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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.

Family drama simmers in ‘Sancocho’

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By John Lyle Belden

Food – like language and music – is an essential part of culture, and peoples all over the world have their signature dishes. In Latin America, that includes sancocho (from the Spanish verb for parboil), a rich stew made with various meats, vegetables and tubers. For Puerto Ricans, both on the island and in New York City, every family has a recipe passed down through generations. According to the Edible Manhattan website, sancocho “is a staple of family gatherings and celebrations, a meal designed as much for sharing as for sustenance.”

In “Sancocho: A Culinary & Culturally Immersive Play” by Christian Eve Cato, presented by Cultura Live Indy at The District Theatre, two sisters prepare the stew, but the truly spicy “dish” is their conversation.

Caridad (Alicia Sims), the older sister, prepares the dish as she was taught by their mother. Renata (Yolanda Valdivia), who is 25 years younger, was encouraged instead to study and is now an attorney, lamenting her lack of kitchen skills. There are other visible differences between them. Caridad has darker skin and her children are grown, while fair-skinned Renata is very pregnant with her first child (a daughter). Their mother has passed and their father – who each remembers differently – is dying.

Renata wants to discuss the details of their father’s will; Caridad wants her to cut up the yams.

While the stew simmers, the conversation often comes to a boil as past resentments surface, as well as experiences remembered differently, and finally some serious family secrets. As it often is with siblings, nothing boils over as humor and attempts at understanding are sprinkled in. The secret ingredient of sancocho, after all, is love.

And I don’t just mean “simmers” metaphorically or stage-pretending. A Dutch oven style vessel sets on a heated surface onstage in the intimate District cabaret. Stage crew start the broth prior to the show, and ingredients are added throughout the play, bringing aroma and authenticity to the scene. Afterward, as well as an opportunity to meet the playwright, there will be samples of sancocho served by Cultura Live Indy in the lobby.

Directed by Andres Lopez, we get wonderfully raw performances of a relationship that’s been more tested than either care to admit. Their different perspectives are painfully obvious at the beginning and must be reconciled before they can share the meal. Valdivia presents Renata as a Millennial feeling detached from her roots, consumed by the business of the present. Sims (“The UnCuT Diamond”) as Caridad feels the weight of the past, especially now. The process of cooking for her is not just a chore, it is a necessary catalyst for what is happening now, and about to happen.

Lopez said he had reached out to Cato before taking on this project, ensuring he would be the right person to “shepherd” (his word) the play – his roots being in Mexico rather than Puerto Rico. Dramaturg Taylor Harmon, an IU graduate living in Boston, applied her studies in Latinx culture to help with the show’s recipe. Other important ingredients include stage manager Rick Northam, production manager Kelly Kel, and tech director Jess Knutson.

A delicious and satisfying experience all around, gather for “Sancocho” Friday through Sunday, Nov. 13-15, at 627 Massachusetts Ave., downtown Indianapolis. Get tickets at indydistricttheatre.org.

After more than 2,000 years, a religious figure returns

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By John Lyle Belden

If you wonder about religion and the unusual things people believe, it’s not far down the Internet rabbit hole to the origins of numerous sects of the 1800’s (Mormons, Christian Science, Adventists, etc.). No matter how you think about them, they now feel mainstream. You see a building on a street and hardly give it a thought because (1) it’s not your particular thing, and (2) they seem quiet and nice, even if a bit weird. It has occurred to me that, in a few more decades, even controversial groups like Scientology will be just another part of the religious landscape.

What’s this have to do with a theatre review?

Stagewright Theatrical Company debuts with “Applewhite,” a new sci-fi drama written and directed by Alan Keith. If you don’t recognize the name in the title, that goes towards my point in the first paragraph.

It is approximately the year 4385. Circumstances have largely driven mankind underground. Technology has changed little, owing in part to an emphasis on specialization so that all roles are filled to ensure human survival.

