Month: August 2019

IndyFringe 2019 reviews

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Here are links to the reviews on this site from the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival — IndyFringe — in August 2019.

(Click on the title)

The Adventures of Crazy Jane & Red-Haired Annie

Adventures While Black in Great Britain

And Then They Came For Me

Behind Every Great Mariska Hargitay is a Great Kurt Fitzpatrick

BRAIN-O-RAMA: Mentalism and Mischief

Class Dismissed: Figuring Out What the Hell We’re Going to Do With Our Lives

The Cookie Dough Show

The Day Penny Drowned

Fairy Godmother & Associates

Fallen from the Toybox

FootLose

Game of Crows: Winter’s Coming,  Father Ned!

Generations

Is Your Brain Still Cooking?

Iron in Your Future

It Gets Bitter, The Ron Popp Story

Jan of All Trades

Jeannette Rankin: Champion of Persistence

Journey to Hell

Lady LIVES

A Life of Sorrow: The Life and Times of Carter Stanley

The Last Man

Les Chanteuses

The Madwomen’s Late-Nite Cabaret

Make Me A Match

Nharcolepsy

Not Dead Yet

Orgasmo Adulto Escapes from the Zoo

Phantom of Fountain Square

Pretty Face: An American Dream

The Prodigal Hoosier Returns (pending)

The Reluctant Mind Reader

Schoolhouse Rock LIVE, Fringe Edition

Tasty Bits: The Magic and Stories of Taylor Martin

A Thousand Words

Vinny the Pooh

Vixen DeVille Revealed

VolleyBrawl

What They Said About Love

YAS, Twain

IndyFringe: The Madwomen’s Late-Nite Cabaret

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

From the moment that Lizzie Borden (Cody Ricks) dashes across stage to take her seat at the piano, you know that this show is anything but serious.

We then welcome our beloved hostess Ethel Merman (Dave Ruark hamming it up at his best) straight from her triumphant turn as “Annie”.

Throughout the night we are privy to songs revealing aspects of these historical icons who are more misunderstood than evil.

Shawnte Gaston has a quick turn as Medusa but spends most of the show co-hosting as Eve, the embodiment of maternal energy and possibly the most misrepresented of them all. She belts out her sentiments in both “What’s the Matter With Kids Today” and “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child.”

Julie Lyn Barber embodies women as diverse as Typhoid Mary, Amelia Earhart, and Mary Stuart but she really stands out as Sybil singing “I Am My Own Best Friend”.

Georgeanna Smith Wade gives us a hilarious look into the mindset of Procne (most people know her as Medea) but it is her sultry version of Mata Hari performing “Bang, Bang” that really shines.

Add to this Jaddy Ciucci (although on the performance I saw this role was played by Devan Mathias), portraying not only Joan of Arc, Philomela, and Ann Boleyn, but a “Physical Embodiment of a Controlled Substance” (Mary Jane) and pleadingly insisting “I’d Be Good For You”

Needless to say, these women (and characters) deserve to be seen and heard and who knows when you will get another chance to do so. Presented by Main Street Artists, remaining performances are 9 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 Sunday at the IndyFringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair.

IndyFringe: VolleyBrawl

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Welcome to the 2019 Championships of the extremely underground sport of VolleyBrawl.

This year’s lineup is sure to be thrilling and we begin with a rousing match between “Sugar and Spike” (a pair of lunch ladies) and “Clark & Nancy” a couple who seem out of their league as well as out of their wits. While the game seems pretty routine at first, we find out soon that this is literally a duel to the death (all players wear collars that deliver a lethal shock upon losing).

We then meet some of our other teams: “Orphan Twin Force” (a goofy pair of orphans with strange supernatural powers fighting in honor of their Sensei); “Aceholes” (two stereotypically cartoonish Russians); “The Cowpokes” (a couple of yokels in Cowboy hats); “Team Tiffany” (think 80’s style pop-tarts); and “Top Gunz” (every 80’s macho movie cliché in one).

