IndyFringe

IndyFringe: YAS, Twain

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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

Zach & Zack have returned to the Fringe with their latest historical farce. This look into the life and times of Mark (or maybe Shania) Twain enacted by a diverse cast gives you an unusual insight into highlights and lowlights of Twain’s story.

From the beginning of the show, when each cast member comes out dressed as Twain (complete with overstated mustaches) arguing about the exact wording of one of his quotes, you know this will not be a typical offering. Then Mary Margaret Montgomery bursts in late and begins to start her presentation on Shania Twain (she wasn’t listening at rehearsals).

The narrative begins in earnest once they unfurl the blue fabric representing the Mississippi River. The part of Twain is never played by a single actor but each member of the troupe embodies a different element of his story.

Twain’s younger years and the origin of his pen name (he was born Samuel Clemens) are touched upon as well as his and his brother’s ill-fated trip to Nevada. They were too late for the Gold Rush, but this period brought about the inspiration for his first story which launched him to a decent amount of fame.

We touch on several of the people and stories that influenced him throughout the years, including his tempestuous courtship and marriage with his future wife Olivia, portrayed brilliantly by Tiffany Gilliam.

Everyone is then treated to the delightful interlude that is, “Matt and Evan Explain the Novels”. This wacky bit highlights Matthew Altman and Evan Wallace’s comedy chops as well as giving a brief overview of the various novels Twain wrote.

Christian Condra’s turns as Twain’s brother, Orion, and the Fallen angel, Satan, highlight his spectacular range as an actor. Shawnte Gaston is slips from character to character so effortlessly that one could easily overlook the intense skill needed to embrace the magnitude of her talent. Montgomery’s spunk and determination to promote her own Twain story offers much-needed comic relief in a tale that takes many darker turns than one would expect.

If audiences flock to this (Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 21 & 24-25, at the District Theater) as vigorously as they did with past Zach & Zack shows, buy your tickets immediately as future performances are already close to selling out.

IndyFringe: It Gets Bitter, The Ron Popp Story

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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

Ron Popp is a Native Hoosier, and he says that you can tell by his accent, that he’s gay. Growing up in the small southern town of Fairland, Indiana, and attending the University of Indianapoli,s he has many fond memories of the state and its people. Still, it’s been 15 years since he’s spent time in our city and he has noticed the many changes in that period alone.

Popp deftly guides us through stories of his childhood, dating life, gay marriage (he still uses the term just because it still irks some people) and love of the theater. Between his homey insights, sharp tongue and witty cynicism, he manages to keep the audience laughing. Plus, his show has something for every walk of life.

I find it hard to give you a more detailed review without directly quoting his jokes and I know I could not do them the justice they deserve. What surprises me most is that this is his first Fringe Festival. So let me say this, let’s all give him a warm Hoosier welcome and pack the house each show for a night of laughs. Also, this guy’s going to be a major headliner soon, so you’re not likely to get this opportunity to see him in this sort of an intimate setting, at this price, again.

With performances Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday (Aug. 20-21 & 24) at ComedySportz (721 Mass. Ave.), the show also makes a great palate-cleanser to help you even out your psyche after partaking of some of the more somber offerings at the Fringe.

IndyFringe: Generations

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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

Some of our regular readers may remember that John saw last year’s show by Crossroads Dance and really loved it. While he admits he’s not a dance aficionado, he does like watching it but often has trouble understanding the meaning behind the moves. The company apparently took that to heart and has included some notes in the program to help with understanding the message they are provoking. That said, let’s get to the review.

The show is arranged as a trip through time, reminding us of the history behind our nation. It begins a beautiful balletic piece in which three nature spirits are gaily playing/creating the landscape of the continent. We then move to a suite in tribute to the settlers that tamed the land and made the verdant farmland that stretches throughout our country today.

It then turns to the twentieth century for highlights of various historic decades using songs from those periods.

My personal favorites were: “This One’s For Al” shows the desolation of the Great Depression but still keeps a touch of hope on the horizon. “Jive Bomber” intermixed inspirational wartime tunes of the ’40s with actual radio reports from the battles, showing the pain the nation felt inside, even while keeping up a positive front. However, being a child of the ’80s, I loved their tribute to the decade of neon spandex and big hair in, “MTV Live.”

Choreographers are Ashley Youmell, Brittany Gaither, and Nicole Dean for the pieces listed above, as well as Candace Reiner, Emily Miser, Sammi Bowyer, Josie Meiss, and Rachael Wieczorek.

So, whether you are just a casual fan of dance, or a lifelong devotee, this show will appeal to you. These ladies, while young, bring about an insightful evening of dance that will likely spark some great discussions afterwards.

Remaining performances are 6 p.m. Wednesday and 3 p.m. Saturday at the District Theatre (former TOTS location), 627 Massachusetts Ave.

IndyFringe: Is Your Brain Still Cooking?

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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

How much do you remember from your “good old days”? As people grow older, being able to retain memory is vital — and now it can win valuable prizes!