As science and reason don’t provide much hope, old-time religions fill the void. Arthur (Derrek Krobar) discovered and revived the teachings of 20th century minister Marshall Applewhite and his Heaven’s Gate church. Even unaware of the sect’s dark history, many naturally deride it as a cult. Others, however, are drawn to its promise of higher forms of humanity. This includes gentle horticulturalist Josephine (Delilah Harris), married couple Richard (Robert Hollen) and Evelyn (Michelle Lawson), and new member Avery (Heather Drury) who takes to the faith with zeal. Josephine’s friends Stella (Justice Keith), an information specialist, and Harold (Nathanial Taff), a police inspector, are concerned, but it all seems harmless.

Suddenly a stranger appears among them. Thomas Nichols (Gregory Roberts) claims to be an original member of Heavan’s Gate from the 1990s. Stella is concerned, as his fingerprints are not in the system; Harold is naturally suspicious; and Arthur suddenly sees his authority challenged – though charismatic Thomas claims he is above such squabbles. He declares himself a humble prophet, announcing the return of the Hale-Bopp Comet.

History is about to repeat.

Hollen also portrays the colony Magistrate, Eugene Wallace, Esq.; and Alan Keith steps in briefly as an Information Chief. Bubba Fontaine provides the voice of Applewhite at the show’s climax.

For those who don’t remember the tragic events of 1997, know that this story involves characters taking their own lives (39, including Applewhite, perished in the original cult’s mass suicide).

Aside from the topics of religious psychological control, this is a good examination of the nature of belief, and how we carry the urge for higher knowledge into the future, along with our need for order. The costumes and props by Justice Keith give the production a sort of “Buck Rogers” retro-future aesthetic that works nicely here. (No one knows what things will be like in the year 4000 anyway.)

Performances are good all around in a cast with varying amounts of experience. Drury, for instance, is in her first stage role and quite convincing as her all-in character. Krobar may look familiar from his appearances with Garfield Shakespeare. Roberts admits to learning the craft while in the Indiana correctional system, his dedication and discipline shows here.

A strong start for a new company, Stagewright presents “Applewhite” Friday through Sunday, Nov. 13-15, at The Backlot Theatre, 5635 Bonna Ave. in the heart of Indy’s historic Irvington community. Find Stagewright online at their Facebook page.

What we cannot know, we must ‘Describe’

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By John Lyle Belden

“Tell me another lie!”

It turns out that this is the only way to tell an honest story during this last century in the Soviet Union and the republics that succeeded it. In Southbank Theatre Company’s season of Origins, we have “Describe the Night” by Rajiv Joseph exercising its dramatic license to describe the rise of a Russian leader, as well as some people who have roles in that story.

The play’s title comes from the notes in a diary kept by celebrated Jewish Russian writer Isaac Babel. He notes that the words each person uses in a description can be true, even if they don’t agree. Facts are affected by the observer.

In 1920 near Warsaw during the Russo-Polish War, Isaac (Kallen Ruston) writes of Russian officer Nikolai Yezhov (Ronn Johnston) killing a man in self-defense, as the Soviet press will report. The two meet, and in their conversation the matter-of-fact Nikolai admires Isaac’s way with a story, his ability to relate an absurdity with a straight face. Key to this prevarication is the diary, where private feelings are kept, and perhaps “lies” like the murder of a helpless old Pole burying his son.

In 2010 at Smolensk, Russia, a small jet crashes, killing all on board, including Poland’s president and other government officials. The dense fog, outdated airport technology, and witness accounts of the airplane striking the tops of trees as it approached too low seem to confirm the official report that this was an accident – but, in this place, how can anything so straightforward be true? Mariya (Brittany Magee), a Moscow reporter sent to do a simple feature profile, hides in a Smolensk car rental office with its clerk, Feliks (Jy’lerre Jones), fearing for her life. As she makes her escape, she finds herself in possession of an old diary.

Somehow connecting these points is Alex Oberheid as a handsome, well-dressed Russian official, born in Leningrad/St. Petersburg, with a current address in Moscow. Friends call him Vova, a common nickname for Vladimir.

