Amelia Tryon

‘Laramie Project’ at IF Theatre

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By John Lyle Belden

Twenty-seven years, this October.

That is how long it has been since the murder of Matthew Shepard. About five years longer than he was alive.

The memory of that life, how the gay college student was brutally beaten and left to die tied to a wooden fence, and how the aftermath changed a town and affected the world were captured by the Tectonic Theatre Project, led by Moises Kaufman, in “The Laramie Project.” This play – more like a staged documentary derived from actual interviews and journal entries – is presented by Picture It! Players at IF Theatre through Sunday (May 18).

Directed by Molly Bellner, the cast of Austin Uebelhor, Thom Turner, Adam Phillips, Ryan Moskalick, Amelia Tryon, Cass Knowling, Susan Yeaw, Mary-Margaret Sweeney, and James LaMonte portray both the project interviewers and the people of Laramie, Wyoming, whom they talked to.

Among various roles, Uebelhor plays Kaufman and a priest who organized the candlelight vigil while Shepard was in a coma; Turner is the overwhelmed police sergeant tasked with the case as well as the E.R. doctor who initially treated Shepard, and, coincidentally, one of his attackers; Phillips plays the bartender who was among the last to see Shepard before his attack, as well as a minister preaching against homosexuality; Moskalick’s roles include a theatre student whose perspective widens and one of the attackers, dodging the death penalty by pleading guilty; Tryon relates being the police officer on the scene cutting the cords binding a bloody body, while Yeaw is her concerned mother; Knowling plays a close female friend of “Matt” as well as the teen cyclist who found him dying in the Wyoming countryside; Sweeney gives the view of the head of the University of Wyoming theatre department as well as a local newspaper reporter; LaMonte gives us the empathetic Sheriff’s department investigator as well as the infamously cruel Fred Phelps.

This is an important piece of theatre, an examination of a life, a senseless sadistic crime, and of the rest of us – how we deal with what happened as well as our attitudes and beliefs.

We had seen a production before, on the 20th anniversary of Shepard’s death in 2018. I knew what to expect, however, this time I was struck by the degree of appropriately measured humor in this play. The awkward interactions that come from strangers from a New York theatre coming out West to talk to folks about this absolute worst thing that had happened does set up a few gentle laughs. Upon reflection of the kind of love for life Matt Shepard was known to exhibit this bit of levity is welcome, humanizing the many people dealing with this trauma in their own way. On the other hand, knowing this is based on true events, it didn’t take stage trickery to bring real tears to the actors’ eyes.

Only two performances, 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, remain as I post this. It’s on the IF Theatre Basile main stage, 719 E. St. Clair St., downtown Indianapolis; get tickets at indyfringe.org.

Buck Creek’s wonderful ‘Woods’

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By John Lyle Belden

The show “Into the Woods” could be considered the quintessential Stephen Sondheim musical (with book by James Lapine). Even in a world of fantasy and magic there is a sense of realism, real stakes and real consequences. It is also one of his works you are likely familiar with, thanks to numerous community and professional theatre stagings, as well as a popular movie (and, of course, its runs on Broadway).

Therefore, when Buck Creek Players took it on this year, under the direction of Ben Jones and music director Jill Stewart, they decided to make the production stand out while still true to its story and audience expectations. The result is an “Into the Woods” that is outstanding by practically every measure.

The experience starts the moment you enter the theater and see the stage. Aside from a large lone tree at the back of the stage –­ its hollow necessary to a number of scenes – setpieces are adorned with raised branches to suggest the ever-looming Woods where our stories are set. Those rotating pieces themselves look like giant open books, the covers walls of old bookshelves. Other props look like stacks of books (classic and popular titles on the spines) and scattered like random leaves on the floor are pages with burnt edges – we were told Jones had them be copies of pages from commonly banned books.  Set design and construction are credited to Matt Gray.

