IndyFringe

IndyFringe: ‘Free the TaTas’

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By Wendy Carson and John L. Belden

Even though it sometimes seems the whole world is pink, we still must understand that awareness of breast cancer — and all cancers — includes knowing that it affects real people, including those you know (or even yourself).

Set in an atypical breast survivors support group, this show touches on how various people deal with cancer in their lives. These women are trying to overcome their grief and be upbeat, but it is no easy task.

Miss Bettye (Sandy Lomax), the octogenarian leader of the group, is outright hateful, dismissive and rude to everyone, yet you sense she feels for them. While she insists on honesty in dealing with disease, she hides the fact they could soon lose their meeting place.

The members of the group range from a starry-eyed dreamer (T. Studdard), an overworked cleaner (Tamara E’lan G.), and a desperate woman just trying anything to get by (Georgeanna Anthony). The women are trying to support each other, but Bettye keeps them at each other’s throats more often than not.

Enter into this group the indomitable presence that it Bass (China Doll), so named because her fishing-obsessed husband thinks she’s his best catch of all time. Bass tries to get everyone back on track but is met with resentment and venom at every turn. Meanwhile, she masks her own pain with humor.

Can these women turn their personal drama into a loving and supportive environment?

As they open up their journals to share with each other (and us), the true beauty of this piece is revealed. Much of the play’s content is in fact based on actual people and events. Taken as a whole, this is a hot mess that transforms into a heart blessing.

At the end, there is a short talkback session for the audience and actors to discuss their own personal journeys.

Remaining performances are Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, Aug. 26-27, at the Firefighter’s Hall, corner of Mass. Ave. and St. Clair.

Festival info: www.indyfringe.org.

IndyFringe: ‘An Elegy for Peter Through’

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By Wendy Carson

This show has been the most surprising of anything I’ve seen at this year’s festival. The title lends itself to a dour subject matter, which is further reinforced by the setting, the interior of a funeral home. However, once the show begins, all of that is thrown out the window.

The funeral directors are expecting a quick, simple service when a gaggle of children and teens show up carrying a large wooden frame and demand to offer their own eulogies for the departed.

The frame becomes a sort of time portal in which the actors are transported to the day that they first met the deceased. With the seven actors quickly slipping into and out of 13 different roles, it may seem like it would be confusing, but the cast pulls off this feat seamlessly.

The stories told are funny yet uplifting and make for a warm, pleasant feeling of satisfaction afterwards. This show is definitely a good counterpoint to some of the more intense shows at the Fringe; it will greatly help you to readjust your psyche, so you really should not miss it.

John’s note: This is one of the best shows of the Fringe, in my opinion. Director Ann Marie Elliott told us that she and the Savage At Last actors worked out the story themselves without an initial script, and they all do an excellent job of channeling their inner teens and tweens facing a life-changing experience.

One performance remains, 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at the Theatre on the Square second stage.

Festival info: www.indyfringe.org.

IndyFringe: ‘Going Down’

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By John Lyle Belden

Two men find themselves in the afterlife, and St. Peter is being a bit of a jerk. But the bigger problem is that Jesus seems unable to stop the next big war down on Earth. So it is up to his father, Harry, who goes down with Mary/Mary to fix things himself. But the dual woman has ideas of their own — like starting a radical church in Nevada.

Having your conceptions of the sacred and profane challenged is rarely as funny as this comic parable. Be prepared to hear the word from the Pink Bible and prophesy from 19th-centry poet William Blake.

The fate of Heaven and Earth is decided one more time, 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at the IndyFringe Theatre. Beyond that, I hope the local troupe producing it polish this cosmic comic gem to something even higher in quality.

Festival info: www.indyfringe.org.

IndyFringe: ‘Showerhead’

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By Wendy Carson

As anyone who has read the Fringe guide blurb knows, this show is certainly not for everyone. Therefore, feel yourself warned and stay away if you are unable to handle the subject matter covered there. For more adventurous theatergoers, feel free to witness this spectacle.

The show is broken down into two distinct parts. The initial portion consists of cast members doing everything they can to try to offend the audience. Both sacrilegious and amusing, it seems to be an extended time-wasting experiment. However, once the actual storyline of the show commences, things start taking off.

We begin with the perfect 50’s TV couple, a fervently religious, subservient housewife and a pleasant but demanding husband. When she discovers the seedy life he is living on the side, she is thrown into a world of crime, drugs and mayhem.

There are many hilarious tropes throughout her metamorphosis as well as a lot of stilted dialogue. Yet, I found the actual story of her journey to be quite engaging and uplifting.

I hope that after the festival, Formerly Fuckboy productions (yes, that’s the name) will take some time to polish up the script because at its core, it is a fine idea that could be crafted into something really worthwhile.

“Showerhead” plays 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 26-27) at the IndyFringe Theatre

Festival info at www.indyfringe.org.

IndyFringe: ‘White Collar Sideshow’

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By Wendy Carson

The band, White Collar Sideshow, brands itself as “Shock-n-Roll,” and while that is accurate, it falls all too short of describing what this show is about.

Probably the most apt way is a quote from two fellow audience members: “It was far less scary and a lot more inspiring than I expected.”

The show is part heavy metal concert, part performance art, part delirium, and entirely enjoyable. The three-member band — TD Benton on vocals and drums, Faceless Woman on bass, and the indomitable Herr Schwein, also on drums — may look intimidating, but they are all talented musicians and the show is quite enjoyable.

The set list sets itself up as a soundtrack to the grindhouse-style film (produced by the band and featuring Schwein) in the background. There are also a few audience interactions, but nothing dangerous or too creepy. It comes off similar to a classic Alice Cooper concert.