We also meet Nikolai’s wife Yevgenia (Miranda Boyle), a clairvoyant and, like her ruthless husband, apparently difficult to kill – though official records have him executed by his fellow Soviets in 1940 while she died in an insane asylum. In 1989 in Dresden, East Germany, where Vova is assigned by the KGB, he encounters Yevgenia while spying on her granddaughter Urzula (Rachel Kelso). Be careful with that soup.

Directed by Paige Scott, a master storyteller in her own right, this entire play is an unreliable narrator, yet within it is the absolute truth. To understand these lives – including persons actually known to our world – it helps to understand the culture of secrets and shadows that dominate that part of the world, and not just those for whom espionage is a career. As current events and technology bring our country into this atmosphere of doublethink and selective truth, this sort of story becomes all the more important.

Oberheid has Vova project confidence throughout, even when he doesn’t feel it. In fact, it gets more interesting in the moments when he isn’t in complete control. Boyle has always been good at charming characters with don’t-give-a-damn attitude, and she is in her element here. To her, second sight is not a gift or curse, but a responsibility, with her prophesies as valid as anything else being said. Ruston maintains the stubborn idealism of Isaac throughout (having seen photos of Babel, I see the sense in casting a woman dressed androgynously). Johnston’s portrayal of Nikolai is deceptively friendly, though the sociopath within eventually comes through. (I looked up Yezhov. This play practically makes him a saint compared to history, but then, even monsters can contain multitudes.) Magee and Jones make good use of their limited time on the stage, and the characters get to put the final button on the plot.

Tracy Herring is assistant director, and Ariel Laukins stage-manages. Aric Harris skillfully clutters an excellent stage for hinting at conspiracies. No leeches were harmed.

In a world that’s hard to describe, and one must choose those words carefully, it’s no trivial matter to “Describe the Night.” Performances are Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 12-15, at Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St. (southwest corner of Butler University campus), Indianapolis. Get tickets a southbanktheatre.org.

‘Infernal’: one Hell of a journey

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By John Lyle Belden

In “Infernal” by Charlotte Markle, presented by the IU Jacobs School of Music, Theatre & Drama, Dante Alighieri’s famous allegory (“Inferno” of the Divine Comedy) gets a treatment he would appreciate, told through the style of Commedia dell’arte.

The 14th-century Italian poet Dante (Plezzance Lawrence), guided by the spirit of ancient Roman poet Virgil (Ava Fefferman), descends through the Underworld with its nine Circles that he made famous. He has come in pursuit of a woman (of course), Beatrice (Eliza Petrova), the divine one that he feels was his destined true love, even though she died.

Done in the trappings of cheap carnival with Medieval clowns gives this an appropriate otherworldly feel, malevolent without being overtly scary – the horror is more in what the damned have brought onto themselves, the tone of mockery lessening the empathy we may feel of their fate. Each Circle is announced with a simple sign. The imps are comical without joy, making the scenes entertaining but never light.

Fefferman’s Virgil looks like a statue brought to life, spry and full of old wisdom that isn’t accountable to Jesus Christ, having lived before him. Lawrence presents Dante in a more contemporary (to our century) mode. The stubborn modern man, he seems more interested in finding the woman – and some bread to eat – than learning the profound lessons before him.

The devilish imps and shades of the damned are portrayed by Bia Bammann, Rachel Dawson, Talon Hawkins, Charlotte Hottle, Sophia Savarese, and Luke Halpin (swing). The semi-mimed antics are relatable to the animated Minions (understanding that today’s yellow guys are derived from the Commedia characters). Most impressive in presentation is the Seventh Circle “forest” of human trees, cursed for Violence Against Self.

Another poignant moment is when Dante encounters Brunetto (Hawkins), an old friend and mentor. He doesn’t feel the man’s damnation is just, but Virgil reminds him that his own judgement of others’ lives delivered the sentence. Dante slowly comes to realize this epic is his own poem – Hell, as he sees it.

