steak, cut into strips. Almost like bacon, but instead of belly it’s shoulder. I’d serve that with basil and some spicy mustard sauce.

I am really impulsive, and I have worked in a million restaurants. So sometimes I’ll take something (from a restaurant) and do a riff on it. or I’ll see something at a farmers’ market and get an inspiration.

I also do some catering. I can drop off meat and ceviche by the pound. or I can bring the grill and it’s a din ner and a show situation.

WI NE OF THE WEEK

G.H. Mumm Champagne

Elegance of Chardonnay and the power of Pinot Noir, all grown in the finest Champagne crus. On the nose, the blend expresses fresh notes of red fruit sweets and intense aromas of strawberry and redcurrant, underscored by a hint of spices and red fruit coulis. Intense and elegant flavors unfold on the harmonious palate

Chef

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MIKE SHAFFER

DISTRIBUTED BY

out 2 eat is an index of Gambit contract advertis ers. Unless noted, addresses are for New orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

Acorn — 12 Henry Thomas Drive, (504) 218-5413; acornnola.com — The cafe a at the Louisiana children’s Museum has kid- and adult-friendly menu. Blackened shrimp fill a trio of tacos topped with arugula, radish, pineapple-mango salsa and cilantro-lime sauce. No reservations. breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sun. $$

Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; andreas restaurant.com chef Andrea Apuzzo’s speckled trout royale is topped with crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce. capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in cream sauce. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. $$$

Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoice cream.com — This sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and other treats. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $

Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant. com — The menu highlights Gulf seafood in creole, cajun and Southern dishes. Gulf Drum Yvonne is served with brown butter sauce with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. reservations recom mended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11-$20 $$$ — $20-up

The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 118 Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985) 315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com

The menu includes sandwiches, fried seafood platters, boiled seafood and more. Basin barbecue shrimp are served over cheese grits features with a cheese biscuit. outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lakeview: lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Slidell: lunch Fri.-Sat., dinner Wed.-Sun. $$

Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 581-3866; broussards.com — The menu includes creole and creative contem porary dishes. rainbow trout amandine is served with tasso and corn macque choux and creole meuniere sauce. reservations recommended. outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

Cafe Normandie — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The menu combines classic French dishes and Louisiana items like crab beignets with herb aioli. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$

Common Interest — Hotel Indigo, 705 Common St., (504) 595-5605; common interestnola.com — Shrimp remoulade cobb salad comes with avocado, blue

cheese, tomatoes, bacon, egg and corn relish. Slow roasted beef debris tops goat cheese and thyme grits. reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$

Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken and andouille jam balaya. reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoyster bar — The menu higlights Gulf seafood in creole dishes. char-grilled oysters are topped with Parmesan and herbs. reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House — 144 Bourbon St., (504) 522-0111; bourbon house.com — The seafood restaurant has a raw bar and a large selection of bour bon. redfish on the Halfshell is cooked skin-on and served with lemon buerre blanc. reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$

Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar — 739 Iberville St., (504) 522-4440; 7400 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 304-4125; felixs. com — Louisiana oysters are served raw or char-grilled with garlic, Parmesan and breadcrumbs. The menu includes sea food platters, crawfish etouffee, po-boys and more. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

Frey Smoked Meat Co. — 4141 Bienville St., Suite 110, (504) 488-7427; frey smokedmeat.com — The barbecue restaurant serves pulled pork, St. Louis ribs, brisket, sausages and more. Fried

pork belly poppers are tossed in pepper jelly glaze. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

Froot Orleans — 2438 Bell St., Suite B, (504) 233-3346; frootorleans.com — The shop serves fresh fruit in platters, smoothie bowls such as a strawberry shortcake smoothie and more using pineapple, various berries, citrus and more. No reservations. outdoor seating available. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$

Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 8910997; joeyksrestaurant.com The menu includes fried seafood platters, salads, sandwiches and red beans and rice. Sauteed trout Tchoupitoulas is topped with shrimp and crabmeat. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$

Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; juansflyingburrito.com — The Flying Burrito includes grilled steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar-jack cheese, black beans, yellow rice, guacamole and salsa. The menu also has tacos, quesadil las, nachos and more. outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — A cajun cuban has roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles on buttered bread. The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic and scallions. Delivery available. reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$

Kilroy’s Bar — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941;

higginshotelnola.com/dining — The bar menu includes sandwiches, flatbreads, salads and more. A Louisiana peach flatbread has prosciutto, stracciatella cheese, arugula and pecans. No reserva tions. Dinner Wed.-Sat. $$

Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; leg acykitchen.com — The menu includes oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, salads and more. A NoLA Style Grits Bowl is topped with bacon, cheddar and a poached egg. reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, (504) 513-2606; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes filets mignons, bone-in rib-eyes and top sirloins, as well as burgers, salads and seafood dishes. reservations accepted. outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$

Martin Wine Cellar — 714 Elmeer Ave., Metairie, (504) 896-7350; 3827 Baronne St., (504) 894-7444; martinwine.com — The spirits shop’s deli serves sandwiches, salads and more. The Sena salad includes roasted chicken, raisins, blue cheese, pecans and field greens with Tabasco pepperjelly vinaigrette. No reservations. Lunch daily. $$

Mid City Pizza — 6307 S. Miro St., (504) 509-6224; 4400 Banks St., (504) 4838609; midcitypizza.com — The pizza joint serves New York-style pies, calzones, sandwiches and salads. Shrimp remou lade pizza includes spinach, red onion and garlic on an olive oil-brushed curst. Delivery available. No reservations. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$

Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avo cado and snow crab. The menu also has sushi, sashimi, noodle dishes, teriyaki and more. reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$ Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscas restaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves Italian dishes and house special ties including shrimp Mosca and chicken a la grande. Baked oysters Mosca is made with breadcrumbs and Italian seasonings. reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Sat. cash only. $$$

Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant. net — This counter-service spot is known for po-boys dressed with cabbage and creole favorites, such as jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and red beans and rice. Delivery available. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Nephew’s Ristorante — 4445 W. Metairie Ave., Metairie, (504) 533-9998; nephewsristorante.com — chef Frank c atalanotto is the namesake “nephew” who ran the kitchen at Tony Angello’s restaurant. The creole-Italian menu features dishes like veal, eggplant or chicken parmigiana. reservations required. Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$

Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes red beans with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as seafood platters, po-boys, char-grilled oysters, pasta, salads and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$

Nice Guys Bar & Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola. com — char-grilled oysters are topped with cheese. The menu also includes wings, quesadillas, burgers, sandwiches, salads, seafood pasta and more. No reser vations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$ Nonno’s Cajun Cuisine and Pastries — 1940 Dauphine St., (504) 354-1364; non noscajuncuisineandpastries.com — The menu includes home-style c ajun and creole dishes with some vegan options. Shrimp are sauteed with onions and bell peppers, topped with cheese and served with two eggs and toast. Delivery avail able. reservations accepted. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$

Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; pea cockroomnola.com — Black lentil vadouvan curry comes with roasted tomatoes, forest mushrooms and basmati rice. The menu includes small plates, a burger, salads and more. reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunch Sun. $$

Rosie’s on the Roof — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The hotel’s rooftop bar has a menu of sandwiches, burgers and small plates. No reserva tions. Dinner daily. $$

Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 8271651; legacykitchen.com — The seafood restaurant serves raw and char-grilled oysters, seafood, burgers, salads and more. redfish St. charles is served with garlic herb butter, asparagus, mushrooms and crawfish cornbread. reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Tavolino Pizza & Lounge — 141 Delaronde St., (504) 605-3365; tavolinonola.com — The menu features thin-crust pizzas, salads, meatballs and more. A Behrman Hwy. pizza is topped with pork belly, caramel, marinated carrots and radishes, jalapenos and herbs. No reservations. outdoor seat ing available. Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$

Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza.com — A Marilynn Pota Supreme pie is topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. There also are salads, sandwiches and more. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $

Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 5015 Magazine St., (504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco. com — Peruvian lomo saltado is a tradi tional dish of beef sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce and pisco, and served with fried potatoes and rice. outdoor seating and delivery available. reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

Zhang Bistro — 1141 Decatur St., (504) 826-8888; zhangbistronola.com — The menu includes chinese and Thai dishes. The Szechuan Hot Wok offers a choice of chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu with onions, bell peppers, cauliflower, jalapenos, garlic and spicy Szechuan sauce. reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

cBD and Warehouse District and ends at Lafayette Square, where there will be a mini-festival with music, food and more. The parade begins at 11 a.m. at esplanade Avenue. The parade will be broad cast on WDSU. visit nolaholiday parade.com for route and details.

Sam Tallent

NOTHING IS TOO CLOSE TO HOME FOR DENVER COMEDIAN SAM TALLENT

His novel, “running the Light,” is about being a comedian leading a debauched life on a rugged tour through the Southwest. He doesn’t shy away from jokes about his parents’ sex life, even when they’re in the audience, as they were in his last New orleans show at The Broad Theater. He’s back for a show at The Hideaway in Mandeville at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Advance tickets $20 on eventbrite.com.

‘SIX’

IT WAS NOT GOOD TO BE THE QUEEN WHEN HENRY VIII WAS THE KING. The Broadway musical production “SIX” takes a different angle, casting his six wives as pop princesses in this jukebox musical. Here the wives have banded together as a power house girl group, far removed from the sounds and mores of the House of Tudor. The touring production is at Saenger Theatre Nov. 29-Dec. 4. Showtimes vary. Find tickets via saengernola.com.

Motel Radio

MELLOW INDIE ROCKERS MOTEL RADIO RELEASED “THE GARDEN” IN SEPTEMBER , a follow up to its 2019 full-length debut “Siesta Del Sol.” riarosa and Maddy Kirgo also perform. At 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at one eyed Jacks. Tickets $15 via oneeyedjacks.net.

Kaye the Beast

RIGHT AROUND THIS TIME LAST YEAR, NEW ORLEANS RAPPER KAYE THE BEAST released his fifth full-length album, “The Spaceman,” and rocked Gasa Gasa. Now, he’s wrapping up his sixth album, “I Like You. I Think We Should Go Together,” and headlines Hi-Ho Lounge at 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1. Proper channels, Yung Delirious and DJ Novi also are on the bill. Tickets are $8 advance via eventbrite.com and $12 at the door.

The Menzingers

PENNSYLVANIA’S MENZINGERS ARE GROUNDED IN PUNK AND SKA . They mellowed a bit by 2019, singing “I love you, America, but you’re freaking me out,” on the album “Hello exile.” The band is on tour celebrating the 10th anniversary of the release of its acclaimed “on

the Impossible Past” album. The group released an eP of demos for “Impossible Past.” The tour comes to Tipitina’s at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29. Touche Amore and Screaming Females also perform. Tickets $30 at tipitinas.com.

Plaquemines Parish Fair & Orange Festival

THE PLAQUEMINES PARISH FAIR FEATURES LIVE MUSIC, A PAGEANT, A 5K RUN and fitness walk, a craft market, food and more. The music lineup includes Aaron Foret, e Wilkinson & the Hot Sauce Band, Junior and Sumtin Sneaky and more. The fair runs Dec. 2-4 at Fort Jackson in Buras. Find details at orangefestival.com.

People Museum

IN OCTOBER, NEW ORLEANS’ PEOPLE MUSEUM RELEASED “DESTRUCTION OF, VOL. 1 ,” an eP inspired by the works of renowned artist Louise Bourgeois. The band will per form those new tracks as part of a one-night-only concert with special guests underneath and around Bourgeois’ “Spider” in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. The show is at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4. Tickets are $15, or $10 for New orleans Museum of Art members, at noma.org.

