Supporting Local Theatre

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With all the distractions around, there are too many excuses to not see live theatre.

We give you the reasons you should.

Welcome to PWJW, with information on live drama, comedy, musicals, dance, etc. in and around Indianapolis, Indiana. As in any modest-sized metropolis, there is a surprising amount of activity and talent on numerous stages, from amateur to Equity, from old favorites to avant-garde, with performers and audiences of all ages. If you are seeing this on the Main page, scroll down for the latest reviews. We will also strive to keep the calendar page updated. Thanks for looking in on us!

Click on Pods With John And Wendy in the Menu for our Podcast! (On Hold at the moment, we plan to resume soon)

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On THIS PAGE is the linked list of reviews from the 2022 IndyFringe Festival. 

The 2021 IndyFringe on THIS PAGE.  (No Fringe fest in 2020.)  The 2019 IndyFringe on THIS PAGE.  The 2018 IndyFringe on THIS PAGE. We didn’t see everything, but did get in most of the shows.

Looking back, we don’t have an index page for IndyFringe 2016 or 2017, but HERE is one we did for 2015.

If you place “Bard Fest” or “OnyxFest” in the Search, you can see our coverage of those shows as well.

Civic’s bold ‘Letter’ centers strong heroine

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By Wendy Carson

I have been writing a lot about strong women these days, and Hester Prynne is undoubtably one of the strongest examples of such in American literature.

She first entered my consciousness when I was seven, watching a silent film version of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, “The Scarlet Letter.” While she is vastly flawed, her courage and resolve make her an icon of female empowerment and a character to be further explored. With Kate Hamill’s imaginative script, we are presented with a new look at Hester and her situations in the current production by Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre.

As in the book, in 1640s Massachusetts we meet Prynne enduring punishment for a child born out of wedlock. She refuses to name the father and is therefore ordered by Puritan authorities to wear a red “A” (for Adultery) on her chest for the rest of her life.

Directed by Emily Rogge Tzucker, the biggest difference with this staging is the use of a life-sized puppet portraying Hester’s daughter, Pearl. Designed and built by Evangeline Bouw, and voiced and operated by Emily Bohannon, the character takes on a far more ephemeral role. The lone child in a world of strange rules, she highlights the hellion nature of children who provoke and tease others for their own amusement.

Brittany Magee brings forth not only Prynne’s self-sufficiency, but also her unwavering pride and devotion to her precious Pearl. Renee Whiten Lopez as Goody Hibbins channels some of the hysteria of the time by falsely accusing Prynne of witchcraft to justify her own personal shortcomings and try to rectify the unjustness of it all.

Doug Powers’ interpretation of Governor Hibbins keeps him sympathetic in trying to uphold the law in this wild, new land yet not satisfied by doing so. Matt Anderson excellently shows the inner turmoil of Reverend Dimmesdale, the unnamed yet horribly guilty father of Pearl. Daniel Wilke brings a malevolent force to bear as Roger Chillingworth, who carries the darkest secret amongst the group.

While the show’s staging is extremely simple, with limited cast and efficient set and lighting design by Ryan Koharchik, it helps keep the focus on the actors and their stories. The costuming by Adrienne Conces perfectly accents the various needs of narrative in many unexpected ways.

I was greatly impressed by this amazing interpretation of a story for the ages and would have been more than happy to have had it be my introduction to this powerful woman and her story.

Meet Hester and Pearl, and see their world at The Studio Theater of the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel through March 28. Get tickets at civictheatre.org or thecenterpresents.org.

Elect to experience this ethnic exploration

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By John Lyle Belden

Comedy draws a lot of laughs from discomfort, but what if it could be you in the audience who is feeling it?

In “The Hispanic / Latino / Latina / Latinx / Latine Vote,” by Bernardo Cubria – a National New Play Network rolling world premiere at Fonseca Theatre, directed by Carlos Medina Maldonado – a struggling academic shares her lived discomfort relatable to anyone of a non-white ethnicity in the United States.