Add to this “Zeros 2 Heroes” which is made up of a very douchey guy trying to make time with his partner (who is definitely NOT an undercover cop who has spent the last three years infiltrating the sport in order to avenge her dead husband who was also undercover investigating the game but got to close and was killed).

The whole show overflows with silliness and 80’s references abound. Musical numbers are tight and enjoyable. Even the volleyball gets its own song during the Memorial Montage to athletes lost on the way to the finals.

In the hands of a less skillful cast, this show would be just okay. However, Matt Kramer and Defiance Comedy have recruited a stellar cast and together they make this one of the funniest offerings of the Festival.

Remaining performances are Friday and Sunday evenings at the IndyFringe Theater, 719 E. St. Clair.

IndyFringe: The Day Penny Drowned

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

A successful playwright, Penny should be on the top of the world. She and Brad are on their way to a romantic getaway to celebrate the success of her Broadway show. However, her family proceeds to force their way into her plans, and she is soon overwhelmed by their presence — as well as their drama.

Ed Faunce is delightful as Brad, Penny’s devoted husband. He does an excellent job of showing us that he will do anything to protect his wife, yet still makes mistakes along the way.

Bridget Schlebecker’s portrayal of Judy, Penny’s overbearingly self-centered sister, gives us some of the much-needed comic relief in the piece. Her character is a force of nature, sweeping in and ensconcing everyone in her own personal drama without a care for anyone else’s feelings, leaving a swath of confused exhaustion in her wake.

Jonathan ‘JB’ Scoble gives a subtle performance as Jeremiah, Judy’s slacker son who has absolutely no clue about anything but eating and getting high.

Kate Hillman does an amazing job with the character of Francis, Penny’s neglectful mom who has just been released from the Fishkill Federal Prison. She brings out all of the redneck trashiness of the character while also sprinkling in some very sharp verbal abuse towards her “neglectful” daughter.

Rounding out the cast is Nancy Picket as Penny. She manages to show us the devotion the character has for all those around her to the detriment of her own self. However, she becomes so overwhelmed by it, she jumps into the lake just to get away from it all.

Can she find a balance between all of the forces demanding her time and energy? Will her family just give her a day or two alone to regain herself and sanity? Is she in over her head and if so, will she sink or swim?

Find out for yourself.

A play by local author Elizabeth Young-Collins, Remaining performances are today and Saturday (Aug. 22&24) at the District Theater (former TOTS location), 627 Massachusetts Ave.

IndyFringe: Phantom of Fountain Square

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Fountain Square, a storied neighborhood by downtown Indianapolis, has always been seen as “up and coming” but not quite the trendy destination it could be. However, this was not always the case. It was once known as the Theater District, with as many as 11 theaters, and the center of fashion and shopping. Those days are behind it now, but there are still people who are doing all they can to bring about a renaissance to the neighborhood.

Enter Samantha, a mother whose dream is to open a restaurant in the Square. She brings along a young daughter and new husband who has embraced her dream as his own. However, they are beset with problems. A valve from her stove goes missing, the place is ransacked, a nearby diner blows up, and her daughter seems to be hallucinating visions of money people.

They are then guided by forces unknown to learn the history of the area and learn of the mysterious legend of the “Phantom of Fountain Square”.

Kerra D Wagener brings a bright spunkiness to her portrayal of Samantha and keeps the story going. Thom Johnson gives her husband Danny the subtle juxtaposition of a man overwhelmed by his thankless efforts yet still lovingly devoted to his wife and doing whatever will make her happy. Jacquiline Rae brings forth the sweet innocence yet sage wisdom that is part of being a child keeping the show light and hopeful. Jeff Maess is great as Frank Wertheimer, but his role is so much lesser than his talent should warrant. Then we have Owen Harp as the titular character, chewing up the scenery like this was a buffet.