In “Infernal,” the clowning delivers the soft touch necessary to deliver the hard truths of life and the consequences beyond it, as well as an examination of the mysteries beyond us. It also delivers a refreshed example of the old saying: When you are going through hell – keep going.

Directed by Samwell Rose, in partial fulfillment of his thesis, with stage design by Spencer Donovan, costumes by Katie Cowan Sickmeier, lighting by Kairon Bullock, sound design by Ben Handel and stage managed by Elliot Straka-Kitch with Daniella Bengis, initial performances were held at the Fonseca Theatre in Indianapolis.

The show continues Tuesday through Saturday, Nov. 10-14, at The Fine Arts Auditorium, 1201 E. 7th Street (at Indiana University), Bloomington. Visit theatre.indiana.edu for details.

Hancock dancers just getting warmed up

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By John Lyle Belden

It’s said that history doesn’t repeat but it rhymes, and this tune can go all the way back to 1692.

Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre presented the premiere of new work, “Salem,” during its fall performances, Oct. 23-24 at The Tarkington in the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. The show was a mix of old and new works, performed by both familiar and new dancers.

This is part of an active season that includes the Mélange series, in which dancers and visual artists improvise their works with a vocalist with whom they have not rehearsed. The next such event features singer Tessa Gibbons, dancers Daphne Anastasia Koziura and Benjamin Balistreri, and artist Susan Mauck on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 14-15, at The Florence at The Academy of GHDT, 329 Gradle Dr., Carmel. In December, the full company performs “Winterfest” – a celebration of the season’s various holidays – at The Florence, starting Dec. 5.

“Salem,” with choreography and costumes by Gregory Glade Hancock and original music by Seager, is set in a prison during a dystopian future in which conformity is enforced and rumors of freethinking “witchcraft” are ruthlessly pursued. The look and style suggest the fanaticism of “1984” with the costumes and high-stakes action even hinting at “Squid Game.” Hancock’s flowing, fascinating storytelling in movement is accentuated by 18 rope nooses (nearly as many as were hanged years ago in Massachusetts Colony) slowly descending over the dancers. These elements combine for an intense experience.

Company dancers were Nathalie Boyle, Caelen Gibbs, McCaleb Hanks, Isaac Jones, Sophie Jones, Kaci King, Abigail Lessaris, Vivien Mickels, Josie Moody, Darcy Mraz, Olivia Payton, and Audrey Springer, joined by Indianapolis Ballet trainees Alyssia Brown, Eden Casimiro, Faith Cordero, Alyssa Ekstrom, Lily Han, Kyla Hayashi, and Adrianna McCarter.

The program also premiered “Ophelia,” a solo tour de force for GHDT assistant director Lessaris. Designed by Hancock, with music by Cory Gabel arranged by Heather King, this work was inspired by the tragic character from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” presenting in fascinating, flawless dance her perspective of betrayal and growing madness.

Two past works were also revived. The Latin American tragic legend of “La Llorona” featured Springer as Maria, the title character, with the full company – including Hanks as her husband and Mickels as her rival – and Valerie Bussell and Vivien Maresh as the lost children. Later, the biblical story of “Salome” was brought to life with Sophie Jones in the title role, Gibbs as John the Baptist, Isaac Jones as Herod Antipas, and Payton as Herodius.

All dances featured excellent lighting design by Ryan Kharchik.

The Mélange series has a fun anything-can-happen atmosphere, For example, while the performances usually feature a vocalist, in September the music was provided by violinist Noelle Tretick Gosling whose instrumental works in various styles allowed for some improvisation of her own, playing with the movement of Nathalie Boyle while visual artist Xavier Gray made colorful presentation of keywords inspired not only by what he saw but also the fact that the performance/rehearsal space is surrounded by hidden inspirational quotes (not visible to the public).

The November 14-15 Mélange features guest dancers, ballroom professionals Koziura and Balistreri, as the competitors become improvisors to the vocals of Tessa Gibbons, who has been a featured singer with GHDT’s “The Casket Girls” and “La Casa Azul.” All this will inspire artist Susan Mauck, who prefers to make portraits and human figures in a style she describes as “impressionistic with a contemporary edge.” Her creation at each performance will be immediately actioned to someone in the audience with all proceeds going to GHDT programs.