In all honesty, words fail to describe the experience, so I strongly urge you to see it for yourselves. It’s a truly fresh offering to our traditional Fringe lineup and an experience you won’t soon forget.

John’s note: Free earplugs are provided due to the accoustic assault in close quarters. I appreciated the protection, but it did blur the song lyrics (or maybe I’m just getting old). There is a spiritual-lesson aspect to the show (like Rob Zombie hosting a tent revival), and you can get a lot of context from the visuals, so you don’t have to hear every word. The background film is quite impressive on its own as well.

Remaining performances are matinees, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 26-27) on the main stage of the Phoenix Theatre, 749 N. Park Ave.

Festival info at www.indyfringe.org.

IndyFringe: ‘Tonight, Tonight’

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By John Lyle Belden

Comedy works best when the comic has someone good to play the jokes off of. In “Tonight, Tonight,” the improv talk show, that person is you!

Mark Cashwell is attempting the TV talk format as a one-person show, no sidekick or bandleader, and the tech in the back is mostly there to play music for the dance breaks — there are dance breaks, you will dance.

You could also be “Tonight”s guest.

To be honest, this show only works if you help make it work. But when you do, the result is hilarious fun.

The show also includes breaks for “commercials,” when familiar local radio ads get skewered.

So give Mark your time, some suggestions, your funky moves, or even silly answers to “What’s your movie about?” and he will give you a highly entertaining hour.

Remaining performances of “Tonight Tonight: An Improvized Late-Night Talk Show” are in a few minutes — 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24 — and at 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the downstairs stage at the Phoenix Theatre, 749 N. Park Ave.

Festival info at www.indyfringe.org.

IndyFringe: ‘Meatball Seance’

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By Wendy Carson

John Michael has a new boyfriend!

Now, he just wants to take him home, introduce him to his beloved mom, and have him try her amazing meatballs which are overflowing with her love. There’s just one problem with this, she’s dead. His only hope is to have his new boyfriend help him make a batch in order to bring back her spirit.

We, the audience, are invited to add our collective energy to the process as well as fill in for some of the characters (apparently, John Michael can be a bit difficult to work with, hence the lack of other cast members).

The journey is brilliantly hilarious and touchingly delightful. Although some of this material edges on melancholy and sad, in John Michael’s deft touch, the hope and and joy of his memories of him mom’s love and advice make it side-splittingly funny.

So, make sure you catch one of his two remaining performances at the INDY ELEVEN Theatre in the IndyFringe building – tonight (Monday) at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday (Aug. 22) at 9 p.m. – before you regret missing out. The show is not only a perfect palate-cleanser to your Fringe experience, but a whirlwind of happiness that must be seen.

Remember, that bread must first be torn apart in order to create the breadcrumbs that bind everything together.

Info: www.indyfringe.org

Fringe!

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So much going on in Indy this week: GenCon, the State Fair, and the return of the Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival — IndyFringe 2017!

Fringe features practically everything you can get on a stage: comedy, drama, storytelling, music, Shakespeare, dance, magic, avant garde, maybe even clowns and puppets (it’s happened before!). Each performance is under an hour, all reasonably priced, with most of the ticket money going back to the performers.

It all gets under way Thursday through Aug. 27 in and around Mass. Ave. downtown, but first you should check out the big Preview Night, 6 p.m. Wednesday (Aug. 16) at the Athenaeum, 407 E. Michigan (corner of Michigan and New Jersey streets, where they meet Mass Ave.). Admission is just $5.

During the Preview, get into the Fringe spirit with quick excerpts from most of the participating shows, as well as the run-down on what all will be happening during the festival.

John and Wendy are busy Wednesday, but plan to be around IndyFringe starting Friday evening. We won’t see every show, but those we do we will get reviews out as soon as possible.

IndyFringe: Passing Notes

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By Wendy Carson

This is one man’s journey through the remembrance of his first love and other fleeting moments of childhood. He deftly navigates the awkwardness of teenage mating rituals and the overall cluelessness of boys into the minds of girls. As he points out, life for a teenage boy is a series of stupid statements and them making up for them.

The story unfolds through the two young actors reading the various notes they wrote to each other during these years, as well as providing insight on the meanings behind their words. However, the narrator is also there, berating his younger self for his bumbling behavior.

While the tale is overall pretty predictable (think, “The Fault in Our Notes”), it is pointed out to us that “clichés are that for a reason.” Still, this is an excellent portrayal of a familiar story.

Performances are Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 27-28, on the Theatre on the Square second stage. Info and tickets at indyfringefestival.com.

IndyFringe: Spaghetti Western 3D

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By Wendy Carson

Welcome to Javelina, Texas, and the 47th annual Javelina Town Pageant. It is celebrated on the anniversary of the release of the famous movie made about the town, “The Promised Land.”

The four spunky ladies of our troupe are here to reenact a, thankfully, abridged version of the film (in 3D!). Sadly, this does mean that they have to cut the “flying armadillo scene” but the remaining offering is delightful, nonetheless. Near the beginning, a box of spaghetti is paraded across the stage in just the first of many, many, visual gags predominant throughout the show.

Lest you think this is all just silliness and kooky humor, the show provides us with numerous important facts: Lesbians were invented in 1852, and “sociopathic” is the true definition of masculinity, just to name a few.

An overall hilarious show that will have you laughing and singing along, despite yourself.

Remaining performances are Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 27-28, at the Indy Eleven Theatre. Info and tickets at indyfringefestival.com.