Boiler Room: New Orleans

FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, BOILER ROOM HAS BEEN ORGANIZING ELECTRONIC MUSIC EVENTS and parties around the world. They also stream the performances online to the masses. Boiler room has now partnered with New orleans platform Freewater to present a New orleans edition, featuring DJs and producers Legatron Prime, Lil Jodeci, DJ Kelly Green and DJ rBD live at republic NoLA. Music starts at 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Tickets are $25 via republicnola.com. Find more info at boilerroom.tv.

Stuck Lucky

NASHVILLE SKACORE STALWARTS STUCK

LUCKY joins New orleans’ new tone ska band Bad operation and punk band PUreMUTTS for a show at 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at Saturn Bar. Tickets are $10 advance via dice.fm and $15 at the door.

Trendafilka

THE ALL-WOMAN ENSEMBLE SINGS FOLK MUSIC from the Balkans, Baltic states, Ukraine and the roma diaspora and more. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at Marigny opera House. $25 suggested donation. Find information at marignyoperahouse.org.

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FOR COMPLETE MUSIC LISTINGS AND MORE EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA, VISIT CALENDAR.GAMBITWEEKLY.COM

To learn more about adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com

TUESDAY 29

CAPULET — Mahmoud chouki, rebecca crenshaw, Beck Burger, David Pulphus and Aaron Walker-Loud, 12 am

DOS JEFES — Wendell Brunious and Tom Hook, 8:30 pm

FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; collin Myers Band, 5 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm

JEAN LAFITTE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK VISITOR CENTER, NEW ORLE ANS JAZZ NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK — Arrowhead Jazz Band, 2 pm

KITCHEN TABLE CAFÉ — Gracie Jay and Max Bronstein, 6:30 pm

ROYAL FRENCHMEN HOTEL & BAR — Trumpet Mafia , 6 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE — rebirth Brass Band, 10 pm

TIPITINA'S — The Menzingers, Touche Amore, Screaming Females, 8 pm

WEDNESDAY 30

BLUE NILE — New Breed Brass Band, 9 pm

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Tin Men, 6 pm; The Iguanas, 9 pm

FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Bourbon Street Stars, 5 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm

GASA GASA — At The Heart of The World, UT/e X, Psychic Bastard, 9 pm

JEAN LAFITTE NATIONAL HISTORI CAL PARK VISITOR CENTER, NEW ORLEANS JAZZ NATIONAL HIS TORICAL PARK — Darianna videaux c apitel, 5 pm

MADAME VIC'S — Paula Mangum and the Boneshakers, 8 pm SANTOS — russell Welch Swamp Moves Trio, 9 pm

SOUTHPORT HALL LIVE MUSIC & PARTY HALL — Norma Jean, Islander, 7 pm

TIPITINA'S — The Wood Brothers, rainbow Girls, 8 pm

THURSDAY 1

BLUE NILE — Where Y'at Brass Band, 9 pm

DOS JEFES — Mark coleman Band, 8:30 pm

JEAN LAFITTE NATIONAL HISTOR ICAL PARK VISITOR CENTER, NEW ORLEANS JAZZ NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK — Audrey Smith, 2 pm; Simon Lott and Hunter Miles Davis, 3 pm

PEACOCK ROOM, HOTEL FONTENOT — Da Lovebirds with robin Barnes and Pat c asey , 8 pm

ROCK 'N' BOWL — Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco roadrunners, 8 pm

ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL — Lawrence cotton Legendary experience, 6 pm

THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Brass-AHolics, 7:30 pm

WETLANDS SAKE — Brass Lightning, 6:30 pm

FRIDAY 2

BLUE NILE — The c aesar Brothers, 7 pm; Kermit ruffins and the Barbe cue Swingers, 11 pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM — Trumpet Slim & Brass Flavor, 10 pm

