By John Lyle Belden

Indianapolis Black Theatre Company presents soulful musical inspiration with the 2026 Indy Black Solo Fest, under way (Jan. 29-Feb. 1) as I write and post this, at the District Theater on Indy’s Mass Ave.

There are six one-hour acts, each written and performed by one person backed by offstage musicians, each with two shows. We saw two on Thursday – the rest we will see on Sunday – so for now, we’ll give a review to give worthy praise and give the flavor of the overall festival.

“Marvin 4 Error” by Reno Moore

Looking into the life and music of the legendary Marvin Gaye Jr., Moore found parallels in his own journey. While not enjoying the same success (yet), he sees similar missteps and notes “the margin for error is too thin.”

His spoken biography of Gaye mixed with confessional memoir is punctuated by some of Marvin’s biggest hits. He admits he doesn’t sing the same (“I don’t think Marvin would want me to”) but does so with passion, conviction, and an invitation for us to clap and sing along. Thus we are entertained, enlightened, and a bit challenged. Reflecting on the song “If This World Were Mine,” he asks: What world would we create?

Note his second performance is 4:15 p.m. today (Jan. 31) as this posts.

“Daring to Dream” by Komoca

Komoca – and Charlaine, the star she portrays – take inspiration from Aretha Franklin. Set around the 1980s, when people wrote actual letters, Charlaine reads fan mail from a girl with big aspirations (and a thick Carolina accent), prompting her to remember her own struggle, and how listening to the music of the Queen of Soul helped her to “find hidden blessings in the storms.”

The engaging reminiscence comes with a half-dozen of Franklin’s hits, delivered with a powerhouse voice that reaches out and grabs you, demanding to be heard. Komoka likely also rocked the house in her second performance Friday night. Watch for her in future productions around the Midwest.

Saturday, Jan. 31, and Sunday, Feb. 1, performances are of:

• “Black Thread: Songs That Nina Taught Me” by PsyWrn Simone
• “Songs in the Key of Grenadine!” by Daren J. Fleming as Miss Grenadine Ross
• “Death of a Church Boy” by Jay Fuqua
• “Facing It Face to Face with Dollface” by Teresa Reynolds

Big thanks to creative director Josiah Ray McCruiston for coordinating this excellent festival. Kudos also to music director Tarrance Dennie, stage manager Crystal Usher, and to local playwright Andrew Black for his instruction and assistance.

Get tickets at indydistricttheatre.org.