In this game show, presented by a local channel that has given up on appealing to the younger demographics, a going-nowhere actor (played by Jim Banta) is host to the titular contest, which features contestants Edmund (Dan Flahive), a retiree who keeps conversational topics on Post-it notes attached to his jacket; and Ruby Flo (Case Jacobus), a silver sinner whose hobby is being a blue-hair in blue films. She makes the most of her character’s license to say outrageous things, providing some of the biggest laughs of the show, ever frustrating the show’s producer (MaryAnne Mathews).

This is the latest by frequent IndyFringe contributor and retired Evansville journalist Garret Mathews. It is not one of his stronger scripts — at times things felt in disarray, testing Banta’s improv skills. Flahive being a talented and patient soul helps keep things anchored in his own way. Thus, this comedy is a fine example of Fringe’s function to test new material and aid the development process. Weaknesses are more than compensated by the air of nostalgia, as our contestants reach back through time and memory to tell of past places visited, things done and people loved. 

Don’t expect Tony material, but feel free to laugh, and remember — and consider for yourself: “Is Your Brain Still Cooking?” Performances are 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the District Theatre Cabaret (formerly TOTS), 627 Massachusetts Ave.

IndyFringe: Adventures While Black in Great Britain

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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

Les Kurkendaal-Barrett and husband John are at their Green Card “audition.” Les is asked: Is his marriage to this “obnoxious Brit” for real? Being a teller of autobiographical stories for Fringe shows, he gives the Immigration officer — and us — the whole scoop.

Those who have been to his past shows may remember his former relationship. Les comes clean about how toxic that situation was, and how despite efforts to the contrary he fell into yet another romance with a white man. But at least this family of in-laws will be normal — right?

A trip to England for John’s father’s funeral brings Les into contact with his new relatives. This includes Cousin Nigel of the multiple grandfather clocks and wild mood swings; and blunt-spoken Aunt Enid, who lives in Stratford. “You know about Shakespeare, right?” We also learn about “tea shaming,” what song helps you when driving in the U.K., and that Brighton is the nation’s Gay Capital.

Les just has that way about him that makes you want to be his friend, and a storytelling style that makes any little thing that happens sound wild and fascinating. There were plenty of seats at the first IndyFringe performance, but they will be a lot harder to come by at his last. Find him 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at ComedySportz, 721 Mass. Ave. 

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

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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

In 1966, a man looks back on his life and career playing “hillbilly music.” He is Carter Stanley of the legendary Stanley Brothers, who, along with performers such as Bill Monroe, brought Bluegrass out of Appalachia and into our radios and concert halls.

Historian and fellow Virginian Gary Reid presents this one-man show he has developed over the last 10 years. He strums the guitar and sings some “high lonesome” verses, but this is storytelling, not a concert. Still, what stories he has to tell! We hear of Carter and Ralph Stanley’s upbringing, the father who left — twice — and the bizarre way they got their home up on Smith Ridge in the Clinch Mountains. Then, after Carter’s service in World War II, comes the music career, starting with a home-town radio show. He goes from getting into trouble for copying one of Monroe’s songs to eventually playing in his band. Along the way, we hear about characters like Suicide Jones, Fiddlin’ Powers and Pee Wee Lambert.

“I have an independent streak about me!” he declares, but notes “the music was always first.” While he didn’t stray far from the Gospel, he would still enjoy a jar of Dewey’s Finest moonshine on occasion.

Reid’s gentle manner draws you in and keeps you. Like the music, this isn’t anything loud or fancy, but it comes out just right. For anyone with an interest in the roots of “roots” music, “A Life of Sorrow” is highly recommended. When anyone asks me what I liked in the Fringe this year, this show comes first to mind.

Last performances are Friday and Saturday, Aug. 23-24, at the Firefighter’s Hall, 748 Massachusetts Ave. Reid can also be seen around the festival area, playing guitar or selling CDs of classic Bluegrass. Tell him howdy for us.

 

IndyFringe: Orgasmo Adulto Escapes From The Zoo

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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

Despite the show’s bizarre title, and being produced by locally-renowned troupe, No Exit — purveyors of edgy material and unique productions — this show is delightfully accessible to the average audience. The inclusion of a Sign Language interpreter ensures no one will be unable to experience this spectacle.

The actors involved, however, are costumed more like characters from a Doctor Seuss book but that is just to emphasize the absurdity intended by the source material.

We are directed to peruse our “Menu” and are served up a two- or three-course meal of monologues and sketches that changes for each performance. The offerings are shortened works by renowned European playwright Dario Fo and partner Franca Rame. These are portrayals of situations that, although exaggerated, still present political systems, social context, and somewhat ordinary situations that the audience can easily identify with.

In “A Woman Alone” we meet a harried wife (Carrie Bennett) who has a lot on her plate. Between a creepy and demanding brother-in-law, her baby, an abusive husband, perverted intrusions and a persistent young lover she is just trying to keep up with everyone’s demands for her time while staying somewhat sane.