Having written a book on the subject, Paola (Yolanda Valdivia) is our “expert” on being Latinx. However, she relates her main stressor is being “39 and single” and wanting a child. In the spirit of this show, she will poll the audience (participation is optional but encouraged) about choices such as the “sperm donor” for her IVF.

Kaj (David Wesley Marlowe), on the national staff of The Political Party (not to be confused with The Other Political Party), found her book and called her in to join his research team. For an absurd amount of money, Paola is to help determine how to reach Hispanic and Latino/a/x/e voters.

Other researchers are Nicola (Lexes Rubio), whose father is Cuban; Bernard (Matthew Ball), who is Black; and Rebecca (Rachel Kelso), whose last name is Feldman, and she spent a semester in Venezuela. They barely know the difference among the various Latin American cultures, still, though things predictably get awkward, they are eager to learn.

All other roles are smartly played by Luis Navarro, including the IVF specialist and several Party survey respondents.

Through a lot of nervous and silly humor, we all learn a lot about how varied yet relatable people are, as well as how political maneuvering doesn’t dispel stereotype but leverage it.

Valdivia’s Paola is our cheerful guide through all this, making our experience both enlightening and entertaining. Marlowe’s Kaj is results-oriented, coming across as crass, often a jerk but never apologetic, being what one would expect from one in his position. Rubio presents Nicola as a bit standoffish, but we learn the reason for her attitude. Ball is surprisingly upbeat for being an obvious token, but Bernard gets to give his perspective on his role. Kelso presents in Rebecca a woman trying too hard to relate, complete with flustered apologies.

Through it all we discover a lot about humanity, and that we all eventually say or think something we regret. However, the only way to disappoint this ensemble is to miss seeing the show. Performances of “The…Vote” run through March 29 at 2508 W. Michigan St., Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at fonsecatheatre.org.

And by the way, Indiana’s primary elections are May 5; voter registration deadline is April 6.

Treadwell tragedy retooled by Southbank

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By John Lyle Belden

It’s enticing to explore the mind of a killer, but to only define the person that way misses the point and prevents understanding. In 1927, a woman – an unhappy mother possibly in an abusive marriage – brutally murdered her husband with the help of her lover. One of the most macabre photos published in a newspaper shows the moment of her execution in the electric chair at Sing Sing Prison.

The next year, journalist and playwright Sophie Treadwell published “Machinal,” a fictional examination of a case resembling the one recently in the headlines. This expressionist work with simple staging makes us feel the dark events as we witness them. In the 1920s, women in the workplace were fed into a social machine that used them as the system and the men who ran it saw fit. In the 2020s, Marcia Eppich-Harris proposes that these grinding gears still turn as director of the play for Southbank Theatre Company.

With a dream-like atmosphere (often edging on nightmare), setpieces shift, props become representational, and while costuming stays in the earlier era, technology blends typewriters and telephones with smartphones and laptops. The cast of Natalie Beglin, Brant Hughes, Nia Hughes, Adriana Menefee, Beverly Roche, Patrick Vaughn, and J. Charles Weimer each take on various roles, as well as often appearing in dapper black hats as a sort of Greek Chorus to enhance and punctuate the scenes.

At the center of this is our Young Woman, an excruciatingly brilliant performance by Alaine Sims. With Eppich-Harris’s guidance, she bravely gives substance to the experience of crippling anxiety.

The world is unkind to Her, perhaps as much as for other women who seem to have adapted. With the resigned acceptance of her mother (Roche) and at his insistence she marries her boss (Vaughn) though she can’t stand his touch. She gives him a child, bearing his disappointment at a daughter rather than a son. Then, in the arms of a lover (Brant Hughes) she feels “purified” and plots her escape. Finally, betrayed by lilies and little stones, she meets the fate foretold in the electric hum of the opening scene.

With dialogue often in patter that anticipates beat poetry and hip-hop, and the haunting jazzy Chorus who could be echoes of the press, a jury, or just city folk of the Roaring Twenties who read-all-about-it, this drama flows like a well-told story, reaching out to the frustrated soul within us, reminding us that the machinery is ever turning.