Roles are well-cast. Ellen Vander Missen, notable for leading ladies at Footlite Musicals, makes her BCP debut as Cinderella. Central characters the Baker and his Wife are wonderfully played by Ball State graduate Mason Mast and local favorite Miranda Nehrig. The quirky wit of Thom Turner fits perfectly as the Narrator and Mysterious Man. Cordale Hankins embodies the youthful impulsiveness of Jack (of “Beanstalk” fame) while Georgeanna Teipen returns to BCP as his Mother. Shelia Raghavendran appears to be having fun as brave, energetic Little Red Riding Hood.  Emily Gaddy commands her scenes as the Witch.

Others include Claire Slaven as Cinderella’s Stepmother and Jeremy Teipen as her father, with Claire Gray and Jenna MacNulty as the stepsisters; Addison Koehler as Rapunzel; Josh Rooks a striking presence as the Wolf and the Prince’s Steward;  Charming Princes played by Liam Boyle (for Cinderella) and Zach Bucher (for Rapunzel); Amelia Tryon as the spirit of Cinderella’s mother as well as the once-eaten Red Riding Hood’s Granny; and Anna Spack as diverse characters including some very expressive flocks of birds.

In a notable addition to the cast, Dominc Kattau brings the cow Milky-White to life, saying a lot with just a “Moo” and making scenes with his double-takes and antics.

The show also features a 16-member backstage orchestra, conducted by Jill Stewart.

For the unfamiliar, Act I has a number of popular fairy tales occurring simultaneously in and around the titular forest; Act II is what happens after the story says “happily ever after.” The songs serve the plot and work in Sondheim’s often complex style. The refrain of “Into the Woods” from the “Opening” sticks with you, and the Princes’ lament “Agony” is a favorite. The show’s “hit” songs come near the end – “You Are Not Alone” and “Children Will Listen.” No matter what your experience is with this musical, though, you are sure to be delighted.

More likely, however, you could be disappointed at missing out. As I finish this, Friday and Sunday’s performances are sold out, leaving two shows this Saturday (June 22), 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., at the Buck Creek Playhouse, 11150 Southeastern Ave., Indianapolis (Acton Road exit off I-74). Call 317-862-2270 or visit buckcreekplayers.com for tickets.

‘Trailer Park Musical’ a hit at BCP

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By John Lyle Belden

It’s been some years since Indianapolis theatre-goers got to look in on Armadillo Acres, Florida’s most wacky mobile home community, but “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” has returned, presented by Buck Creek Players.

In this fun bit of redneck revelry, manager Betty (Claire Slaven) keeps the lights on, Lin (Georgeanna Teipen) puts on even more lights in a strategy to keep her death-row husband alive, and Pickles (Claire Gray) is fairly sure this time she’s actually pregnant. Meanwhile agoraphobic Jeannie (Amelia Tryon) is gathering the courage to leave her trailer for the first time in decades so she can join husband Norbert (Jeremy Teipen) on an Anniversary date to see the Ice Capades.

Storms blow into Florida all the time; our present force of nature is Pippi (Emily Gaddy), an exotic dancer hoping she escaped from unbalanced boyfriend Duke (Josh Rooks) – who should arrive by Act Two.

Directed by Ben Jones, the silliness is tempered with a bit of heartache – and a moment of gunplay – but it all works out like a comedy musical should. Tryon and Gaddy, especially, give fabulous performances. Gray manages the sort of genius that plays “box of hair” dumb while still charming. And Rooks isn’t usually the intimidating sort, but adds just a hint of psycho to pull off our marker-fume-addled bad boy.

Hats off (but not too long, for sunburn) to set designer Matt Gray for the on-stage trailers (including Jeannie and Norbert’s cutaway) and stage manager Suzi Brown.

With book by Betsy Kelso and songs by David Nehls, “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” has one more weekend left at 11150 Southeastern Ave. (Acton Road exit off I-74). As of this posting, Friday is sold out, but there are two performances Saturday, June 17, and a matinee Sunday, June 18. Go to buckcreekplayers.com for details.

And while you’re there, consider giving to the fundraising drive for improvements to the playhouse entry. Your donation “buys” a little pink flamingo with your name that gets added to the campaign display.