I’m not going to say that the show is perfect. I haven’t even noted that it is sort of a musical. I will say that it does show promise. The Fringe is a place where many great artists have presented works that have gone on to greatness. I feel that with some workshopping, this could be fleshed out into a full-length show that could be a perennial tradition.

So take a chance on seeing the first iteration of a show that, like its setting, is loaded with potential. Penned by local speculative fiction writer Matthew Barron, and presented by Submatter Press, “Phantom of Fountain Square” has performances Saturday and Sunday at The Oasis, (Shriners’ entrance of the Murat, on the north side), 502 N. New Jersey St.

IndyFringe: Game of Crows — Winter’s Coming, Father Ned!

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

The wacky gang from Perpendicular island is back again with a new adventure and some new cast members as well. There is also a Bingo card on the back of your program that can win you a prize after the show.

We start with tales of the dreaded Bog Walker and a discovery of treasures possibly left by Leif Erikson. Soon visitors arrive with some exciting news, the field being the Priory has been chosen for filming the dramatic final battle of Winterbeard on the massively popular show, “Game of Crows.”

The zaniness escalates from there as everyone on the island gets into the spirit and the homages emerge faster than the puffin eggs from Father Flannagan (David Whicker) — he was apparently a prime nesting spot during the “Great Puffin Migration”. Pop culture references from all over fly fast and furiously throughout.

David Molloy steps up to the new role of Father Ned Tully wholeheartedly and plays it very well. Blake Mellencamp’s turn as the dim-witted Father Dermott McDermott brings all the silliness necessary to highlight the character. While Kyrsten Lyster and Jim Lucas do an excellent job of portraying the wily grifters, Bridget Robertson & Hugh O’Toole. As is tradition in their shows, local rap artist Nate Burner as Squashy Nate, acts as our guide through this farcical tale.

Kate Duffy Sim is delightful as the dotty housekeeper, Mrs. O’Boyle, who cheerfully serves up the puffin eggs in everything possible. However, it is her version of the smugly condescending version of Olenna Tyrell that is worth the ticket price alone.

So sit back and enjoy some laughs as well as a nice cup of puffin tea with Clerical Error Productions. Remaining performances are Friday and Saturday (Aug. 23-24) at The Oasis (Shriners’ entrance of the Murat, on the north side), 502 N. New Jersey St.

IndyFringe: A Thousand Words

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

C. Neil Parsons, bass trombonist and member of the comic ensemble, The Fourth Wall, presents a much more serious performance: a tribute to his father, Christopher Parsons, who served in the First Infantry Division in Vietnam, and was tapped by the Army to take photographs of the war and those who fought it.

The elder Parsons was also involved in the arts. He was a theatre director when he was drafted in 1968. The discipline he had developed for the stage — the ability to be still, attention to detail — served him well as he would be on “point” (the vulnerable first soldier out) on patrols. While he miraculously avoided serious physical injury, he would come to understand that the war had wounded him in a far deeper fashion.

Neil presents a slide show of his father’s photographs, and reads from his letters. He also plays haunting music on his instrument and gives his own perspective by reciting essays on Pain Tolerance, Chronic Pain, Permanence, and Betrayal — autobiographical insights that allow us to see the father in the son.

“Someone must not forget,” he says. And as a reminder, Neil offers buttons with lines from his father’s favorite Shakespeare passage. But it’s unlikely anyone will forget the tragic beauty of this very personal story of one man that resonates with the loss of thousands.

Remaining performances are Friday and Saturday (Aug. 23-24) at the District Theater (former TOTS location), 627 Massachusetts Ave.

IndyFringe: Jeannette Rankin: Champion of Persistence

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

You might not have heard of her, but after you see this one-woman show you won’t forget her. Jeannette Rankin campaigned nationwide for women’s suffrage, helping to bring it about in her native Montana. She was also elected twice to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she pushed for peace and various reforms.

