HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
Lake Charles's last pre-WWII theatre building — and the site where 'The Candyman' William Portie died in a 1952 fire — draws paranormal investigators who call it 'very, very, very active.'
809 Enterprise Blvd, Lake Charles, LA 70601
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Performance ticket prices vary by production. Check website for current schedule and pricing.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Indoor theatre with accessible seating
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1930 · Last surviving pre-WWII theatre structure in Lake Charles · Site connected to William Portie's 1952 fire death · Active community theatre venue
The ACTS (Allied Community Theatre of Southwest Louisiana) Theatre occupies a downtown Lake Charles building that stands out as the last pre-World War II theatre structure in the city. While most comparable venues from that era were demolished or rebuilt following Hurricane audra and later storm damage, this building survived, giving it a physical continuity rare in the region.
The site's darkest chapter came on April 21, 1952, when a fire broke out in a neighboring grocery store. William Portie, a well-known local figure who had long sold candy and sweets to children in the neighborhood from a basket — earning him the nickname 'The Candyman' — lived in an apartment above the grocery. He died of smoke inhalation during the fire. His death was a neighborhood loss that locals still discuss as part of the block's history.
The theatre itself has operated through various phases of community use and renovation. Local KPLC reporting in 2022 documented a formal paranormal investigation of the building, while Lake Charles's official tourism board has flagged the venue as one of the city's documented haunted sites. The combination of genuine building age, a traceable death on the premises, and multiple independent paranormal investigation findings has made it a consistent fixture on Lake Charles ghost tour itineraries.
Sources
Following a formal paranormal investigation documented by KPLC in January 2022, investigators publicly described ACTS Theatre as one of the most active sites they had encountered in the Lake Charles area. Their characterization — 'very, very, very active' — was specific enough to attract subsequent attention from ghost tour operators and independent researchers.
The primary reported phenomena include EVP recordings captured during investigations, shadow figures seen moving through the theatre space, and unaccounted-for sounds during off-hours. Investigators and tour guides have linked the activity to William Portie, the Candyman, whose 1952 death by smoke inhalation in an adjacent building placed him firmly in the neighborhood's memory. The proximity of his death to the theatre building, and its status as the oldest surviving theatre structure in the city, frames the site as one where history and reported experience reinforce each other.
Lake Charles's official tourism board lists ACTS Theatre among the downtown haunted stops, lending institutional recognition to the site's paranormal reputation.
Notable Entities
Ghost tour operators include ACTS Theatre as a downtown Lake Charles paranormal stop, connecting William Portie's 1952 death to the reported EVP recordings and shadow figures inside the building.
See a live production at Lake Charles's only surviving pre-WWII theatre structure. The building's age and history make it a distinctive performance venue with a documented past.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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