Stage

Agape: We come to praise ‘Caesar’

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By Wendy Carson      

As I began writing this review, I realized that it has been over 40 years since I actually read and studied William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” in High School and even then, we were more focused on Caesar’s murder (spoiler) and the political ramifications of said action that the actual text of the play. Luckily, Agape Theater Company has staged not only an excellent version of the show but the printed program also contains a detailed study guide.

As you watch the story unfold you realize that while Caesar (Doug Rollison) is in the title, he is not actually the main character. His loyal friend Marcus Brutus (Christopher O’Hara), he of the famed line “Et tu, Brute?” shares that distinction with the menacingly paranoid Caius Cassius (Jake Hobbs).

Director Darby Kear gives us a vision into the underlying – and underhanded – scheming and political moves that take place behind the scenes. As you read the notes on the history of Roman politics you see terrifying parallels with our current political system.

As a whole, the cast are quite compelling and even with doubling or tripling of parts, make the action easy to follow. Such is the standard we have come to expect from this company.

That said, I would like to shine a spotlight on a newcomer to the troupe (and Indiana), Christopher O’Hara. His sonorous voice and solid stage presence makes him a welcome addition to the production. Just his performance and the glorious study guide of the program are easily worth the price of your ticket.

Friends, Hoosiers, everyone: lend them your ears (and eyes); remaining performances are Friday through Sunday, Feb. 9-11, at the IndyFringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis. For tickets, go to IndyFringe.org.

Belfry: One ticket to double over laughing

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By John Lyle Belden

When it comes to the comedy “One Man, Two Guvnors,” presented through Sunday at Fishers’ Switch Theatre by The Belfry Theatre, you don’t have to know that it’s the play that helped bring James Corden to international acclaim.

You don’t even have to know that the script by Richard Bean is adapted from the commedia dell’arte play “The Servant of Two Masters,” by Carlo Goldoni, though that helps to understand the broad comic style with characters that fit satirical and absurd archetypes, updated with British cheekiness including wink-wink-nudge-nudge asides to the audience and at least one woman dressed as a man. I sat in the very back row, and to me all the slapstick gestures were as big as life and twice as funny.

If you sit in the very front row – perhaps something you should be aware of – don’t be surprised if you become part of the show.

What’s important is that this community production of the London/Broadway hit is hilarious and sharply served up, especially by our central servant Francis (Mason Odle), who – because food costs money and he’s starving – takes on employment from two well-to-do gents.

Set in the English seaside resort town of Brighton in 1963 (which was to London like Miami Beach was to New York, a place for underworld types to relax), Francis arrives as “Minder” for Roscoe Crabbe (Rylee Odle), who is to marry Pauline (Anabella Lazarides), daughter of Charlie the Duck (Eric Bowman). But she is in love with passionate (over)actor Alan Dangle (Josh Rooks), which would work if the rumor of Roscoe’s death were true.

To give us our properly convoluted plot, Roscoe arrives, but is really (shh!) his “identical” twin sister
Rachel in disguise! Also at the hotel is upperclass twit Stanley Stubbers (Bailey Hunt), who (1) arrived from London hoping to lay low after accidently multiple-stabbing Roscoe, (2) has had a secret relationship with Rachel, and (3) is just daft enough for Francis to take on secretly as a second employer – easy money, right?

Also along on this romp are Laura Wertz; Malcolm Marshall; Dwayne Lewis; Amy Buell; Tom Burek; Nikki Lynch as Dolly, Charlie’s feminist bookkeeper and object of Francis’s affection; and Trever Brown as Alfie, the nearly-deaf, doddering 87-year-old waiter who’s having a painfully bad day.

I’m not British so the accents sounded all right to me, including Marshall’s sweet Jamaican lilt, and the Program includes a glossary to local jargon. In any tone, the jokes all land in one uproarious situation after another. Mason Odle’s Francis is appropriately happy-go-lucky, staying just ahead of Brown’s scene-stealing antics and Hunt’s silly bluster, as well as Rylee Odle’s cleverness and comic timing. And Rooks, is an ACTOR!