“Waking Up” shows us a portrait of a woman (Andriana Zermeno) who is at her wits end coordinating her work, baby (A.M. Elliott), and husband. Her struggle to remember where she left her key offers great insight in discovering how she has become the mess we are presented with.

The final story, “Monologue of a Whore in a Lunatic Asylum” is presented almost entirely without words but relays the trials and tribulations of women whose voices were rarely heard anyway. Anastasia N. Greenberg gives a stunning performance in the title role while Elliott and Bennett embody the cold indifference of the Doctors responsible for her “care”. Zermeno makes a tiny cameo as an escaped patient witnessing the end of this tragic tale.

Again, I urge you to not be put off by the irreverent title or cartoonish look of the show. Remember, satire is meant to be exaggerated and missing these important scenes from our history is the way to realize how far women have come and how much further we have yet to go.

Performances are today through Saturday (Aug. 17-24) at The Oasis at the Murat Shrine (go in the Shriner entrance on the north side of the building, 502 N. New Jersey).

IndyFringe: Pretty Face – An American Dream

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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

You know this is going to be a wry, political show when you first see the open suitcase onstage with a sticker blacked out to now say, “Make ME Great Again”.

Amanda Huotari begins the show by emulating a chicken who begins to orgasmically hatch an egg but then swiftly switches to her Miss America persona that will woo the audience and then tell us the fateful tale of one Miss Tiffany Trump.

You know her, right? Ivanka’s sister; Trump’s “love child” with Marla Maples; the one child who most people can’t name; and is not currently in the White House constantly making the news for following Dad’s directives.

Her story, while mostly forgotten by the public (often due to Daddy’s other outrageousness) is shown here to remind you of Trump’s true colors towards one of his brood that he felt was not up to his standards.

Peppered with actual quotes and vignettes from the past, we are privy to the real workings of Trump’s mind and shown that his current disregard for the country was already telegraphed in his treatment of Tiffany and her mother. Remember, he actually said that when he ran for President, “He didn’t want to win, he just wanted to make money.”

Is there a way to re-embrace the American Dream? Is it possible to eschew the current atmosphere of tyranny and become more civilized and cooperative in our efforts both personal and political? Can we once again be truly free?

As you only have two more opportunities — 9 p.m. today and 4:30 p.m. tomorrow (Aug. 17-18) at the Indy Eleven (719 E. St. Clair) — I suggest you make it a priority to find out.

IndyFringe: Vixen DeVille Revealed

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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

A burlesque show like no other, if you can at all make it, you must see “Vixen DeVille Revealed” in one of its two performances this weekend – 3 p.m. today and 6 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 17-18) at the Indy Eleven theater (719 E. St. Clair). Yes, I put the pitch at the top, in case you are reading this with only a few minutes before showtime. It’s that important.

Mind though, this Londoner does use extremely salty language, and we might get down to the pasties at the show’s climax, but otherwise this is an exciting, entertaining, hilarious and inspiring teens-and-up show.

We get right to business with Ms. DeVille, star of stage, horror flicks, and TV’s “Masters of Illusion,” with a game of “Is There Enough Broken Glass on Stage?” She not only performs glass-walking (with a little bit of striptease) but as an entertainer who enjoys teaching, she will instruct an audience member to walk on the shards as well (only needing to remove shoes and socks).

She goes through various routines as she describes how she became a burlesque entertainer despite being unable to sing or dance, and self-conscious about stripping. She also explains how she is not a magician, but she needed to work up a sword-box illusion so that she had an excuse to buy the sword that goes with the “beacon of shame” corset. During costume changes, we are treated to video footage and recorded interview snippets that add a lot to the show, and don’t feel like filler.

As we learn more, we get glimpses of Cat LaCohie, the former shy nine-year-old who always wonders if she’s good enough. This side especially shows when an accident nearly destroys her arm, and her confidence. Her vulnerability in telling the story transforms this show from great to brilliant. There has been an acrobatic hoop hanging over the stage this whole time – it has changed from just part of her act to a triumphant ascendance.

Kudos, by the way, to her faithful Kitty, as well her sword-box accomplice.

The only downside is that the show runs long, even with having to cut out the fire-eating segment due to venue safety rules – so it might be rushed or spill over in remaining performances. But do stay to the end.

IndyFringe: The Reluctant Mind Reader

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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

Brendon Ware was cursed with the ability to read minds. Because he enjoys lying, we have to just take his word for it; nevertheless he will make sure we all suffer for it – laughing the whole time.

“I’m a de-motivational speaker,” he says, as he tests a relationship, shows how he cheats at reading, tells you what was in your pocket, and even makes you feel bad for winning money. And despite his best efforts to use his powers for evil, it will thoroughly entertain you.

As I’ve hinted, there is plenty of audience participation, but it won’t hurt (trust me).

I know what you’re thinking: “I should see this.” Well, you only have two more shots during this Fringe: 6 p.m. today and 9 p.m. tomorrow (Aug. 17-18) at the Indy Eleven (719 E. St. Clair).