For information and tickets, visit gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org.

Stage events ‘Illustrate’ Bradbury classics

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By John Lyle Belden

The Ray Bradbury Center at Indiana University – Indianapolis continues to improve the literary profile of the city with its recently completed fifth program of Festival451Indy. The focus was on Bradbury’s story collection, “The Illustrated Man,” in which 18 science-fiction stories are related by the titular character. His various tattoos each appear to move on its own as it relates a tale to the viewer.

We managed to see two performances inspired by this work at venues on Indy’s Massachusetts Ave.

“Plasma/Prayers & Machines” was an avant garde movement and sound performance by Angel Poveda Yanez, held on Sept 26 at IF Theatre. This piece was inspired by the Bradbury story “The Veldt,” one of “Illustrated Man’s” most popular entries. Yanez adapted the concept – two children, addicted to the technology that raised them, choosing the machine over their parents – to wonder what their lives and sense of self would be when their electronic world runs out of power.

The movement expresses curiosity, a sense of play, terror, and searching. This is performed to an atmospheric sound design by Sophie Barker, incorporating electronic sounds, a looper, and a theremin to great effect. In the post-performance audience discussion, it was revealed that Yanez and Barker had only met a few weeks earlier and had composed and designed this collaborative work in less than a month, making this its world premiere.  

Wendy and I, as well as other audience members, found that if you are open to this experience, its narrative seems to reveal itself and what seems at first just weird and bizarre congeals into an interesting whole. Having a bit of exposition afterward did aid our appreciation of the piece. My main suggestion would be some hints at the context prior to future performances.

“The Autumn Country” was a more approachable stage experience, presented the weekend of Oct. 9-11 at The District Theatre. This collaboration involved local performer and playwright Ben Asaykwee, Emmy-winning actor Bill Oberst Jr., and Bradbury Center director Jason Aukerman, who made his acting debut as The Illustrated Man himself.

In a blending of various Bradbury works, Will and Jim – boys from “Something Wicked This Way Comes” – are adults making their way home to Green Town when they encounter the Illustrated Man, who has introduced himself with “The Worm Ouroboros,” a powerful poem written by Aukerman (inspired by Bradbury). Triggered by the “illustrations,” they take turns delivering monologues based on “Remembrance,” “The Rocket Man,” “Pillar of Fire,” The Exiles,” “The City,” “The Lake,” and, of course, “Something Wicked.”

In a past production, Oberst gave a full-length performance of “Pillar,” which informed the intensity he gave here in a shorter passage. Asaykwee gave “Exiles” his humorous touch as we “meet” various masters of fiction in what becomes a tragic story. Overall, the play had various Easter eggs for Bradbury fans to find. After the performance, it was noted that “Rocket Man” was indeed an inspiration for the Elton John hit.

The collaborations in both stage works helped engender an inclusive atmosphere within the festival. This spirit should hopefully inspire more creatives to contribute to the Bradbury Center’s legacy of speculative art and storytelling.

Visit theraybradburycenter.org for information on the Center and future programs – including the return of the 451 Festival at the start of the next Autumn.

Fun carnivorous musical ‘Little Shop’ at ATI

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By John Lyle Belden

Despite the poshness of the city’s reputation, for the next couple of weekends, Carmel, Indiana, has a Skid Row.

Actors Theatre of Indiana presents “Little Shop of Horrors,” the popular musical by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken based on the classic horror film by Roger Corman.

It’s likely you are familiar with the story – a nerdy guy finds a weird houseplant that brings him instant fame, but it requires a very special (and gruesome) diet. If you know this from the 1986 film musical, know that the stage version has a few differences, as well as the original “Don’t Feed the Plants” ending. Other popular songs include “Dentist!” and “Suddenly Seymour.”