Director Andrea Odle delivers a spectacle of smart comedy with this bunch who collectively lower the average IQ in Brighton. Francis keeps confusing his two Guvnors’ letters and personal items, true love is endangered at every turn, Alan desires to literally fight a gangster for Pauline’s hand, and Alfie has fallen down again – best you come see how all this mess turns out.

Performances are Thursday through Sunday at Switch Theatre at Ji-Eun Lee Music Academy, 10029 E. 126th St., Fishers. Get info and tickets at TheBelfryTheatre.com.

Romantic battle of wits in BCP’s ‘Moon’

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By John Lyle Belden

Growing into your teen years is tough enough. But for a genius-IQ girl in a dull west Pennsylvania town in the 1980s with a single Mom who is a bit of a free spirit, the prospect of a new man in their life is a bit much to deal with. Fortunately, a lifelong friend is there to help.

In “Moon Over the Brewery,” by Bruce Graham, presented by Buck Creek Players, Amanda is our 13-year-old with this conundrum. Randolph, the (invisible to others) paternal-looking friend with a posh accent and wearing whatever was in the last book she read, has returned to delve into the mystery of the “midnight laugher.” They suspect this is a new bad decision for her mother, Miriam, a woman who stopped art school to become a diner waitress to raise her daughter – but never abandoned art, as she works on paintings of nightscapes as well as sculpture and a beautifully assembled quilt. The latter, Amanda (who minds the checkbook) plans to sell for top dollar.

Suddenly at their doorstep, there is an odd, mildly chubby mail carrier saying he is Warren Zimmerman, Miriam’s new beau. Amanda stands inside with Randolph at her shoulder: let the games begin.

This quirky comedy with quirky characters coalesces into a quirkier romance as our foursome come to understand each other and themselves. Brooke Dennis as Amanda is excellent as a 13-going-on-30 prodigy who at times mothers her mom but is not as mature as she feels she must be. AnnaStacia Nuffer in a brilliant debut as Miriam is a complex artistic soul who just wants everything good for everyone, hoping she could find some for herself. In her prior relationships she’s felt outvoted two-to-one by Amanda and Randolph, whom she regards not as a figment but a bogeyman who must be banished. Grant Bowen comes off a little disturbing and goofy at first as Warren; still, with genuine and easy manner he wins us as one who has eccentricities of his own but also varied life experience, just the right guy to stand toe-to-toe with an invisible man.

Tony Brazelton takes full advantage of a plum comic role; his Randolph is suave, brash, devious, protective, suspicious, sharply witty, and everything else you’d expect from a teenage girl’s id taken the form of a classic cinema leading man. His banter and mind games are highly entertaining, yet he never takes it too far, out of respect for the mistress from whose synapses he sprung, keeping him likable to the audience.

The result is a charming mashup of coming-of-age story and rom-com, with just enough weirdness to hold it together. This fun theatrical experience comes to life with the help of director Mac Bellner and technical director/stage manager R. Brian Noffke. Thanks also to young assistant directors Elsie Rau and Bennett Dilger for their work behind the scenes.

Remaining performances of “Moon Over the Brewery” are Friday through Sunday, Feb. 9-11, at the Buck Creek Playhouse, 11150 Southeastern Ave. (Acton Road exit off I-74), Indianapolis. For tickets and information, go to BuckCreekPlayers.com.

ALT: Big issues in small-town meeting

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By Wendy Carson

Small town politics is much more important than it appears. As we see in “The Minutes,” by Tracy Letts, a lot can happen in a single meeting, and missing it could change your whole standing within the community itself.

Such is the plight of Mr. Peel (Josh Ramsey), who missed last week’s City Council meeting to attend to his dying mom. He knows something major occurred from overhearing the others talk but only discovers it resulted in the removal of Mr. Carp (Charles Goad) from the council.

His queries to Mayor Superba (Stephen Roger Kitts II) and clerk Ms. Johnson (Susannah Quinn) get him nowhere. However, Mr. Hanratty (Scot Greenwell) is willing to help him shed a little light on the matter in return for support towards his proposal.

The council is filled with a plethora of quirky characters. Mr. Blake (Ian Cruz) is a paranoid schemer who is overly confident of the success of his bill regardless of its practicality. Mr. Breeding (Raymond Kester) is “The Weathervane” of the town but has no desire to make waves of his own. Ms. Innes (Suzanne Fleenor) has some good points to make but buries them inside a tangle of poetry and nonsense that annoys even the most even-tempered in the room. Mr. Oldfield (Len Mozzi), who served on the council the longest, has a tendency to ramble and forget things. Mr. Assalone (Tristan Ross) is “The Junkyard Dog” of the group and made even more imposing by his brother being Town Sheriff. Finally, Ms. Metz (Paige Scott), while physically present, pops so many pills that we have no idea where her mind actually is.

With the Big Cherry Heritage Festival rapidly approaching and its planning the most important thing that the Council actually does, Mr. Peel finds the unexplained absence of last week’s minutes – as well as where Mr. Carp is – to be of far greater import.

Directed by Chris Saunders for American Lives Theatre, this comic drama shows Letts’ ability to connect with and in a relatable manner reflect the personalities of small-town America. While there is much hilarity within these scenes, there is an equal amount of reality as to the inner workings of city government.

The talent level of the cast is spectacular and under Saunders’ steady hand, none of them overshadow each other and perform as a well-oiled machine.

So, who is the real hero of The Battle of Mackie Creek? What is more important, truth or the status quo? Why is the town named Big Cherry? These questions and much, much more will be answered (mostly) at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, 705 N. Illinois St., Indianapolis, through Feb. 11. For tickets and information, visit phoenixtheatre.org or americanlivestheatre.org.

With heart and hymns, a voting-rights hero tells her story

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By John Lyle Belden

Fannie Lou Hamer was a fairly remarkable woman before she became known to the world outside her Mississippi town. Literate despite a sparse education, the daughter of sharecroppers managed to find a good husband and work as bookkeeper for the plantation. But in 1962, at age 44, she discovered she had the right to vote. And everything changed.

Indiana Repertory Theatre presents “Fannie: The music and life of Fannie Lou Hamer,” by Cheryl L. West. On the IRT mainstage, we meet Hamer (Maiesha McQueen) late in her Civil Rights career, doing what she loves best – baking her “sock-it-to-me” cake and singing the Church music that sustained her throughout her life, through mental and physical abuse, doors slammed in her face, every small triumph and vicious defeat in the struggle to bring the vote to all Americans, especially those with dark skin like her.

She gives us her life story in gentle maternal tones, while never shying away from the dark and tragic moments. Happy to commune with us through the fourth wall, she encourages the audience to sing along with tunes like “This Little Light of Mine” and “I Love Everybody,” and even demands a “Can I get an ‘Amen!’?” Thus, she brings us 21st-century sojourners along on the dusty roads where she braved bigotry and beatings with incredible determination, even taking her message to the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Texas.

Broadway veteran McQueen brings Fannie to life wonderfully, bringing to light a lesser-known civil rights icon, making us feel glad to finally discover her and understand she is one of many workers in the struggle who deserve to be remembered and honored. Though this is presented like a one-woman show, the importance of music to her life is emphasized by the fine upstage backing band of Morgan E. Stevenson, Spencer Bean, and Dorian Phelps.

Henry D. Godinez directs, assisted by Ashlee “Psywrn Simone” Baskin (also understudy for Fannie). The narrative is enhanced by projections designed by Mike Tutaj.

Share in the joys and tears of the person who popularized the phrase, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Performances of “Fannie” run through Feb. 4 at the IRT, 140 W. Washington St., downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at irtlive.com.

MD Writer delivers a good series of short plays

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By John Lyle Belden

It takes a sharp mind to become a doctor, especially a cardiologist. For Dr. Louis Janeira, add sharp wit and storytelling skill and you’ve got the prescription for a promising side gig as a writer.

As L. Jan Eira, the MD Writer, he presents “Cut Short: A series of 10-minute plays,” under the direction of Aaron Henze, at The Cat in downtown Carmel.

The talented cast of Craig Kemp, Barbara LeMay, Ian Marshall-Fisher, Greta Shambarger, and Afton Shepard take on a series of shorts that play out like the Twilight Zone or Outer Limits with a touch of gentle humor – though not all end happily.

The opening scene, “If everyone on earth dies, I can’t graduate,” sets the tone that things aren’t always as they seem, and the odd will be commonplace. I had previously seen the “Party Shoppe,” a sharp piece of science fiction that was the best part of a longer work presented at IndyFringe. Even when you can tell what’s going on, like going “Home” with Mr. H, the story still grips you with its simple drama. Naturally, the medical profession makes a couple of appearances, including one bit that takes “physician, heal thyself” in an interesting and fun direction.

Entertaining, intriguing, and well performed, this series showcases local talent in splendid fashion. Remaining performances are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way (just south of Main Street in the Carmel Arts and Design District). Get info and tickets at theMDwriter.com or thecat.biz.

ALT: Damaged souls in Inge’s dark drama

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By John Lyle Belden

The title, “Natural Affection,” despite being part of a spoken line, is ironic.

A lesser-known yet highly regarded drama by William Inge (its brief 1962-63 Broadway run suffered from poor publicity), it is a story of people struggling with life and relationships in upper middle-class Chicago apartments. The overall atmosphere is Tennessee Williams, without the humidity.

In the current American Lives Theatre production, single mother Sue (Carrie Anne Schlatter, or Christine Zavakos on select dates) is expecting a Christmas visit from her troubled teen son Donnie (Zach Hoover), allowed temporary release from the “work farm” to which he had been sentenced for an assault years earlier. Sue’s life had been hard, but she has found success as a buyer for a downtown department store, which irks her live-in boyfriend Bernie (Alex Oberheide), a struggling Cadillac salesman.

Next door are friends, of a sort, Vince (Ronn Johnstone), a mostly-functioning alcoholic with both high income and debts, and his wife Claire (Diana O’Halloran), who married for money and is now unsure what she wants – aside from Bernie, again.

Other roles are filled by Wendy Brown, Tim Leonard, Garrett Rowe (including a scene as Donnie’s fellow parolee), and Haley Glickman (most notably in the play’s climax).

This dark drama with, at best, a grim humor provides hearty material for the actors. The undercurrent of dysfunction soon becomes apparent between Sue and Bernie. Schlatter ably expresses the woman constantly pushing against her own insecurities, never quite sure she’s made it. Despite her workplace success, she still feels the need for a marriage to make her truly happy; which with her going on 40 in the 1960s, brings feelings of desperation. Oberheide, for his part, wears his neediness like the tailored suit he wears to work the car lot, coming across like the smarmy guy who’s about to talk you into all the options. It burns him that his girlfriend makes far more than he does, which he gives as the reason for not marrying her. On top of this, Bernie has an abusive temper, but more bipolar than controlling, bringing Sue along on the ride.

As noted above, the “natural” way you’d assume a Midwest family holiday to go is absent here, especially with the neighbors, as Vince tries to salve insecurities about both his financial worth and his sexuality with a wild swinger lifestyle. Johnstone is excellent at playing someone so perpetually pickled you could almost smell it on him without delving into comic drunk stereotype. We hear moments of lucidity between the slurred lines, a kaleidoscope of shifting emotions, and when he’s truly had one too many, it’s more pathetic than funny. O’Halloran portrays the debutante who never matured beyond high school, in desperate need of affections she can only see as transactional; Claire wants better for herself, without a clue about where to start.

Hoover’s Donnie is a Freudian scholar’s dream, the hurt boy in the body of a dangerous man, never sure how to connect with a mother he has only seen infrequently through his tragic life. His scars are both visible and deep, as we discover a character like a revolver with a single chamber loaded. Tension builds from one trigger moment to the next, to the last.

Directed by ALT artistic director Chris Sanders (one of his passion projects), assisted by Tim Leonard with Marta Hamilton as stage manager, this gripping study of human affections, however you define them, runs through Jan. 21 at the IndyFringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair, Indianapolis. Get tickets at indyfringe.org and info at americanlivestheatre.org.

‘Matilda’ musical Constellation’s holiday offering

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By John Lyle Belden

In this season where all children are striving to make the Nice List, Constellation Stage and Screen of Bloomington presents one gifted little girl who is “a little bit naughty.”

In “Roald Dahl’s Matilda: The Musical,” with songs by the equally devious Tim Minchin and book by Dennis Kelly, while every English child is told by Mum and Dad they are a miracle, Matilda Wormwood’s mother says her birth was the worst day of her life and father dismisses her as an awful excuse for a boy – they were already content with son Michael, who is blissfully immune to books and stories, or thinking.

Things only get worse from there, as Matilda starts school under sadistic headmistress Miss Trunchbull. Fortunately, she finds friends among schoolmates and allies including librarian Mrs. Phelps, who adores the girl’s stories, and teacher Miss Honey, who strives to rise above her deep insecurities to help her.

Realizing that the story she’s in is quite tragic, Matilda strives to change it, with the help of some hilariously juvenile pranks and her rather exceptional mind. For the many children of all ages in the sold-out audience, the musical is wildly entertaining and inspiring, peppered with catchy tunes including “Naughty,” “Telly,” “Revolting Children,” and “When I Grow Up.”

Indy audiences may recognize Jaddy Ciucci as self-centered ballroom champion Mrs. Wormwood. Others in the adult cast include Jake Stibbe as Mr. Wormwood, an ethics-challenged used car dealer; Jaden Holtschlag as dance partner Rudolpho; Amy Jo Jackson as Miss Trunchbull, a former Olympic hammer thrower more interested in punishment than instruction; Catherine O’Connor as Mrs. Phelps; and Emily Davis, winning our hearts (and Matilda’s) as Miss Honey.

The story Matilda spins for the librarian is portrayed in shadow puppets and appearances by Yul Carrion as the Escapologist and Laura Rong as the Acrobat.

Among the youth actors there are two casts split among the various performances through Dec. 31. We saw Team Rebellion with Noey Kroethe as Matilda, Lila Parker as Michael, Piper Reynolds as brave Bruce, Lyra Dimick as “best friend” Lavender, Alma Sela as Alice, Chloe Duggan as Amanda, Mary Clarie Shaw as Hortensia, Theresa Baird as Tommy, Lydia Levesque as Eric, and Stella Jay Durfee as Nigel, who gets a crash course on the meaning of “narcolepsy.”

Half the performances feature Team Revolting: Miriam Spillman (Matilda), Cooper Tucker (Michael), Reid Walz (Bruce), Sophia Linville (Lavender), Madeleine Cartledge (Alice), Hailey Houghton (Amanda), Lily Ensmenger (Hortensia), Jasmine Nolting (Tommy), Lucy Pell (Eric), and Viv Taylor (Nigel).

Kate Galvin directs, with musical director Brandon Magid, choreographer Lauren Haughton Gillis, and stage manager Lori Garraghty. No newts were harmed in the making of this show.

Tickets have been selling fast for “Matilda: The Musical,” performed in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood, Bloomington. Get info and tickets at seeconstellation.org.  

Cat, CCP stage farcical salute to struggling actors

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By Wendy Carson      

Is the thought of seeing one more Christmas-themed production making you want to spew your eggnog? If so, you need to drive over to The Cat in Carmel and catch a performance of Carmel Community Players production of “Moon Over Buffalo.”

