Athenaeum

IndyFringe: Experi-Mental

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Mentalist Steven Nicholas provides an interesting hour of entertainment and surprises in “Experi-Mental.”

Nicholas is apparently one of those extraordinary humans who can memorize a great deal of written information. It started, he says, when he was the slowest in his grade-school class because he thought through every math problem too thoroughly. To aid his scores, he worked on his memory, and now has thousands of digits of Pi locked in his head – this is not a boast, he is nowhere near the record.

Still, he can demonstrate that practically any grouping of numbers can be found in that famous irrational sequence. Also, he claims he can unlock the memory potential of audience members, using only 52 numbers – each written on a different playing card of a standard deck.

This opens us to some mentalist tricks that deliver the “wow” factor, and in a different way than other magician/mind-readers at this year’s Fringe.

Also, if you attended the preview show, he’s the guy who had us all touch our fingers against our will. He’ll do it again – how long can you resist?

Go “mental” with Nicholas at the Athenaeum, Friday and Sunday evenings, Aug. 26 and 28, and Friday and Saturday, Sept. 2-3.

IndyFringe: Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Local youth ensemble Agape Theater Company goes with something more whimsical than their usual serious projects with “Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales,” a musical by Mary Hall Surface and David Maddux that presents familiar fairy tales as they would be told in the mountains of rural Virginia or North Carolina.

This show is also a little different for Agape as it highlights its younger performers, which enhances the innocent fun of the stories’ presentation. In this production, we get three tales you’ve heard before, but not quite like this:

In “Jack and the Wonder Bean,” directed by Brynn Hensley, crafty Jack (Rachel Majorins) climbs the beanstalk to encounter a huge Giantess (Anastasia Lucia, with puppet support by Nate and Jacob Osburn) and escapes back home to his Ma (Harmony Quinn), bringing goods including a magic Hen (Caroline Hildebrand) and enchanted Fiddle (Evangeline Hillebrand).

In the hoe-down song-and-dance number “The Sow and Her Three Pigs,” directed by Kiron Branine and Rebekah Barajas, narrators Ellie Barajas and Rachel Majorins tell of a Mama-pig (Laney Ballard) who worries what her offspring will do after she is gone. Martha (Nora Moster) and Mary (Joanna Barajas) go cheap on building materials, while Nancy (Eden Majorins) finds something even stronger than bricks. Here comes the Fox (Flannery Partain), hungry for bacon. The simple set includes a cloud-wagon for deceased piggies to sit on while awaiting their relatives’ fate, while most of the cast get involved in the do-si-dos (the dance, not the cookie).

Finally, we get the Cinderella variant, “Catskins,” directed by Grant Scott-Miller. An orphan girl (Lacey Pierce) finds a home with a Farmer (Aubri Cottrell) and his Wife (Harmony Quinn). When the Wife dies, the Farmer, embittered by grief, becomes abusive. The spirit of her adopted mother comes to Catskins’ aid with the help of a magic trunk, and the girl ends up a servant to a fine Lady (Anastasia Lucia) and her Daughter (Flannery Partain). It happens that in that land, a Rich Boy (Jacob Osburn) is holding fancy dances to find himself a bride. Our heroine is a bit crafty and doesn’t need talking mice to help her in this interesting version of the old tale.

The presentation is fun and entertaining, and the Giantess puppet is impressive. Remaining performances are 1:45 p.m. Saturday and 5:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27-28, in the Basile Auditorium at the Athenaeum.

IndyFringe: In the Company of Women

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Though (as I’ve often noted) I’m not expert on dance, I have long appreciated the works of Crossroads Dance Indy. And once again, they did not disappoint with their latest Fringe festival offering, “In the Company of Women.”

Choreographed by company members Brittany Gaither, Nicole Dean, Sammi Kindler, Daniella Conti, Paisley Gibson, and Katie Porras, CDI pays tribute to womanhood, as well as specific women.

The beginning piece weaves in words suggested by audience members describing the women in their lives. The number that follows highlights the various professions and roles that women take in life and the workplace. At the center is the Teacher, who helps make the others possible. And in a world that allows women to do more than teach, we see the Executive, the Healer, the Fighter, the Caregiver – all beautifully rendered.