DOS JEFES — Wendell Brunious and Tom Hook, 8:30 pm

REPUBLIC NOLA — Pretty Na$ty and Friends, 10 pm

ROCK 'N' BOWL — Jedeye Mind Trick, 8:30 pm

SANTOS — Big Baby Scumbag, No Zodiac, Whatswronglu, Spida Mane, Dracula and Blushakurx, 9 pm

SIBERIA — Static Static, crush Diamond, r45PY, 9 pm

SOUTHPORT HALL LIVE MUSIC & PARTY HALL — crowbar, 7 pm

TIPITINA'S — Flow Tribe christmas crunktacular, 9 pm

ZONY MASH BEER PROJECT — Different Stokes Band, 8 pm

SATURDAY 3

BLUE NILE — George Brown Band, 7 pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM — The Marigny Street Brass Band, 10 pm

COURTYARD BREWERY — Sweet Mag nolia Brass Band , 4 pm

JEAN LAFITTE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK VISITOR CENTER, NEW ORLE ANS JAZZ NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK — Aurora Nealand Duo, 2 pm; Drum & Dance circle, 10:30 am

MUSIC BOX VILLAGE — Johnny c am pos, Max Bien Kahn, Sabine Mcc alla, and Howe Pearson, 7 pm

ORPHEUM THEATER — Holiday Spec tacular, 2 pm & 7:30 pm

REPUBLIC NOLA — Boiler room, Free water, 10:30 pm

ROCK 'N' BOWL — contraflow, 8:30 pm

SANTOS — Benji robot, Secret recipe, 10 pm

SIBERIA — Midriff, Student Driver, Shmoo, Dreux Gerard, 9 pm

THE ALLWAYS LOUNGE & CABARET — The New orleans High Society Hour, 8 pm

THE BOMBAY CLUB — Anais St. John, 8 pm

THE TOULOUSE THEATRE — Paul c athen, 8:30 pm

TIPITINA'S — Jagged Little Pill - An Alanis Morissette Tribute, 9 pm

ZONY MASH BEER PROJECT — Jon cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentle men, 8 pm

SUNDAY 4

BLUE NILE — The Baked Potatoes, 7 pm; Street Legends Brass Band, 10 pm

NOLA BREWING COMPANY — Phoush - A Tribute to Phish, 3 pm

PARADIGM GARDENS — Nayo Jones, 6 pm

PEACHES RECORDS AND TAPES — Allay earhart, chef Alexander, 1 pm

THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Glen David Andrews Band, 7:30 pm

WETLANDS SAKE — John roniger, 12 pm

MONDAY 5

BAR AT TOULOUSE — conor Donohue, 8 pm

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE Trumpet Slim plays at Blue Nile Balcony Room Friday, Dec. 2.

STAGE

They just clicked

by Will Coviello

CHICAGO PLAYWRIGHT SHARAI BOHANNON HAD BEEN ON PLENTY OF ONLINE PLATFORMS: MySpace, Tumblr, LiveJournal. She also had the craigslist experience.

“I got burned trying to sell a washer and a dryer when I was leav ing Texas,” Bohannon says. “I put these items up, and the guy showed up with less than what I asked and said, ‘This is all I’ve got.’ I said, ‘Well, then you can’t have it.’ So I had to stay in the apartment another night when all I had in it was a washer and a dryer.”

The no-frills site had been around for a while before it became popu lar for its classified ads. It also got a lot of attention for its freewheeling personal advertising, which is what piqued Bohannon’s interest.

“ everything could be gotten on craigslist,” she says. “You want a couch? craigslist. You want a house? craigslist. You want a per son? craigslist.”

craigslist eventually fell out of favor, as its lightly moderated exis tence tended toward the illicit. But for a while, it was an unpredictable social space on the web. That’s the moment when Bohannon’s play “craigslisted” is set.