BCP drama examines historical mystery

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By John Lyle Belden

On Aug. 4, 1892, somebody murdered Abby and Andrew Borden in Fall River, Mass. This is historical fact, as well as the arrest and trial of Andrew’s daughter, Lizzie, for the killings. The last 130 years have seen the growth of legends, myths, and a nursery rhyme around the incident, the kind of true-crime story familiar to those who remember the sensationalized double-murder trial of a former football star in the 1990s.

Buck Creek Players takes a whack at the lore with “Lizzie Borden of Fall River” by Tim Kelly, directed by Ben Jones.

The first act sets up the infamous events. Lizzie (Renee Whiten Lopez) is smart and headstrong, as well as kind to those she loves, even her strict and stingy father, Andrew (Tim Latimer). She shows no love or affection to stepmother Abby (Sarah Latimer), whom she is sure married her father for his wealth and controls his decisions. Lizzie and sister Emma (Rachel Bush) are very close, sharing to a degree an impatience with their father and distrust of the stepmother. Their live-in maid Bridget (Amelia Tryon) is adored by the girls, but has problems with the parents, who blame her and not the days-old mutton for recent stomach ailments.

Other characters who factor into the coming events include handyman Mr. Sousa (Josh Rooks) from whom Andrew withholds part of his pay because “you might spend it foolishly;” Aunt Vinnie Morris (Cyrena Knight), who wishes to claim a New Hampshire property promised by her sister (the girls’ mother) as her dying wish, but which Andrew refuses as there is no binding contract; neighbor Mrs. Churchill (Lea Ellingwood), who is outraged that Lizzie took the church’s Sunday School superintendent position she felt entitled to; church minister Rev. Jubb (Matt Trgovac), who is very fond of Lizzie; and the girls’ friend Alice (Cass Knowling).

Fortunately, the dire deed is done with sound-effects, the only blood being on Lizzie’s hands after she discovers her father’s body.

The second act, appropriate for an audience raised on Law & Order reruns, focuses on the arrest and trial. Patrolman Harrington (Jason Roll) at first has to protect against the mob and onlookers around the Borden home, but then has to slap the cuffs on Lizzie when the Marshall (Dustin Miller) comes to arrest her. On her side are Boston attorney Ms. Jennings (Melissa Sandullo) and New York Sun reporter Amy Robsart (Nora Burkhart). At one point Sousa’s wife Carlotta (Breanna Helms) appears, concerned that her husband is a potential suspect.

Though it does present its own theory of what happened, don’t expect this drama to be the conclusive last word. Lizzie Borden’s guilt or innocence is still a matter of debate, and Kelly took some license with characters and events.

Presented as an entertaining history-based whodunit, the play works with a bit of melodrama and almost comic foreshadowing. In what I suspect is a mixture of the script, Jones’ guidance, and Sarah Latimer’s stony delivery, Abby is so thoroughly despicable, we all want to take a turn with the hatchet. Tim Latimer’s performance shows Andrew to be more a product of his times and frugal upbringing, but not entirely without heart. Tryon’s Sullivan is sweet and likable, even when the discovery of poison adds her to the suspect list. Rooks manages to perfectly balance Sousa’s principled stance and his hot-headedness. Knight gives Aunt Vinnie charming sweetness that gives way to injured desperation. Ellingwood delivers a mix of nosy and nasty that helps make Churchill an unreliable witness. Bush masterfully works Emma’s interesting arc that draws her slowly from the periphery to the center of the plot.

Lopez gives us a fully realized, relatable character in Lizzie, with charisma somewhere between Susan B. Anthony and Mary Poppins, but always with that dark edge, a shadow that still follows over a century later.

So, who did it? Who saw what and when? What of the poison, or the destroyed dress? You have one more weekend to find out, Friday through Sunday, Aug. 12-14 at Buck Creek Playhouse, 11150 Southeastern Ave. (Acton Road exit off I-74), Indianapolis. Get information and tickets at buckcreekplayers.com.