Joey Boos, a regular at Beef & Boards, makes his ATI debut as Seymour Krelborn in all his nebbish glory. Michaela McGarel, whom we recently saw in “Beehive,” is amazing as sweet, tragic Audrey. Mark Fishback plays the florist Mushnik, their impatient and frustrated boss. Jameelah Leaundra, Maya Mays, and Kayla Perry deliver harmony and guide the allegory as the Motown-inspired chorus.

Jathan Briscoe and Evangeline Bouw appear briefly in the beginning, then vanish to bring the alien flytrap Audrey II to life as voice and puppeteer, respectively. Kevin Toniazzo-Naughton nimbly plays all the other roles, most notably sadistic Orin Scrivello, DDS.

The director and choreographer is D.J. Salisbury, whose love of this musical shows through. The performances all hit the right tone for this campy romp with heart and a lot to say about ambition and what we are willing to do for our dreams.

The scenic design by Jay Ganz makes good use of the modest-sized Studio Theater, including movable walls that smooth the costume and set changes. Musical direction is by Nathan Perry. Stage manager is Nina J.S. Ludwick, assisted by Melissa A. Nathan. Kudos also to costume designer Guy Charles Clark, especially for the outfits in the final number.

As this posts, there are still tickets available for Halloween night. ATI’s “Little Shop of Horrors” runs through Nov. 8 at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. For info and tickets, go to atistage.org or thecenterpresents.org.

IRT: Laughs and love with immigrant family in ‘Kim’s Convenience’

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By John Lyle Belden

If the title “Kim’s Convenience” sounds familiar, the play by Ins Choi now presented by Indiana Repertory Theatre is the hit show that inspired the Canadian television sitcom of the same name. If it doesn’t, well, you are still in for a treat.

The action centers on an independent convenience store in the Regent Park neighborhood of Toronto, owned and run by Korean immigrant Mr. Kim (Tony K. Nam), known familiarly as Appa. His wife is known as Umma (Tuyèt Thi Pham). Their daughter Janet (Jenny S. Lee) is 30, single, and a photographer with occasional clients. Their 32-year-old son Jung (Jae Woo), they don’t talk about.

Austin Michael Young plays all other roles including customers; Mr. Lee (“the Black man with the Asian name”), who arrives with a tempting offer; and Alex, a local police officer who knew Jung and Janet in high school.

After more than three decades in North America, Appa still has issues with English and making himself understood. This naturally leads to much of the comedy, scripted by Choi from his experience as a Korean-Canadian to sound natural, the way hilarious linguistic confusion happens in real life. Add in Appa’s eccentricities, such as his use of Korean martial arts and his obsession with Korean history (feeding a hatred of Japan), and I have rarely laughed so hard at a show as I have with this.

The comic moments blend seamlessly with some deep family drama. “This store is my story,” Appa says, as he seriously considers its next chapter. His options are basically taking Mr. Lee’s generous payout and retiring, which he doesn’t feel good about, or giving Kim’s Convenience to Janet, who does not want it. Meanwhile, Umma makes contact with her estranged son, who is unhappy with his current life despite recently becoming a father himself.

Appa’s attempts to get Janet more involved with the store intensify both the comic and dramatic atmosphere, with aspects of racial and social profiling in his game of “Steal or No Steal.”

A helpful note: When Appa and Umma speak to each other in Korean, the English translations are projected on the backstage wall.

Direction is by associate artistic director cara hinh, who considers herself “such a Janet.” Scenic design – a perfectly organized and stocked c-store floor and counter – is by Yoon Bae.

Performances have a sense of familiarity among the cast, making their interactions – whether sentimental or tense – sparkle. Nam is relatable as a concerned father, while expressing himself in Appa’s unique way. Pham keeps Umma focused on practical matters, anchored by love and faith. Lee’s Janet is a free spirit, while respectful of her family and culture. Young gives Alex a sense of nervous adventure, hoping to connect with an old friend, but finding connection with his sister. Woo presents Joo as burdened by regret that is aggravated by pride.