Madison Pickering is assistant director, with Gary Curto as stage manager. The set design is by Kai Harris, with lighting design – essential to this production – by Aaron Burns.

Regarded as one of the greatest plays of the 20th century – with much to say in the 21st – “Machinal” has performances Thursday through Sunday, March 19-22 at Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis (southwest corner of Butler University campus).

For information and tickets visit southbanktheatre.org.

Local ‘Greatest Star’ in Footlite ‘Funny Girl’

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By Wendy Carson

The musical “Funny Girl” and Barbra Streisand are so connected in most people’s minds that it’s honestly hard to picture anyone else in the part. After all, Fanny Brice was a force of nature. She grew up as an ordinary girl with an amazing voice and acting ability. Though constantly reminded that she was no great beauty (we wish to differ – Google her photos), her ambition and talent kept her going and made her a star.

Considering that the title role is onstage most of the show’s duration and carries the majority of the musical numbers (including two of Barbra’s biggest hits), this role is also a star-maker.

The performance of Kennedy Wilson (who sort of resembles the real Brice) in Footlite Musicals’ current production proves that she is an equivocal force to be reckoned with. She brings out the sweet, bitter, and triumphant feelings of each word she utters. I am honestly so glad to have witnessed her tour-de-force in this role.

Director Kevin Bell really struck gold casting Wilson, as well as the rest of the cast in this spectacular production. Looking and sounding sharp are Drew Hedges as steady friend Eddie, Graham Brinklow as Fanny’s first producer, Tom Keeney, Andrew Ranck as the immortal Flo Ziegfeld, and Aaron Mann as Nicky Armstein, the hard-luck gambler who won Fanny’s heart. Back home on Henry Street, Miki Mathioudakis is Mama Brice, with Adrienne Reiswerg as “auntie” Mrs. Strakosh.

Bell also choreographs, with Katie Van Den Heuvel; Yolanda Valdivia is assistant director; Jeremy Kaylor conducts the orchestra. Sets are by Bell and Jerry Beasley, costumes by Etta Biloon.

The musical, by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill with book by Isobel Lennart, is based on Brice’s rise to fame as “The Greatest Star” and her quest to be as successful at love as she was on stage. Whether this is familiar to you or new, this production is enjoyable as well as inspiring, Wilson’s Brice a portrait of unflagging persistent optimism. No “rain on [her] parade” for sure.

Hey theatre patron, here she is! “Funny Girl” has two weekends, running through March 22 at the Hedback Theater, 1847 N. Alabama St. in downtown Indianapolis. Tickets and info at footlite.org.

Belfry: Story of growing up and growing apart

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By John Lyle Belden

Do you miss your high school days? Or were you thankful to leave them behind?

These questions come to mind as we watch the three ladies of the play “Vanities,” the Off-Broadway hit by Jack Heifner presented by The Belfry Theatre at The Cat in Carmel, directed by Jen Otterman.

The title metaphor dominates the back of the stage: three mirrored dressing tables where the actors finish their makeup and will change wigs between scenes. Rather than spoil the stage “magic,” this provides an element of continuity. We meet three young women from a Texas town in their senior year of high school, fall 1963; as college seniors and sisters at the KKG sorority in 1968; and meeting up as adults in New York in 1974.

Kathy (Ka’Lena Cuevas), head cheerleader and planner of all major social events, practices for that day’s pep rally with squadmates Mary (Becca Bartley) and Joanne (Cara Olson). In this era between Elvis and the Beatles, the girls are very much of their time. Mary relates the degree to which she lets her boyfriend, Jim, touch her, while Joanne declares she would never allow that with her beau, Ted. Meanwhile Kathy is in a chaste-but-serious relationship with steady Gary.

At Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kathy is still an obsessive planner, readying for the Spring rush and dismayed at the quality of freshmen applying for the sorority. Jim and Gary are each history, but Joanne will marry Ted shortly after Commencement. She looks forward to being a housewife as her husband becomes a lawyer, her degree in music almost an accidental thing. Mary is getting a degree in interior design and tickets to Europe, trading life with disapproving parents for a quest to be “the perfect lost person.” Kathy, facing a future for the first time without her best friends, will continue her life of structure and schedule as a teacher.