At times she seemed on the wrong side of history — she could not bring herself to vote for America’s entry into World War II — but especially with her resistance to war in Vietnam, she mainly proved to be a woman ahead of her time.

Written and performed by J. Emily Peabody for Thorn Productions, she puts an irresistible energy into her portrayal of Rankin. What could have been a dry recitation of history comes across more like a rally.

To help spread knowledge of this persistent American hero, Peabody offers copies of her script, with details beyond what she presents in the Fringe-length show, for sale after each performance. She will be at the District Theater (former TOTS location), 627 Massachusetts Ave. on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 22, 24 & 25).

IndyFringe: Footlose

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Yes, that’s “lose,” with one “o.” ComedySportz is doing more than hosting a venue, it is also presenting a parody in the style of one of its long-form improv shows.

“Footlose: A No-Dance Town” mocks the classic coming-of-age film that brought us Kevin Bacon’s Angry-Dance, brought to life by ComedySportz cast members Rick Randjelovic (director/writer), Todd Kenworthy, Frankie Bolda, Jamie Rich, Matt Kerkhoff, and Chad Woodward. Of course, they can’t do it all alone. Audience suggestions help propel this parody, aided by buckets into which we place slips of paper with popular quotes and funky dance moves.

Apparently, we’ve all seen the same movies, because the citizens of this mid-American town keep having to find new ways to say “We’re going to need a bigger boat.” And it’s interesting how many ways they come up with to do the “Funky Chicken.” Still, these are professional goofballs, so the laughs keep on rolling as they re-enact something roughly resembling the Bacon flick, and get it done within the allotted hour.

It was good to see these comedians “cut loose” in their natural habitat. Remaining performances are Thursday through Saturday (Aug. 22-24) at 721 Massachusetts Ave.

IndyFringe: Not Dead Yet

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Dana Dunn is a retired actress. She gave up Hollywood while her star was on the rise and relocated back to middle-America to live a more normal life. She is quite happy not acting again for the rest of her days, living with her sister, Lana, who was her hair and makeup stylist. The two are lovingly close.

Dana’s devoted nephew, Shawn, is trying to bring her into the modern world by giving her an iPad fully loaded with all of the websites she would need, as well as links to accounts devoted to her and her career. He also has a tip that Ron Howard (a huge fan of Dana’s work) is casting a new movie and would be thrilled if she would consider joining the cast. Needless to say, Auntie Dana is having none of it.

After returning from a dear friend’s funeral, they are joined by Tom and his sister Sandy, who grew up next door. While Tom is sincere and level-headed, Sandy is a whiny, self-centered bitch on wheels. It is obvious that while they have both gotten older, neither of them has ever grown up.

At Dana’s birthday party — given by Grayson, her biggest fan and dear friend — we meet Sam Snyder, an aspiring actor who can only get a job spinning a “Cash 4 Gold” sign. Afterward, Dana and Lana pick up the iPad and start playing around on it. After many drinks, Lana takes a picture of Dana laid out on the couch and posts it to Twitter noting #DanaDunnIsDone. The next morning, everyone is convinced she is dead and, of course, hilarity ensues.

Miki Mathioudakis brings Dana to life with a perfect combination of spunkiness and willfulness. Forba Shepherd crafts Lana as a devoted sister but also highlights the character’s sly, manipulative side.

John Joyner does an understated job portraying Tom as the dependable rock that is always there for everyone. Tina Nehrling plays every neurotic affectation that combines to create the psycho powerhouse that is Sandy. Sean Q does a great job of playing the loving yet driven Nephew, Sean.

Lance Gray as Sam and John B Hays as Grayson spend so much time chewing scenery and just being overall fabulous, you can tell they are loving every second that they are embodying their characters.

Still, it’s very nice to see a show in which “ladies of a certain age” are written with dignity and respect, and are more than just caricatures themselves.

This comedy by Jan White has performances Friday and Saturday (Aug. 23-24) at the IndyFringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair.