Alexandria Miles

Enjoy the betrayal and madness with Indy Shakes

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By John Lyle Belden

“King Lear” stands apart from William Shakespeare’s other tragedies with its proto-feminist overtones and for having multiple villains – working against as much as with each other. Though typically presented, like many of the Bard’s plays, in medieval or Renaissance costumes and props, the monarch on whom it is based, “Leir,” ruled pre-Roman Britain around the 8th century B.C. (No problem for companies who dress Shakespeare works in any style or period they wish.) Also, relevant to current cultural concerns, the plot has an emphasis on mental health.

This and more are presented in the Indianapolis Shakespeare Company production of “King Lear” in their free summer outdoor show at Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre in Indy’s Riverside Park.

The regal Ryan Artzberger takes on the title role with gusto, making all wonder about Lear’s wits from the beginning as he attempts to go into retirement, first dividing his kingdom among his three daughters, portioned according to how they flatter him. Famously, he misunderstands the words of equally greedy Goneril (Anna Takayo) and Regan (Liz Carrier) as love, and the humble honesty of Cordelia (Alexandria Miles) as a sort of betrayal. The latter girl is then banished (to wed the King of France), as is loyal Kent (Milicent Wright) for questioning his judgement. (Wright, playing Kent as a female advisor, takes on a male disguise to stay near Lear – playing the “man” as originally written.)

Daniel A. Martin is Goneril’s more honorable husband, the Duke of Albany, while Ryan Ruckman plays Regan’s co-conspirator husband, the Duke of Cornwall. Kelsey VanVoorst, who briefly appears as the French king, mainly plays Lear’s clever Fool.

Meanwhile, the Duke of Gloucester (Charles Goad) is persuaded by illegitimate son Edmond (Jamaal McCray) that rightful heir Edgar (John Reynolds) is plotting against him. Drew King completes the cast as characters Burgandy and Oswald.

Under Zack Neiditch’s direction, this highly talented cast present an entertaining and easy to follow tragic story, complete with plots and betrayals among the ambitious, and mental health crises among the others. Goad and Artzberger effectively take their characters to the edge (one literally). Reynolds is outstanding as he has Edgar, to stay alive, take on the guise of a mad beggar, “Poor Tom,” who will encounter in turn the king and his father in their disturbed states. By contrast, Van Voorst is totally in her element in what seems the most wacky role being the most wise character on the stage. Takayo, Carrier, Ruckman, and McCray each seethe with deviousness; making it inevitable they could turn on one another.  

Note for those unfamiliar: Don’t get too worried about the rumble of thunder at this outdoor venue, as it’s only the famous storm scene that starts the second act.

Pardon the expression, but you’d be crazy to miss this, yet another top-notch Indy Shakes production – especially as tickets are free. Remaining performances are Thursday through Saturday, July 30-Aug. 1, and available streaming online on Friday, July 31. Get details at indyshakes.com.

Harry’s ‘Monsters’ haunting Irvington

PWJW_Indy Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

The movie “Halloween” is in theaters, the Dodgers are in the World Series, and there are concerns about the impact of personal video on films and television.

Yes, it’s 1978 in Los Angeles, and the magazine Popular Monsters is about to put out what may be its last issue — a tribute to horror B-movie star Ephraim Knight. Publisher Elsa Creighton is honestly no fan of scary movies — or Knight — but she works to honor her dying father, the magazine’s owner. On the other hand, staff writer Greg is a superfan of all the bumps in the night, a passion he shares with girlfriend Shawna, who, through her family, is no stranger to the ways of Hollywood.

This sets the scene for “Popular Monsters,” the fully-staged premiere of a comedy-drama script by Lou Harry, produced by another Indy playwright, Casey Ross and her Catalyst Repertory company, at the Irvington Lodge, directed by Zachariah Stonerock.

Jamie McNulty is super suave as Knight, the man who played a beast on the silver screen, whose urbane patter disguises the beast he was when the cameras weren’t rolling. Tom Weingartner as Greg flies in the other direction: manic, uncertain and painfully naive. Alexandria Miles as Shawna faces the world with razor-sharp wit and BS-detector turned to 11. And Miranda Nehrig musters her talent for complex characters by making Elsa bitchy, yet likable; and by lending humor to the scenes when she is extremely drunk without devolving into slapstick.

These bold performances with gentle humor help illuminate the play’s examination of these different characters. Appropriate to a story set in Hollywood, there are themes of what is real and what isn’t — is something a lie, or just “acting”? — the stories we tell and the truths we avoid. As Knight states, “There is always a story.”

The setting of a cultural turning point, with references to old black-and-white monster movies alongside the dawn of the slasher films and the phenomenon of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, fits so neatly, especially with Michael Myers chasing Jamie Lee Curtis in theaters again. But this is also a clever vehicle for Harry, through Stonerock’s vision, to show the ever-present “monsters” within us all.

Remaining performances are Nov. 1-3 at the historic Irvington Lodge (No. 666 — really!), 5515 E. Washington St., Indianapolis. Info at www.facebook.com/catalystrepertory.