In a nice NYC garden apartment, Kathy invites her old friends over – Mary from her SoHo art gallery, Joanne from the Connecticut home she shares with her attorney husband and young children. Champaign will flow, as will words and honest feelings.

True to the title, we have three young women who struggle to see outside themselves. Cuevas maintains a calm demeanor with Kathy, guarded and rarely letting on how confident (or not) she really feels, but never aloof. Bartley takes Mary on her arc of rebellion with an anxiety-tempered smile as she experiences all she can, finding everything but fulfillment. Olson embraces Joanne’s embrace of conservative society expectations, keeping her Texas accent and uncomplicated worldview (except for the strain of childrearing) throughout.

While the subject matter gets serious – complete with a couple of well-placed F-bombs – this is generally a comedy, and these besties do bring on quite a few hearty laughs. In all, an entertaining, intriguing look at an era and the women who came of age in it.

Don’t be too proud to see “Vanities,” 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, March 13-15, at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel. For tickets visit thecat.biz or thebelfrytheatre.com.

Indy Drag’s crowning achievement

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By John Lyle Belden

“Divorced. Beheaded. Died. Divorced. Beheaded. Survived.” Divas – Bedazzled – Live!

If there was ever a Broadway show perfect for Indy Drag Theatre parody treatment, it’s “Six.” Now the concert musical gets IDT’s royal treatment as its debut production in the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre.

The original musical by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (a smash in the UK as well as New York) is a fabulous fantasia in which the six wives of England’s King Henry VIII arrive from the afterlife as pop stars. In a sing-off, the one who had the worst time with the legendary monarch gets named the girl group’s leader.

No strangers to corsets, we have six queens* playing the Queen: Natasha Kennedy is Catherine of Aragon, whom Henry started an entire church denomination to dump. CiCi Pasiòn is Anne Boleyn, who found out the hard way she was not allowed to fool around like the randy Royal. Madison Avenue is Jane Seymour, who would give Henry a son if it was the last thing she’d do – and it was. Brentlee Bich is Anna of Cleves, the German whose portrait was apparently the Renaissance version of Glamour Shots. Kiki Crimi is Katherine Howard, who even in this venue can’t catch a break, after a life of abusive treatment before losing her head. Natalie PortMa’am is Cathine Parr, who put up with the gout-ridden old King through his final days. (Tip of the crown to Kelsey McDaniel, our lady in waiting serving as Swing.)

Aside from taking creative license as a Drag Parody, the production is expanded to include an on-stage “band” – The Crown Jewels – play-synching their instruments: Dallas Fort Worth as Sir Pluck-A-Lot on bass, Jared Matthew as Keys McQueen on keyboards, Faith Camire as the Earl of Beats on drums, and the fabulous Freddie Fatale as Duke Strummer on guitar. They add a couple of extra songs, including a big number featuring puppet versions of the Six women.

This spectacular is directed by April Rosè, who also choreographed, assisted by Canila Carpenter. Costumes are by Caitlin Davey, with makeup by Celeste Al’Dreams and wigs by Gayle Thyme. Stage set is by Miss Kay-Otic, with props by Tricera Tits. Stage manager is Brian Kitta. Lighting is by Paully Crumpacker, with sound by Cadence.

The show is supremely entertaining with just enough real history to make you want to go look it up. This is coupled with the ever-present issue of women – even at the highest office – being tied to the fortunes of men, disregarded on their own merits. Each Queen presents her frustration while also showing her strength. Catherine confronts rejection; Anne consoles herself with her post-mortal fame; Jane tempers pride of motherhood with regret. Anna of Cleves’s section especially satirizes modern beauty standards with her swipe-left/swipe-right number, and demonstrates that unconventional beauty is still beautiful, worthy to be “Queen of the Castle.”

High artistic standards coupled with individual passions coming together in unselfish collaboration continue a local entertainment phenomenon. The house is a little bigger, but will still get filled.

Performances of “Six: A Drag Parody Musical” continue through Sunday, March 15, on the Livia & Steve Russell main stage at 705 N. Illinois St. in downtown Indianapolis. Get tickets at phoenixtheatre.org, and info at indydragtheatre.org.  

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*(Note: Out of respect for the art form and its performers, they are identified by their Drag names as given in the show program.)

Fresh serving of ‘Spitfire Grill’ in Hamilton County

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By John Lyle Belden

A balm for hard times, Carmel Community Players returns us to Gilead, Wis., with a new production of “The Spitfire Grill” at The Switch Theatre in Fishers.

Based on the 1996 film, this musical by old friends Fred Alley and James Valcq premiered Off-Broadway in 2001 and has seen many community stagings, including at Westfield in 2023. However, according to licensing agent Concord Theatricals, the show is “newly revised in 2024.” A quick Google didn’t yield details; it appears to us that any changes are subtle, as this is still an uplifting story of redemption – personal and community-wide – with a charm more genuine than the typical “Hallmark” movie romance.

Set around 1990, Percy (Breanna Helms), a young woman released on parole, arrives in this small forest town which she saw featured in an old travel magazine. Though peaceful and located on a trout stream, Gilead is dying as the nearby quarry closed, a major highway bypassed the town, and the celebrated foliage was diminished by logging. Sheriff Joe Sutter (Zach Hoover), the lone lawman and thus Percy’s parole officer, dreams of selling the plot of land he’ll inherit and taking the next bus out. Hannah Ferguson (Susan Boilek Smith) runs the Spitfire Grill, which she has had on the market for 14 years since her husband died.

The Grill is also the only boarding house, and job, for Percy, who takes on serving duties, then is cast almost literally “into the fire” with cooking when Hannah is injured in a fall. We also meet Hannah’s nephew Caleb Thorpe (John Whitaker), who was a foreman at the quarry and is not doing much better in local real estate; his wife, Shelby (Sarah Marone-Sowers), the one thing he feels control over, who he grudgingly allows to help Percy at the Grill; and Effy Krayneck (Christine Sanserino), proprietor of the local combination general store and Post Office, as well as voracious town gossip.

In addition, every night, Hannah leaves out a fresh loaf of bread for a mysterious visitor (Brandon Wentz).

The plot turns on a scheme, introduced by Percy and embraced by Shelby and Hannah, to give the Spitfire Grill to a worthy new owner in a mail-in raffle (Sheriff Joe sings that it’s legal, so don’t come at us with any contrary Wisconsin law). What this does for the town and its residents is fairly predictable, but really nice to watch play out – with only a couple of dramatic bumps on the way.

Under the expert direction of Kathleen Clarke Horrigan, Helms bravely tests the limits of her singing voice while perfectly portraying both Percy’s ex-con attitude and the tenderness she becomes comfortable to reveal. Hoover handsomely presents the Mayberry-esque demeanor appropriate to Sheriff Joe. Marone-Sowers gently portrays good-natured Shelby’s personal growth arc complementary to Percy’s. Whitaker keeps Caleb more stressed than sinister. Sanserino makes Effy a pill, but not entirely unlikable as she acts not out of spite, but her own odd way of striving to belong. Wentz’s mute role speaks volumes.

Smith, a steady stage veteran, is excellent as Hannah in all her maternal aspects. Considering she was Effy in the Westfield production makes an interesting contrast and tribute to her skill that she nailed both roles.

The simple stage set by Jonas Hildreth is enhanced by backstage projections designed by Cassidy Lane, adding atmosphere to the opening number and awe to Percy’s second-act number, “Shine.”

Behold CCP’s “colors of paradise” at The Switch Theatre in Ji-Eun Lee Music Academy, 10029 126th Street, Fishers. Performances of “The Spitfire Grill” are 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 5-8. Get tickets at carmelplayers.org.

Lots to unpack in Center Stage rom-com

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By John Lyle Belden

A good comedy skit relates the concept of past relationship “baggage” to literal suitcases. A good play takes that idea and makes it so much more.