Learn the Korean name for ginseng, what happened in 1904, and enjoy the heartwarming experience of “Kim’s Convenience,” through Nov. 15 on the intimate Janet Allen stage at the IRT, 140 W. Washington in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at irtlive.com.

New look at life on a familiar street

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By John Lyle Belden

Meridian (from Merriam-Webster) a great circle on the surface of the earth passing through the poles; a representation of such a circle or half circle numbered for longitude

Meridian (in Indianapolis) the central north-south street marking “00” address for the city; it helps, with major east-west streets, to make an easy grid for getting around.

It appears that award-winning New York playwright Lucy Thurber has incorporated both concepts into the new play, “The Meridian Cafe,” commissioned by American Lives Theatre and performing its world premiere at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre. With a sense for human connection that transcends East Coast or Hoosier culture, she gives us a night in the lives of people in a central familiar location, marking a place along their lives’ journey.

Director (and ALT artistic director) Chris Saunders agreed when I told him the setting feels like Indy’s South Meridian Street. It’s a working-class neighborhood with a small all-night diner (memories of Peppy Grill were expressed afterward). James (Ian Cruz) runs the café with the sort of Serenity Prayer wisdom that comes from being 10 years sober. His cook, Nicky (Joshua Short), has ambitions of becoming a professional chef. A frequent customer, so to speak, is Candace (Lynne Perkins), a local unhoused woman who is mentally frayed and largely unafraid. The coffee has endless refills.

A young woman, Sara (Morgan Morton), enters visibly upset. There are hints of a man, her husband who now wants a divorce, arriving as well. But the next person coming in the door is Luke (Matt Kraft), a young man who asks to speak with Nicky.

The two men grew up as friends in this neighborhood, but Luke’s substance abuse estranged them and landed him in prison. Now out and professing a year of sobriety, Luke asks for a job. After sizing him up briefly, James puts him to work.

Finally, Billy (Allen Sledge), Sara’s husband, arrives. While trying to talk to her he sees Luke and suddenly remembers meeting him. Confused, Luke retreats to the kitchen.

The situation gets more complicated as we learn that one thing Sara and Billy have in common (likely a catalyst for their struggling marriage) is that they both were fighting same-sex attractions in the Christian community of their small home town. She’s still struggling, while he – a professional theatre artist – feels he no longer can.

Through conversations, some held during smoke breaks outside, and an incident when Sara’s evangelical impulses upset Candace, we see various tensions rise and break. They won’t “sing Kumbaya,” but Billy does favor us with a Broadway number.

This being a fascinating character study taking place over a single night, we get a good impression of each of these personalities, though everyone is largely a cypher, as would be the case to us as strangers observing from our corner of the diner.  Cruz makes James the captain of this ship, leading with calm resolve and stern when it’s called for. His relationship with Candace suggests a history and empathy with her life struggles.

In Perkins’ crafting of the character, Candace would be worthy of a play of her own (which we would love to see). She reflects aspects we too often see on this city’s streets, but without caricature or eliciting pity. There are plenty of hearty laughs in this show, but none at her expense.

Kraft employes his full comedy-to-drama range here. Luke’s apparent sincerity and lack of duplicity now collide with awareness of an addict’s easy lies and the fact he had been literally blackout drunk a year earlier. Given this single window to assess him, he is both likable and unreliable.

Sara is one mixed-up character, and fortunately Morton is brilliant at handling such roles. She has a lot to work through, and we see part of that process here. Billy is on a different point on a similar character arc, forced to reckon with a couple of assumptions about what’s best him and his wife, as well as the factors that brought him to this moment. All this Sledge ably manages, and sings beautifully as well.

Short takes on Nicky’s “young man from the ‘hood makes good” character with earnest good humor, especially in his concern for Luke tempered by the sting of past betrayal. Still, compared to the others, this role feels thin.

As Wendy told me when we discussed this play afterward, “this left me wanting more,” is both praise and critique. Perhaps a few more aspects of character in some roles would help, and the fairly short run time can take on additional moments without feeling padded. On the other hand, what more do we get to know of the strangers in a spellbinding conversation overheard in the next restaurant booth?