The 1995 comedy by Ken Ludwig is notable not just for its slamming-door farcical elements but as the vehicle in which Carol Burnett returned to Broadway. Needless to say, there are plot twists and laughs aplenty.

In the summer of 1953, George Hay (Jason Creighton) and wife Caroline (Tonya Rave) have washed out on the Broadway stage as well as in Hollywood and tour the country in reparatory, alternating between productions of “Cyrano de Bergerac” and “Private Lives.” They are currently stuck in Buffalo, N.Y.

Still stinging over the loss of lead roles in the upcoming Frank Capra-directed Scarlet Pimpernel film, they are resigned to make the best of things. Having Caroline’s mostly deaf mother, Ethel (Wendy Brown), along as their costumer and all-around extra doesn’t improve their lot.

In a fortuitous turn of events their daughter, Rosalind (Natalie Piggush), has returned to introduce them to her new fiancé, Howard (Mac Wright). However, she never seems to get the opportunity, and his being tongue-tied doesn’t help. Add to the mix Richard (Brian Sprayue), the Hays’ lawyer who is madly in love with Caroline and trying to sweep her away from her husband; Eileen (Nicole Sherlock), the ingénue who is pregnant from a brief dalliance with George; and finally, Paul (Grant Bowen), Rosalind’s ex, who is still madly in love with her.

Secret loves, mistaken identities, a generous amount of alcohol, and the possibility of being cast in Capra’s film after all make for a rollicking night of craziness. It’s also good for those who like a peek at backstage life and the quirks of showbiz people, flavored with the evergreen lament that live theatre is dying (shakes fist at television).

Directed by Elizabeth Ruddell, the entire cast is spectacular; their tireless embracing of every comic element will keep you laughing so much that you can forget that “Marley was dead” or any other holiday frippery.

Performances are Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 14-17, at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, downtown Carmel (in the Arts and Design district, a distance away from the Kristkindlmarkt). Get tickets and info at carmelplayers.org.

Musical send-up of Scrooge story returns

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By John Lyle Belden

Ben Asaykwee’s “Christmas Carol Comedy” at the District Theatre has joined the ranks of downtown Indy’s cherished holiday traditions. Yes, we’re all surprised (I imagine Asaykwee is), but I’m not actually as he is really talented and the show is really funny.

I mean, look at the nice stuff we said about it last year.

As so much about the world today is silly and dumb, this musical parody of Dickens’ classic fits right into this season’s offerings. While Ben is over at the Phoenix, assistant director Hannah Boswell takes care of things, as well as roles including a talkative Christmas Future. This being a “Q-munity” production (started by Asaykwee’s Q Artistry company), there are numerous performers at all levels of experience, whose having fun at this easily translates to the sold-out audiences.

Matt Anderson is back as Scrooge, Shelbi Berry as Christmas Past, Tiffanie Bridges as Christmas Present (and, well… you’ll see), Maria Meschi as Marley, Emerson Black as Fezziwig, and Michelle Wafford as Mrs. Cratchit, with Jeff Stratford as Bob Cratchit, Tristan Montgomery as Fred, Miki Mathioudakis as Mrs. Fezziwig, and an ensemble of characters and Victorian Urchins played by Adrienne Anderson, Alex Kao, Anahit Aleksanyan, Anna Lee, Arin Anderson, Ben Curry, Beth Gibson, Calvin Meschi, Cari Gallagher, Charlotte Wagner, Derwin Lester, Elsie Huldeen, Emily Persic, Finley Eyers, Fiona Eyers, Jessica Dickson, Kallen Ruston, Katie Eaker, Kelly Haas, Kendall Crenshaw, Lillian Hall, Lisa Anderson, Luna Capehart, Mandy Holzhausen, Michael Persic, Noah Lee, Patrick Clemens, Sam Lee, Sophia Capehart, and Spencer Hahn.

You have seven chances (at the time of this posting) to see this charming, fun, silly, entertaining, and now traditional yuletide treat, but tickets are selling fast, playing Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 14-17 and 21-23. Get them at indydistricttheatre.org.