Center Stage Community Theatre in Lebanon presents “Baggage,” by Sam Bobrick (acclaimed playwright and writer for shows ranging from Captain Kangaroo and Bewitched to helping create Saved by the Bell), directed by Veronique Duprey.

Phyllis Novak (Lauren Johnson) and Bradley Naughton (Mark Livingston) accidentally picked up each other’s identical bags at the airport. She cautiously lets him come to her apartment to switch them back. While hers is the heavier piece of luggage, he carries the larger emotional burden, still pining – openly weeping, actually – for his ex-wife. Phyllis tries to stay aloof, but her “curiosity problem” kicks in and despite their rough first encounter, they get to know each other better.  While he tries to get over his loss and she seeks to adjust her impossible standards for dating men, they agree to go out with each other platonically.

Do you see an improbable romantic comedy coming on? So does Dr. Jonathan Alexander (David Shaul), holder of degrees from prestigious universities and a couples expert, having written three books on the topic (which he will sell you). He enters along the fourth wall, instructing the audience and warning Phyllis of the folly of this entire plot, especially her doomed belief that she can change Bradley to her liking.

We also meet Phyllis’s best friend Mitzi Cartwright (Amy Keitt), a free spirit who gladly takes the play’s events as they come while hoping for a happy ending of her own.

In all, we get a clever and funny romantic adventure, complete with snappy dialogue – Bradley: “You’re a nutcase.” Phyllis: “That’s possible.” The meta element of Dr. Alexander weaving in and out of the play enhances the experience, a fresh way of acknowledging this often-told kind of story.

Johnson makes Phyllis engaging and relatable, having transformed fear of relationships into an impossible need for certainty. Livingston manages the tricky job of keeping some degree of dignity in Bradley, even while little more than a living puddle of tears. Keitt spritely presents Mitzi as someone you would believe had built a koi pond in her living room, because, why not? Shaul bridges the on- and offstage worlds effectively, his PhD-fueled ego adding to the humor.

Duprey has brought out the best in the talented cast; she is assisted by daughter Audrey, who also lurks in the shadows as stage manager (hat-tip to elder daughter Sabrina for helping on preview night). Center Stage’s comfy stage design is by Christy Summersett and David Wines, with decoration by Wines and Lauren Johnson. Like other community theatres, all labor is volunteer, including costumes by Kathie Criss and props by Elizabeth Ruddell.

Pick up “Baggage” for the next two weekends, through March 8, at 604 Powell St., Lebanon. Get info and tickets at centerstagecommunitytheatre.com.

Cryptid ‘Bats’ another hit

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By John Lyle Belden

Part of the genius of Dakota Jones is that through Cryptid Entertainment he and his accomplices do masterful work in the space where comedy, horror, schlock, and camp intersect. They strike again in collaboration with Stagequest Theatrical Services – directed by Ty Stover – with an incredible production of “Bat Boy: The Musical.” Production manager Jones did, and does, a lot to bring this to the IF Theatre stage.

Originally, Bat Boy was a half-human creature brought to public attention in the fantastical tabloid newspaper Weekly World News in 1992, appearing in reports of bizarre happenings for years afterward. He became part of the theatre world in 1997 with a musical written by Brian Flemming and Keythe Farley, music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe. The show has played Off-Broadway, on London’s West End, and made its local debut at the Phoenix Theare in the early 2000s.

Now, the home of IndyFringe is transformed into a struggling 1990s West Virginia mountain town. In a nearby cavern, the three Taylor kids are smoking drugs harmlessly exploring when they encounter the fearful, feral Title Character! They freak out. It freaks out. The sister is bitten. It’s chaos. Cue the singing.

Fortunately, Sheriff Reynolds (Benjamin Elliot) gets involved and brings the Bat Boy (Parker Taylor) to local veterinarian Dr. Thomas Parker (Noah Winston) and his family, wife Meredith (Paige Scott) and daughter Shelley (Alicia Barnes). Rather than euthanize the creature, they keep it/him, which Mrs. Parker names Edgar and teaches to speak and to act civilized.