“It’s kind of a period piece now because of the way things have shifted,” Bohannon says. “It’s weird to have a period piece from six years ago.”

But some things never change: college students always need money, and there are always peo ple in need on the internet.

The NoLA Project presents the drama at Loyola University New orleans’ Marquette Theatre Dec. 1-17. The NoLA Project did a reading of the drama before the pandemic. This full production is being directed by Leslie claverie and stars Aria Jackson as Maggie. Mariola chalas and emily Bagwill play her friends robin and Haley.

In the drama, Maggie is a col lege student trying to make ends meet. She’s got a scholarship and she’s already working multiple low-paying jobs. The power has been turned off at her apartment because of overdue bills. She and her friends have laughed about what’s on craigslist, but it’s also got her thinking.

Some people on the site just want companionship, like Dave, a recently divorced man who thinks it’s well worth the extra expense to not have to go to dinner or movies alone. To Maggie, it’s unconven tional, but it’s easy money. Her friends robin and Haley have mixed feelings about supporting it, but Maggie owes them money.

every new craigslist post, email and knock at the door is another adventure, bringing its own mystery and challenge. But many people on craigslist are shopping for more than just companionship.

The story explores some of what the internet and social media have revealed. connecting with people is a powerful drive. That can be very helpful, Bohannon says, like it was for her as the only Black student in her college writing program. But it’s also a platform for people looking for different types of connections.

craigslist and other sites allowed some people to negotiate their inhi bitions by being both anonymous and very direct. For some people in “craigslisted,” those connections are more exotic.

“Nobody really knows anybody,” Bohannon says. “We try to judge people by their cover. But there’s more depth to people than we give them credit for.”

The entanglements get com plicated, as Maggie tries to help solicitous strangers while maintain ing her boundaries. The drama also explores how her friendships are affected, as Maggie gets drawn into her new world and finally having money and control — and is no lon ger indebted to her friends.

But once the online connections become real, it’s not so simple to disengage.

For tickets and information, visit nolaproject.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY EDWARD CARTER SIMON

By Frank A. Longo

Showy debut, perhaps

Tram rocks

“Memento” star Guy

— Domingo

Narrow road

Agrees (with)

Broccoli —

Native American feathered headdress

Singer Marc

Shunned one

Destroying Scuds, say

Triple Crown venue

Some light planes

VirusScan company

Brazilian soccer hero

Ship’s spine

Fleur-de- —

Results of compromises

Notable time

Cath., e.g.

Fiero or GTO

Raggedy —

Feb. 29, for leap day babies

— -Croatian

Goodyear’s home city

Malicious sort

Schick item

In reserve

It’ll stop traffic

Frisbees, e.g.

Big internet portal

In — (stuck)

Pasta sauce brand

Yemen port

Mail in, e.g.

Meowing pet

“I’ll take that as —”

Aves.

Vardalos of the screen

Walloped in a boxing ring

Lot51:

W.-12in.,FramedH.- 20 1/4in.,W.- 17 1/4in.

Provenance: from theEstateofDr. PeterElwoodDorsett, NewOrleans,Louisiana.Est.$400-$600

Lot45:

Lot71: French ProvincialCar vedOak Farmhouse Table, 20thc., therectangular topoveraw ideskirt,w ithafriezedrawer on thet wo long sides,ontapered square legs, H.-307/8 in., W.-981/2 in., D. -351/2 in.Est $1,0 00-$2,0 00

Lot123:Old

Continental School,“Portrait of aYoung Officer,” 19th c.,oil on panel, unsigned,witha “MullerParis” stampenverso,presented in agiltframe, H.-151/8 in.,

Master Style, “Christand theWoman TakeninAdulter y,”19thc., oiloncanvas laid to board, unsigned,presented in an ornategiltand gessoframe, H.-34in.,W.- 42 1/8in.,