A tribute to Jane Goodall portrays a woman standing alone, not conforming to the human jungle, and finding empathy with the denizens of the natural world. A tribute to Julia Child reveals kitchen activity to be more fun than drudgery, reflecting Child’s upbeat attitude and brave life.

Dean created a duet for Taylor Brown and Lindley Hipsher inspired by the hypnotic style of turn of the 20th century choreographer Loie Fuller, which is a wonderful highlight of the show.

Another great piece portrays how the patriarchy of the 1940s and ‘50s saw Rosie the Riveter and Susie Homemaker to be opposites, a choice of giving up one for the other. As the music gives way to an old radio show, “What Makes You Tick?” the Rosies and Susies unite to confront shallow, outdated attitudes.

The company also includes Hope Frey, Alexis Julovich, Nicole Kelter, Clarice Nolan, Hannah Scott, and Ashleigh South.

Crossroads dance gives an inspiring performance, with the grace, flow and energy I’ve come to expect from this dancer-driven company. They take joy in what they do, and so will you.

Upcoming performances are Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon, Aug. 25 and 28, in the Basile Auditorium at the Athenaeum.

IndyFringe: I Think We Are Supposed to Be ‘Coming of Age’ by Now…

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Lily Conforti brings both her LCcreations Collective dance troupe and the band Oister Boy with her from Minneapolis to literally rock our world.

With the band playing energetic original music that we should be hearing on the charts any day now, the dancers perform for us stories of the joys, sorrows, and struggles of various social interactions representative of the journey of young adulthood, in “I Think We Are Supposed to be ‘Coming of Age’ by Now…”

This show is an amazing experience and deserves your time.

While the various songs and dances portray various coming-of-age stories, the dance style is such that they are each open to your own personal interpretation. The whole thing felt to me as if I were watching the filming of a long-form music video.

Oister Boy is certainly a band to keep a watch on. Their songs are reminiscent of bands from early Who to current radio stars. Save for their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Rhiannon, the numbers are all original compositions, and they really rock. Also like a rock concert, this show is LOUD (earplugs are provided and I suggest you use them). Even with the earplugs in, the music was rather loud but so enjoyable. They also partake in in some of the dances, making them even more impressive.

Now for the dancing. From the opening number, it is clear that these kids have classical training in ballet, jazz, and modern dance. However, they incorporate these skills into a more hip-hop, street version of the disciplines. Their sheer physical abilities are breathtaking and I found myself in awe of them all.

I generally take copious notes at performances to help me remember what I’ve seen so I can better communicate the show’s intent. I found myself unable to write almost anything about the show because I was so awestruck with every second of it.

I honestly don’t know the words to express my adoration of this show (they only have two more performances, and I would see both of them again if I could). While the cast of the whole show totaled around a dozen, they outnumbered the opening night crowd three to one. These kids are amazing and deserve a much larger audience.

NOTE: while the show does have and “Adult Language” warning, it consists of two “F Bombs” in the song lyrics and I think it’s appropriate for teens and up.

Please, please, please see this show and support these artists. I really want to see them return and will be personally devastated if they do not due to lack of audience support. Performing 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 (today, as we post this), and noon Sunday, Aug. 21, at the Athenaeum Basile Auditorium.

IndyFringe: When Jesus Divorced Me

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Laura Irene Young has had an unusual relationship with Jesus.

I’m not referring to Our Lord and Savior – she says that will be the topic of another show. She actually married a man who portrayed Christ in an Orlando Christian theme park; ironically, he forsook her for the woman playing Mary Magdalene.

Laura relates her story in “When Jesus Divorced Me,” which she makes a musical with the help of her ukulele.

With ambitions of Broadway, Laura got into a professional summer-stock company, where she met Pharoah – rather, a guy playing the role in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” As she put it, “Did you like someone so much, you wanted to vomit?” She managed to keep her stomach but lost her heart. After the summer, they had a long-distance relationship that got much closer, and eventually, to Florida.

I’ll leave the rest for you to find out, as she tells it much better than I ever could. Despite his presence in the title, we don’t learn as much about unnamed ersatz-Jesus as we do about this interesting woman and her interesting life, told with engaging candor. Find out how “God’s plan” involved a lot of crying, that new hobbies aren’t always good, and how she knows he still has their wedding presents.

Presented by Magic Feather Productions, this lovely one-woman show is only during the opening weekend of IndyFringe, with performances 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 (today, as I post this), and 1:45 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, in the Athenaeum.

IndyFringe: Spontaneous Tales of Science-Fiction

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Stroopwafel Improv are a group that does silly strange things that make you go “ha ha” and “wha?” and “did they just say…” and more “ha ha.” And it is different at every performance.

This time around, there is an attempted theme – science fiction. However, weirdness knows no limits of time and space, so we get physical humor, odd relationships, and odder jobs, but probably on a future Earth. To aid their quest, aside from the regular audience suggestions (feel free to make it challenging) they have a performer from another Fringe show as a special guest. This person won’t be roped into an embarrassing game, but asked to give a possibly embarrassing monologue, from which ideas will be culled for the next series of comedy bits.

And be warned, even an odd throwaway reference in the opening improv game could become a bizarre recurring bit, as these folks take to it like a dog with a bone, gnawing at it in callbacks until all the humor marrow is extracted. (That sounded so weird, I won’t be shocked if it ends up in a sketch – my apologies.)

They are freewheeling with the entendres and occasional naughty word, so this is for teens and up, but do look them up, and see how truly weird and funny the future can be. Performances are Aug. 21, 26 and 27, and Sept. 3-4, in the Athenaeum.

IndyFringe: Trapped!

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

A handsome, sharp-dressed successful man casually relates an old saying, “A jealous man can’t work; a scared man can’t gamble,” little realizing how that relates to his whole world coming apart.

In “Trapped!” by Greg Stalworth, Cincinnati-based performers Curtis Drake Shepard and Jacqueline Johnson-Wilkinson portray a couple, Richard and Michelle, who have it all, including a 15-year marriage. But the high-stakes stress of running his Fortune 500 company grows suspicion in Richard’s mind. Michelle, who he had regarded as the “battery” that powered his life, is now his “trophy,” a precious possession that others certainly covet, an object that he can control.

For her part, Michelle notices the changes, but tells herself he’ll change back. By the time the abuse becomes unbearable, she can barely manage an escape. Shame and her husband isolating her from her peers keep her from reaching out to them, and she falls among society’s disposable rejects.

This unrelenting drama may have triggers for those with similar trauma as depicted and described here. This is hard to watch, in a good way. Shepard bares his character’s ego, letting us see all the ugly a man can become, and the sorrow it finally brings him. Johnson-Wilkinson breaks our hearts, showing us the folly of both Michelle’s denial and our feelings of “why doesn’t she just…” The production aims to be a wake-up call to men and women who see themselves in their shoes, as well as awareness to those who might know them.

Could so much misfortune visit one woman? Shepard says Stalworth wrote this short play in response to a death in his own family. Domestic violence prevention advocates will tell you that part or all of what happens to Michelle has been and is happening to somebody, somewhere, today.

As Michelle says, “Don’t cry for me, cry out because of me.”

Also, just as importantly, can such a man be redeemed? Watch “Trapped!” – performances Aug. 20, 27 and 28, in the Athenaeum – and judge for yourself.

Agape kids return “Sound of Music”

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By John Lyle Belden

Even when one of your musical’s biggest songs is, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” who expects to have to scale the peak of a global pandemic?

Agape Performing Arts Company (to which I’ve given much praise in the past), a youth theatre program hosted by Our Lady of the Greenwood Catholic Church, bravely opened its production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” in March of 2020, only to immediately close.

Because COVID-19, which shut the whole world down.

But director Kathy Phipps and the cast and crew kept following that dream of telling the beloved story of the Von Trapps. With the lineup largely intact, they perform a one-weekend engagement at the Basile Theatre in the Athenaeum downtown, in the heart of Indy’s again-bustling Mass Ave arts-entertainment-dining-etc. district.

Remaining live performances, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. today and Sunday (June 5-6), are sold out, but Sunday’s shows are available livestreamed at agapeshows.org.

The quality of the child/tween/teen performances is top-notch, as usual, with the bonus that the Von Trapp children actors are very near their characters’ stated ages. Liesl IS “Sixteen, going on Seventeen.” Agape wisely chose to keep college-student Elise Scrogham as the principal Maria, who anchored a solid ensemble Friday night.

To maximize the experience for all young actors, many roles are understudied and double-cast, with the alternate players taking the stage at different performances. Maria is also played by Meghan Wombles. Others include Elijah Beasley and Grant Scott-Miller as Captain Von Trapp, Rebekah Barajas and Silvia Seidle as Liesl, Devyn Knauss and Jackson Steuer as Friedrich, Josee DeBoor and Maggie McKinney as Louisa, Tobin Seiple as Kurt (God bless him), Evelyn Skaggs and Marygrace Rykowski as Brigitta, Adilyn Walker and Regina Kalscheur as Marta, Kesslee DeBoor and Victoria Franklin as Gretl, Olivia Schemmel and Jocelyne Brake as the wise Mother Abbess, and Clayton Muchman understudies Scott-Miller as collaborator Baron von Elberfeld.

Caleb Wilson fits right in as a late casting addition as Franz, the butler. Virginia Sever is the housekeeper, Frau Schmidt. Maura Phipps makes Frau Schraeder (the Captain’s wealthy momentary fiance) likable, and even noble in her final gesture. Aidan Morris, on the other hand, maintains a sinister air around messenger-boy Rolf that only Liesl apparently doesn’t see. The large and harmonious chorus of Sisters of the Abbey are led by Brilynn Knauss (Berthe), Kat Seiple (Margaretta) and Gemma Rollison (Sophia). And we look forward to the energetic Nathan Ellenberger, here as conniving Max Detweiler, chewing up scenes for many shows to come.

You likely know this story (and many songs) by heart. But if you don’t, here’s the pitch: It’s an old-school story of the original Antifa. With music. And children. And nuns. Who sing, even if they’re not supposed to. If you are only familiar with the classic Oscar-winning Julie Andrews film, note that the popular tunes are not in the same order or context, and there are a couple more songs. But “Edelweiss” will still touch your heart.

Even in a volunteer organization, keeping the rights to a legendary show for a dark year aren’t cheap. Please consider buying some swag, making a donation, and making a point of seeing Agape’s future productions, including a one-act “Narnia” at this August’s IndyFringe, and their staging of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” during BardFest in the fall.

Zach&Zack ‘Rocky Horror’ at Athenaeum – ’nuff said

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By John Lyle Belden

I could probably skip the synopsis on this one – Anybody here know how to Madison?

“The Rocky Horror Show” (note the omission of “Picture,” this is the live stage version) has returned to Indianapolis like a Halloween tradition, gracing the haunted stage of the Athenaeum,

Presented by Zach&Zack – produced by Zach Rosing, directed by Zack Neiditch – the play greatly resembles the movie scenes and songs, with a few differences (no dinner scene, for instance). The opening theme is a brilliant tribute to the film, complete with cast credits. But the actors here have made these characters their own: for instance, Dave Ruark plays sassy “Sweet Transvestite” Frank N. Furter, not an impression of Tim Curry in the role.

Adam Tran and Andrea Heiden are fun as Brad and Janet – the pair of squares thrust into a night of “absolute pleasure,” and Joe Doyel has stage presence to match his pecs and flex as muscular Rocky (the Creature). But the scenes are not stolen but outright owned by Davey Pelsue as Riff-Raff, combining his considerable acting chops with his rock-star charisma. Also wonderful are Anna Lee as Magenta, Alexandria Warfiel as Columbia, and Josiah McCruiston as Eddie and Dr. Scott.

But is it fair that while Adam Crowe is excellent as the no-neck Narrator, his scenes are pre-recorded so that he can actually see this great show from the audience, while the rest of the cast can’t? And where did his neck go? I blame aliens.

Kudos also to Erin Becker for her “big mouth.”

Perhaps I’m not taking this review seriously enough, but then consider what I’m supposed to be critiquing here. For crying out loud, the best lines are typically shouted by the audience! (And yes, you can do that – just no props allowed, by theater policy.) The bottom line is that this is not just a “play” or even your typical musical, it is an experience. And with this competent crew, you are assured a very good time. (Like a – everybody now – “Science fiction, double feature…”)

Of course, tickets are selling fast. Remaining performances are Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 1-3 at the “A,” 401 E. Michigan in downtown Indy. Get info at ZachAndZack.com (or their Facebook page) and tickets here.

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.