Meanwhile, the residents of Hope Falls, W.Va., are upset that the Bat Boy has not been destroyed, claiming it’s the cause of a mysterious plague that has been killing their cattle. Worse, having this apparent abomination in their midst wouldn’t be right with the Rev. Hightower’s big Tent Revival coming to town.

It should be noted that while this musical gets really silly, it is definitely not for young audiences. Consider it a “hard R” – especially with what happens in the woods in Act 2. But if you are into what Cryptid puts out, you’ll find this a hilarious, very entertaining and bizarrely inspiring production.

Brilliant casting is a major factor in this sure-fire hit. We have noticed that Parker Taylor has been one of the best young actors in Indianapolis. His willingness to commit to unconventional characters delivers a convincingly heroic lead. Scott nimbly takes on the weirdness as she so often does. Winston and Barnes each add a touch of drama to the absurdity.

All other actors take on multiple roles. Dave Pelsue and Shelbi Berry Kamohara especially show incredible range. Pelsue’s parts include Mama Taylor and the high-spirited Rev. Hightower. Kamohara’s turns include an old man, the bully Rick Taylor, and an oversexed Nymph. Gender-fluid casting and costuming also keep things interesting with Jonathan Young, Nina Stilabower, Bobby Haley, Ashley Bennett, and Jed Ottersen.  

Stover ensures the necessary chaos comes off with professional polish. Dakota Lumley provides clever set design, as well as creating Bat Boy’s distinctive look. (Parker noted that his fangs were carefully crafted to allow him to sing.) Vocal direction is by Jill Stewart. Costumes and technical direction are by Marina Eisenbraun.

If you, too, want to “love your Bat Boy,” act fast as – to no one’s surprise – tickets are selling very quickly, with opening weekend sold out. The show runs through March 8 at the IF, 719 E. St. Clair, Indianapolis. Get tickets at indyfringe.org.

Mud Creek brings the chaos of ‘Carnage’

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By John Lyle Belden

When as parents we advocate for our children, ironically, it’s too easy to become childish ourselves.

That’s the serious premise of the Tony-winning comedy “God of Carnage” by Yasmina Reza. And it is serious – at first – before descending into seriously hilarious chaos, presented in the cozy confines of Mud Creek Players, directed by Kelly Keller.

Michael and Veronica Novak (Mason and Andrea Odle) have invited Alan and Annette Raleigh (Gregory Roberts and Amanda McCabe) to their home to calmly resolve the situation involving their 11-year-old sons. Earlier, the Raleighs’ Benjamin struck Henry Novak with a stick, breaking his teeth. The atmosphere is tense but calm as they initially come to an understanding that Veronica has written down. They try to relax with coffee and clafouti, but continued conversation ensures that their fragile peace will break in a major way.

Mix in attorney Alan constantly getting calls on his cell phone, a realistic (warning to the squeamish) episode of nausea, and a full bottle of fine rum, and this little gathering will go totally off the rails.

The Odles nimbly balance affection and resentments like the real-life couple they are. Andrea’s Veronica weaves the line between voice-of-reason and passive-aggressive. Mason’s Michael is a people-pleaser by nature, but can only take so much. Roberts affects the self-important demeanor of a lawyer – Alan represents a troubled pharmaceutical company, adding an interesting side-plot – coupled with smugly brutal honesty. McCabe is outstanding as she instantly communicates shock, as well as hilarious reactions and manic moments of madness.  

Kudos to the volunteers who helped put this show together, including set design and props by Chris Bundy. Kristin Hilger is assistant director and Jalynn Cheatham is stage manager.

Sadly, the tulips don’t fare well, but apparently no hamsters were harmed in the making of this play. (Still, if you happen to find Nibbles, please let Keller know.)

See the hilarious wrath of “God of Carnage” this Friday (8 p.m.) and Saturday (2:30 and 8 p.m.) at the Mud Creek Barn, 9740 E. 86th St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at mudcreekplayers.org.