Regardless, I could see Thurber taking a production of this to success Off-Broadway (frankly, given her CV, this could be a possibility). Thus, we who saw it at the Phoenix can share the brag of seeing it first.

Nicely evocative set design with cleverly transparent outer walls is by Nick Kilgore. Tristen Durham is assistant director, and Lucy Yahr is stage manager.

An excellent snapshot of Midwest life that looks kindly into its shadows, visit “The Meridian Cafe” through Nov. 8 at 705 N. Illinois St. (a block from Meridian) in downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at phoenixtheatre.org or americanlivestheatre.org.

P.S. It’s interesting to me that one of the great offbeat literary minds of the 20th and 21st Century are each named “Thurber,” but I see no indication that Lucy is related to James (writer of numerous works, including “Walter Mitty”). If anyone is aware of a link, let us know.

P.P.S. Yes, I know The Peppy (which we miss!) was in Fountain Square and on 10th Street; I didn’t want to make a misleading comparison to any actual spot on Meridian.

The more you know: Zach & Zack ‘Rocky’ returns

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By John Lyle Belden

“The Rocky Horror Show” has returned to the Athenaeum’s Basile Theatre through Halloween night. With this show, if you know, you know – and you should go.

Here are some more things you should know:

  • This is the live stage show, originally created by Richard O’Brien, NOT a screening of his cult-classic film. A few things are different from the movie – no “toast,” and “everybody’s lucky” without a bannister – but the story and all the absurd fun are the same, enhanced by the experience of live theatre.
  • As this is a historic building, there are no props allowed, and don’t throw anything! (But feel free to dress up).
  • Zach Rosing did sound and video design, while Zack Neiditch is the director. Neither appears on stage, but we do get proof that they are not the same person.
  • For those who don’t know or don’t remember, the audience responses are displayed on a signboard above the stage. Please shout them on cue.
  • Despite being performed in Indiana, within the show there is “no law against giving in to absolute pleasure.” This note is a good place to remind everyone that the content is very “R” rated.
  • Tim Hunt returns as the fabulous Frank N. Furter, as does Johnnie Ray Hughes as his creation, Rocky – his toned physique worthy of the “Charles Atlas Seal of Approval.”
  • Other roles, mostly new to the company, include Reno Moore and Sophie Sweany-Kocher as Brad and Janet, Michael Krauter as Riff Raff, Addi Koehler as Magenta, Julia Ammons as Columbia, and Jonathan Young as Eddie and Dr. Scott.
  • The Narrator is played by Cynthia Collins, which works great with the gender-bending nature of the show. In Zach & Zack’s “Rocky,” this character is also free to roam about the theatre, making things even more wild and funny. Also, apparently, this Man has a neck, among other things.
  • To ensure their names appear in the search tags, we’ll list the ensemble “phantoms:” Megan Arrington-Marks, Kelvin Burzon, Brittany Michelle Davis, Pablo Gonzalez, Kennedy Morgan, Cìcì Pasìon, and Kenan Timmin.
  • The backstage band is music director Teneh B.C. Karimu on keyboards, Linnea Holt on synth, Matt Day on Guitar, Connor Allen on bass, Andrew Howard on drums, and Julian Orem with the sweet-patootie saxophone.
  • The excellent crew includes Kenny Shepard as choreographer, Claire Wilcher having her hands full as intimacy director, and Katie Angel as stage manager. Brilliant costume design is by Anthony James Sirk.
  • Perhaps the best news is something that isn’t even contained in the Basile theatre. There is a new bar and a big restroom (in a unisex arrangement with numerous private toilets) on the same floor! Intermission still gets busy and crowded, but you no longer have to wander the building to find relief.
  • Everyone does a fantastic job, above and beyond the fact that even when this show is bad, it’s good.
  • The seating looks plentiful, but trust me, with this show it can fill fast. Get tickets and info at rockyhorrorindy.com.